The Making Socially Accepting Inclusive Classrooms (MOSAIC) project is funded by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES). The MOSAIC project aims to help children be more inclusive, socially accepting, patient and tolerant of classmates who may be different from them or who may be dealing with behavioral or learning problems.
It is well documented that children who do not get along with their classmates disrupt the classroom, detract from instructional time and create a climate for bullying. Peer rejection also contributes to academic disengagement and increased risk for academic failure for the rejected child.
Project Goals
Because existing interventions for youth with peer problems focus on changing the behavior of the disruptive child, but have ignore the rejecting peer group, the disruptive child's status with their peer remains unchanged.
Dr. Amori Mikami from the University of British Columbia developed the MOSAIC classroom intervention as a way to alter the behaviors of rejected children and the behaviors by the rejecting peer group to improve peer relationships and academic functioning in those with peer relationship problems.
The OHIO Center for Intervention Research in Schools (CIRS) team works in collaboration with Dr. Mikami on this project.
MOSAIC Project History
The MOSAIC project was pilot tested in the context of a children’s summer camp classroom. Results of a pilot test showed benefits in the rejected child’s peer functioning and benefits for the typically-developing classmates.
Because the MOSAIC project may benefit the entire classroom, the OHIO CIRS team would like to work with teachers to develop MOSAIC for use in typical classrooms.
The project has been ongoing for more than three years. Thank you to all teachers in the Berne Union, Logan Hocking and Whitehall School Districts who have participated in the project.
Learn more about each year of the project by expanding the selections.
Year One
In the first year of the project, the OHIO CIRS team worked intensively with a small number of teachers at each site. Teachers implemented the existing MOSAIC procedures and provided feedback for improving the feasibly of integrating the procedures in a typical classroom. They helped the team update the school-based version of the manual. MOSAIC procedures were refined based on their feedback.
Year Two
In year two, the OHIO CIRS team conducted a pilot test of the updated MOSAIC project with a new set of teachers and studied its impacts on the class and target students. This processes allowed us to refine our measurement plan and make additional improvements to the manual.
The findings from this phase are presented in the following articles:
- Mikami, A. Y., Owens, J. S., Hudec, K., Kassab*, H., & Evans, S. W. (2020). Classroom strategies designed to reduce child problem behavior and increase peer inclusiveness: Does teacher use predict students’ sociometric ratings? School Mental Health, 12(2), 250-264. doi: 10.1007/s12310-099-09352-y
- Owens, J. S., Qi, H., Himawan, L. K., Lee, M., & Mikami, A. Y. (2021). Teacher Practices, Peer Dynamics, and Academic Enablers: A Pilot Study Exploring Direct and Indirect Effects Among Children at Risk for ADHD and Their Classmates. In Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.609451
- Owens, J. S., Allan, D. M., Kassab*, H., & Mikami, A. M. (2020). Evaluating a short form of the academic competence evaluation scales: Expanded examination of psychometric properties. School Mental Health, 12(1), 38-52. doi: 10.1007/s12310-019-09347-9
Year Three
In year three, the investigative team conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the fully-developed classroom version of MOSAIC.
Findings from this phase are presented in the following articles:
- Mikami, A. Y., Owens, J. S., Evans, S. W., Hudec, K. L., Kassab, H., Smit, S., ... & Khalis, A. (2021). Promoting classroom social and academic functioning among children at risk for ADHD: The MOSAIC Program. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 51 (6), 1039-1052
- Kassab, H. D., Owens, J. S., Evans, S. W., Everly, E. L., & Mikami, A. Y. (2023). Exploring intervention sustainment and intervention spread following a randomized clinical trial of the MOSAIC Program. School Mental Health,15 402-415.
- Lee, Y., Mikami, A. Y., & Owens, J. S. (2021). Children’s ADHD symptoms and friendship patterns across a school year. Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49(5), 643-656
- Monopoli, W. J., Allan, D. M., Everly, E. L., Evans, S. W., Mikami, A. Y., & Owens, J. S. (2023). An Exploration of the Psychometric Properties of the Social Experiences Questionnaire: Replication and Extension. School Mental Health, 15(1), 324-337.
- Qi, H., Mikami, A. Y., & Owens, J. S. (2022). Associations between crossâracial friendships and children’s social and academic adjustment in racially diverse classrooms. Child development, 93, 1427-1443.
- Saffer, B.Y., Mikami, A.Y., Qi, H., Owens, J.S., & Normand, S. (2021). Factors related to the agreement between parents and teachers on ratings of children’s ADHD symptoms: An exploratory study using polynomial regression analyses. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 43(4), 793-807