Senior early childhood education major Julie Harbin from Rock Hill, S.C. recently had an article accepted for publication in the “International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities.”

The article titled “Gender Differences in Rough and Tumble Play Behaviors” is based on Harbin’s capstone research. In the research, Harbin conducted 10 one-hour observations in a kindergarten classroom to determine if there were gender differences in the types of rough and tumble play (RTP) that children engaged in.

Harbin’s research found similar conclusions to previous research that boys tended to participate in RTP more than girls and the forms of RTP engaged by boys were more aggressive. Her conclusions differed from previous research in that she found boys engaged in more solitary play than girls, although both boys and girls engaged in more solitary than collaborative forms of play. Previous findings showed that boys were more likely to engage in solitary forms of RTP than girls.

“I learned a lot from this experience, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it if it had not been for Dr. Wilkins’s support,” Harbin said. “As I enter the teaching field, I believe I have a stronger understanding of the importance of children’s play.”

All research for the observational study was conducted after receiving approval from the PC Institutional Review Board and parental consent for each student. Once completed, Harbin presented the research in poster form at the USC Upstate Research Symposium.

Harbin has been involved in the Presbyterian College choir and the Bella Voce, women’s choir all four years at PC. She recently finished her student teaching experience in a first-grade classroom and plans to teach in South Carolina after graduation.

Harbin will graduate at the 2016 Presbyterian College Commencement ceremony held this Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy opened in 2010, and is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.