| St. Jerome’ s Psychology professor Dr. Maureen Drysdale currently has two major research projects underway, both informed by her sense of the importance of adolescent development and a desire to work with students to develop their self-esteem. The first project concerns university Co-op programs and students: are these students different from those in regular four-year degree programs? And do Co-op programs really facilitate the school-to-work transition and deliver the “soft” skills—teamwork, goal setting, job retention—for which Co-op is often praised? Not just a study of Co-op education, this research aims to provide a better understanding of the contribution university makes to students’ sense of identity, life skills, self-concept, and self-efficacy. Dr. Drysdale’s second project focuses on elementary and secondary school students and how challenging behaviors affect learning outcomes. While examining how teachers handle these situations, this research should help to improve the quality of education for all students. Drysdale is looking specifically at the utility of using “functional behavioral assessments” as a form of early intervention so as to increase time spent on teaching/learning rather than classroom management. Not surprisingly, this research enriches her courses in Developmental and Educational Psychology. |  |
| St. Jerome's University | Established in 1865 | Co-founder of the University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | N2L 3G3 | 519 884 8110 |
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