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Full Vita
B.S. (1975) Colorado State University, Child Development M.S. (1980) Oregon State University, Human Development Ph.D. (1983) Oregon State University, Human Development My current role in the department includes administrative, teaching, and research components. As director of the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory, I'm involved with supervising faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students who are head teachers in programs which serve children from 0 - 5 years and their families. In addition, my responsibilities include facilitating research that takes place in the Laboratory, and working with the children and families who are enrolled in our programs. During my tenure in the Department of Family, Consumer, & Human Development, I have taught the following graduate and undergraduate courses.
FCHD 2250 Seminar & Practicum in Early Childhood Education FCHD 2610 Guidance of Children FCHD 4550 Methods and Curriculum in Preschool Education FCHD 4960 Student Teaching in the Child Development Laboratory FCHD 4960S Student Teaching Seminar FCHD 6020 Survey of in Human Development Research FCHD 6910 Models for Education in Early Childhood FCHD 6510 Infancy FCHD 6500 Topical Seminar: The Preschool Child FCHD 6500 Socialization FCHD 6500/7500 Topical Seminar: Young Children's Early Care and Education Experiences
My research interests involve both young children (social competence in preschool children, effects of alternative child care), families (parent-child interaction, effects of parenting style), and teachers (curriculum models for early childhood, professional preparation of early childhood educators, developmentally appropriate practice).
Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: In this study I am piloting an instrument designed to measure perceptions of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in infant/toddler and preschool programs. I am examining how factors such as education level, major, experience, and parent status are related to preservice teachers' identification of DAP. Children's Transition to Kindergarten: A Survey of Utah Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives: This project, funded by the Agricultural Experiment Station, has surveyed all of Utah's Kindergarten teachers over the past three years. It has examined the developmental appropriateness of their kindergarten beliefs and practices, as well as their perceptions of problems children face in the kindergarten transition. I am most willing to work with graduate students on any of the above ongoing investigations or on one of several other projects still in the conceptualization stage. I also welcome the opportunity to discuss with students particular interests or ideas they might have regarding a research topic.
