Faculty
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Rhonda Martinussen, PhD
Assistant Professor (CSE/DPE) |
Keywords
Reading and writing difficulties; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; working memory and executive functions; adaptive instruction; teacher knowledge and practice relating to children with special education needs
Research Projects/Activities
For more information on Dr. Martinussen's research activities please contact her at rhonda.martinussen@utoronto.ca
Research Interests
My research interests focus on developing a better understanding of the individual difference and contextual factors that are associated with academic achievement in children with attention and/or learning difficulties. Specifically, I am interested in a) research examining the role of cognitive (e.g., working memory) and affective (e.g. motivation) factors in learning (e.g., reading, writing) b) research examining classroom instructional practices and their impact on the development of reading and writing skills in at-risk children, and c) intervention research focusing on the improvement of reading and writing skills in children with attention problems.
Applied/Clinical Interests
I am interested in working collaboratively with teachers to build capacity regarding the instruction of students with attention and/or learning difficulties. I am currently part of a research team that is working on two Knowledge Exchange projects. One project is examining how to use multimedia resources to support teacher professional development regarding working with students with ADHD. A second project involves working collaboratively with expert teachers to develop the curriculum for an intensive summer institute for Lead Teachers on ADHD. In addition, my research on cognition, attention, and adaptive instruction has direct implications for classroom instruction in the elementary grades.