A descriptive investigation utilizing a family systems perspective to study elementary school children who frequently become seekers of nurse support (S.O.N.S.) and their families

• Main Author: Fletcher, David Bruce.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: W&M ScholarWorks 1986
• Subjects: Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618299; https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1509&context=etd

It has been accepted that in order to maximize the educational growth of a child, the student should experience instruction in a consistent, uninterrupted fashion. Children who are disruptive, act-out, or otherwise obstruct the flow of knowledge may encounter problems when they must build upon information not learned at an earlier time. Students who frequently complain to their teachers of health issues or are sent to the nurse repeatedly, may suffer because of this break in their learning experiences. This research is directed toward exploring possible variables that may set children who frequent the nurse (Seekers of Nurse Support or S.O.N.S.) and their parents apart from a matched group of control children and their parents.;Ten elementary schools were selected as being representative of the population from an urban Virginia school system. Children who frequented the school nurse more than three times per week were given the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Moos Family Environment Scale (FES) as were control children who were matched by age, sex, ethnicity and grade. The school system's Standards of Learning test (SOL) was used as the measure of achievement. The parents of the S.O.N.S. and the controls were interviewed using the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) and the FES.;The t-test and Tukey's Quick Test were performed on the achievement measures and found no difference between the groups. The FES showed a significant difference between the groups regarding conflict, with the control group being more overt and demonstrative in their expression. No significant differences were seen between the two groups of students on their degree of anxiety.;The PIC showed significant differences in achievement, anxiety, hyperactivity and the lie scale. A discriminant analysis was performed on the four significant subtests and proved capable of separating the two groups of students.;There appears to be support for the hypothesis that there are family variables present which impact on the students who show an over-concern with health issues. The number of significant variables noted was not as large as hypothesized, but due to the exploratory nature of the project they were of interest. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).