boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while focusing on two main

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1 Kathryn Smith EDUC 201: Educational Psychology Research Review March 2, 2009 Watkins, D. E., & Wentzel, K. R. (2008). Training boys with ADHD to work collaboratively: Social and learning outcomes. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33(4), Purpose This study focused on examining the nature of cooperative learning amongst adolescent boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while focusing on two main objectives: (1) to describe the processes of social interaction and problem solving demonstrated by students with ADHD during collaborative learning settings with a trained partner and also (2) to document changes in the social and planning behavior of subjects with ADHD over time, (p. 627). By identifying these objectives, researchers aimed to assist students with ADHD with particular difficulties, including academic performance and social functioning. Methodology Twenty-four male students and three female students ages nine to thirteen from elementary schools of varying socioeconomic statuses in southern Pennsylvania were examined during this experiment. Different criteria were used in order to recruit the male and female subjects. Each of the twenty-four male students had been previously identified with being officially diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at least 1 year before the beginning of the study. Both the male and female students freely chose to participate in the investigation. Criteria for including a student in the study included interviews, teacher ratings, academic achievement scores, intervention through a psycho stimulant medication, and written parental consent. The female students were evaluated upon certain qualifications which included high scores on achievement tests, IQ scores, grade point averages, placement in school gifted programs, and recommendations.

2 The female students took part in a pre-experimental partner training program in order to improve their peer interaction and errand planning proficiency. These females were randomly assigned to administer the tests to the male subjects. Both partners were strangers, and the female students were uninformed as to their partner s ADHD diagnosis. Each study was scheduled to begin approximately half to one hour at the student s elementary school after the male student was given his regular dosage of ADHD medication by the school nurse. The study was compiled of two sessions, one pretest session and one posttest session, to compare the results and draw conclusions. The research s design included a series of interactive sessions between one individual male and female who worked together to plan an errand planning task strategy. Both pretest and post tests scores were determined through observations recorded on video tapes. Male students were scored from six behavioral observations which included three levels of participation (passive, solitary, or joint participation), two levels of errand planning strategy (one-step moves, advanced sequence moves), and dominance. Females were scored upon two behavioral observations that they were taught during their pre-experimental partner training program. Results were recorded in terms of the characteristics the boys exhibited when working with the trained female partner to plan the errand planning strategy, any changes in the boy s behavior during the collaborative learning session, and any changes in the boy s planning behavior because of their female partner. Results Results were recorded and classified under three levels of classification including characteristics of behaviors, changes in behavior across time, and the changes in posttest planning efficiency. In conclusion, the study confirmed that using scaffolding techniques with children with ADHD is necessary for collaborative learning to occur and that some children need

3 to be assisted with social competence to best succeed. In addition, it was determined that training a peer to help assist a student with ADHD by promoting collaborative rather than dominant learning endorses positive impacts upon both the student and the peer trainer. For example, in one of the sessions, it was noted that change was made in the male student s academic learning through positive feedback by the trained female peer. This study also serves to inform teachers of inclusive classrooms on how to structure collaborative learning within the classroom to most positively benefit students with ADHD. Conditions in which children with ADHD can positively contribute to problem solving techniques were also determined; however, facilitating these conditions requires implementing a training program in order to be successful. Comments As a future teacher with the desire to work with students of all different backgrounds and abilities, I found this article extremely appealing and informative, as it sought to find appropriate measures to positively impact the lives of students struggling with ADHD. In today s inclusive classrooms, there are often multiple students present with different behavioral or emotional problems. For many teachers, an inclusive classroom environment is often difficult to manage when many students with behavioral problems exist in order to give the individual attention that special needs students require. As a future teacher, this study brings hope that eventually a large majority of students with behavioral needs will be able to positively contribute to an inclusive classroom environment. Many different Vygotskian theories were employed as part of this experiment, which I feel helped to add to the experiment s overall success. As the article states, Development is most likely to occur when two partners differ in terms of their initial level of competence with respect to the task, work collaboratively on it, and arrive at a joint understanding, (p. 627).

4 Through one of Vygotsky s theories, the trained female peer assists the student with ADHD at the zone of proximal development. At the child s zone of proximal development, learning occurs and task difficulty is concentrated. Through this study, the ADHD student also has the opportunity to work on cooperative learning techniques. For example, by working with the trained female peer, the ADHD student works to develop social skills in order to perform best with others which potentially can expand to a variety of environments. Also, the one-to-one tutoring with the female peer promotes face to face interaction in which both individuals are able to better learn the content and learn to listen, explain, and elaborate on the task at hand. As a future educator, the researcher s conclusions have led to my own deeper appreciation for cooperative learning. For example, if I ever find myself in a classroom situation with a student with a particular behavioral special need, I would employ the use of collaborative learning in my entire classroom environment. This study has led me to feel that using collaborative learning with students with behavior and learning problems may be one of the most effective methods to transport knowledge and help a child improve learning skills. This investigation has instigated my own curiosity on other issues that could be related to this study. First, this exploration focused on observations made on male students with ADHD. I would be curious to learn about the results of this same research experiment on female students with ADHD. This study speaks as if the findings on the male ADHD students would suffice for female ADHD students, but perhaps there may be noticeable differences if the study was performed on female ADHD students. Perhaps if differences in data occurred, researchers would be able to gain more individualized insights in order to assist each gender group most effectively. In addition, I would also be interested in examining research on effective methods that could benefit the learning and the inclusion of students with other types of special needs (for example mental, physical, and psychological) in the inclusive classroom environment. I am interested in

5 learning if students with other special needs would positively benefit from collaborative learning and cooperative learning techniques.