During EDU 272: Educational Psychology, I was tasked with applying the learning I had gained from our

text, lectures, discussions, and the internet to case study scenarios in order to determine the best outcomes/procedures. One case study involved the study of a boy named Sam, who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in the fifth grade. I analyzed Sams case by looking at the issues in his case; Sams motivation through the perspective of multiple theories; and how teachers may have helped Sam in the past, and going forward. Through the process of this study, I became more familiar with psychological theories that relate to education, and various methodologies for addressing student needs. There were three theories I used to analyze Sams case, Weiners attribution theory, goal orientation theory, and Banduras Social Cognitive Theory. The first, attribution theory, assisted me in viewing circumstances from the students perspective. I analyzed Sams actions and behaviors to determine that his own attribution for his failure can be characterized by the internal-stableuncontrollable combination. Sam felt that he was the cause of his struggle. He felt embarrassed, and unable to control the things that were happening to him. By analyzing Sam through this lens, I gained a better understanding of how students may perceive the causes of their difficulties, as well as the potential for improvement. In addition to the insight that Weiners theory afforded me, my findings using the goal orientation theory further confirmed what I had concluded from initial observations. Using this theory, I determined that Sam had a helpless orientation focus. Similarly to the way that Sam felt he was the cause of his struggle, he felt helpless to do anything about it. To him, he would just continue as he had been, incapable of making any improvement. In order to aid Sam in growing, I suggested creating shortterm, attainable goals, to-do lists, and eventually, long-term goals. From classroom experience, I have often found that students who feel helpless will often shy away from large goals, even if the activity is something that they do better with. I have applied this learning when working with students. I find that it is helpful to identify one thing to focus on at a time, and to consistently monitor and redirect/reward as needed, as with anything else management related. By starting small, the student is able to attain small victories, eventually working toward larger goals. This process has been extremely helpful to me when working with shut-down students. Lastly, I Discussed Sams motivation from the perspective of social cognitive theory (selfefficacy). Over time, Sam had become so used to failure and being apathetic, that he did not even try. He knew he was unhappy with the circumstances, but eventually refused to put in any effort. He had developed very low self-confidence. In Sams case, not only did an IEP need to be put in place to accommodate the support that Sam would need to get back on track, but he also needed some expectations set in place. Given that he was not challenging himself, he needed adults (parents and school staff) to outline attainable goals for him, and reinforce their confidence in him, as well as to be firm in helping him to monitor his progress. I have unfortunately found a laziness, or certain amount of apathy in many of the students I have served with IEPs. I have found that many have come to expect things to be done for them. The study of this theory has helped me to realize that such students must take part in their attainment of IEP goals. The plans cannot be something that we do to, or for them, but rather something that empowers such students to work with us as a team. Overall, this case study helped me to identify several different avenues by which I could analyze student behavior, as well as to make me more aware of things to look out for, and the importance of early intervention when students begin to struggle in school. I have been able to apply this learning in several instances with students in my own classroom. Each student has a unique background and selfimage. Using aids such as Weiners attribution theory, goal orientation theory, and Banduras Social

Cognitive Theory, educators are better able to determine the root causes for behavior, and implement proper interventions at the earliest possible opportunity. This learning has helped me in my goal of attaining high levels of student achievement, by keeping the focus on student growth in the classroom.