Sample records for explored middle school

  1. Navigating Access and Maintaining Established Practice: Social Studies Teachers' Technology Integration at Three Florida Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheffield, Caroline

    2011-01-01

    This mixed methods multiple case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools This mixed methods, multiple-case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools in a large Florida school…

  2. Exploring School- and Home-Related Protective Factors for Economically Disadvantaged Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okilwa, Nathern S. A.

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the experiences of middle school students, particularly focusing on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students. For low SES middle school students, the known cumulative effects of poverty coupled with school transition and early adolescence development heighten the potential risks for school failure. By…

  3. Exploring Parental Involvement Strategies Utilized by Middle School Interdisciplinary Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Chris; Searby, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents present a unique collection of characteristics and challenges which middle school interdisciplinary teams were designed to address. This article describes a research study which explored parental involvement strategies employed by interdisciplinary teaching teams from three very different middle schools: an affluent suburban school, a…

  4. A Descriptive Qualitative Study Exploring Teacher and Parental Perceptions of African-American Middle School Male Students Related to Mathematics Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, Crystal Nicole

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative descriptive case study explored the perceptions of parents and teachers of the academic achievement gap in mathematics between African-American middle school males and their White counterparts. Ten parents, both African-American and White, with students attending middle school in the Cherokee County School District and 5 teachers…

  5. Classroom Management and the Middle School Philosophy. Fastback 500.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, John W.

    This document explores how teachers can connect the instructional and interpersonal approaches embedded in middle-school philosophy to effective classroom management. It describes the current mismatch between middle-school philosophy and practice and how the creation of middle-school grades introduced a volatile mismatch between a school's…

  6. Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Variable

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Sue; Bergman, Judy

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the research on middle school students' understanding of variables and explores preservice elementary and middle school teachers' knowledge of variables. According to research studies, middle school students have limited understanding of variables. Many studies have examined the performance of middle school students and offered…

  7. Middle School Teachers' Theories of Puberty.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeTendre, Gerald

    This study explored middle school teachers' perspectives on and expectations of adolescence and puberty, using observations and interviews of 15 teachers in two Japanese middle schools and two United States (U.S.) middle schools, as well as a survey of teachers in selected schools in both nations. Teachers in the U.S. described puberty as being…

  8. Influences of High-Stakes Testing on Middle School Mission and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musoleno, Ronald R.; White, George P.

    2010-01-01

    This study explored the effects of high-stakes testing and accountability on the fundamental practices associated with middle school philosophy. Participants were middle school educators, including administrators and teachers, from Pennsylvania middle schools. An online survey was used to collect data for this study. The survey addressed the…

  9. A Case Study Exploring the Transition to Middle School from the Perspective of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rappa, Kelly A.

    2012-01-01

    The transition to middle school is often associated with negative effects on academic achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Educators at a Grade 6 through 8 middle school in the northeastern United States observed students struggle with the adjustment to middle school. Research suggests that developmentally responsive…

  10. English Language Arts Scores among Sixth Grade Students Enrolled on an Elementary versus Middle School Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, La-Trice

    2013-01-01

    A K-12 school district located in southern California was faced with overcrowding at 1of its middle schools for the 2011-2012 school year. This project study was designed to explore if an elementary or middle school campus was best in supporting students' academics while they were in transition to 6th grade middle school. Maslow's hierarchy of…

  11. Rural School Math and Science Teachers' Technology Integration Familiarization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalonde, Gilbert

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the significance of technology integration familiarization and the subsequent PD provided to rural middle school teachers with several opportunities to gain technological skills for technology use in rural middle school math and science classrooms. In order to explore the use of technology in rural schools, this study surveyed…

  12. KSC-04pd1157

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Center Director Jim Kennedy addresses students and faculty of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy is visiting Explorer Schools in Florida and Georgia to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  13. Exploring School Stress in Middle Childhood: Interpretations, Experiences, and Coping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sotardi, Valerie A.

    2017-01-01

    With increased academic and social challenges at school, middle childhood can be a particularly stressful time. The present study explored how a sample of children from a supportive learning environment interpreted, experienced and reported coping with everyday stress at school. Using a phenomenological approach, third graders attending an…

  14. Urban Middle School African American Girls' Attitudes toward Physical Education and Out-of-School Physical Activity Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramsey, Victor

    2012-01-01

    The purposes of this two-part study were (1) to investigate urban middle school African American girls' physical activity levels and their relationships to attitudes and, (2) to explore urban middle school African American girls' attitude toward physical education. A total of (N = 649) African American girls from 14 New York City middle schools…

  15. Injecting Computational Thinking into Computing Activities for Middle School Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Heidi Cornelia

    2013-01-01

    Advances in technology have caused high schools to update their computer science curricula; however there has been little analogous attention to technology-related education in middle schools. With respect to computer-related knowledge and skills, middle school students are at a critical phase in life, exploring individualized education options…

  16. KSC-04pd1154

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Eduardo Tillet, principal of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., welcomes Center Director Jim Kennedy, plus NASA and KSC representatives, to the school. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy is talking with students, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. He is visiting NES schools in Florida and Georgia to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers.

  17. KSC-04PD-2041

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Students at Immokalee Middle School in Naples, Fla., walk to Immokalee High School for a special presentation in the auditorium by Center Director Jim Kennedy and astronaut Terry Virts. Immokalee is part of NASAs Explorer School (NES) Program and is teamed with Pine Ridge Middle School. Kennedy is visiting the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.

  18. Career Basics. An Integrated Approach to Career Exploration and Workplace Skill Development. Middle School/High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuckkan, Kevin G.

    This book, which is intended for teachers of middle school and high school students, outlines a subject-integrated method for helping students explore concepts and situations encountered in the career world and recognize the connections that exist between classroom knowledge and the world of work. The book contains a brief introduction, list of…

  19. KSC-04pd1149

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During lunch in the library at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., astronaut David Wolf pauses for a photo with a member of the school board. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Wolf joined Center Director Jim Kennedy to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  20. KSC-04pd1155

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Center Director Jim Kennedy addresses students and faculty of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy is visiting NES schools in Florida and Georgia to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  1. Is Science Me? Exploring Middle School Students' STE-M Career Aspirations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Ing, Marsha; Tsai, Sherry M.

    2014-01-01

    This study explores middle school students' aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and medical (STE-M) careers by analyzing survey data during their eighth and ninth grade years from an ethnically and economically diverse sample of Southern California urban and suburban public school students (n = 493). Students were classified based on…

  2. The Relationships among School Types, Teacher Efficacy Beliefs, and Academic Climate: Perspective from Asian Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chong, Wan Har; Klassen, Robert M.; Huan, Vivien S.; Wong, Isabella; Kates, Allison Diane

    2010-01-01

    The authors explored how prior student achievement, through school types, predicted teacher self- and collective efficacy and perceived academic climate of 222 middle school teachers in Singapore. Teachers assigned to high-track and regular middle schools differed in their perception of self- and collective efficacy to promote organizational…

  3. Teens, Power Tools, and Green Schools: Education for Sustainability through a University Environmental Design Program and Middle School Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derr, Victoria

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the role of green schools in promoting education for sustainability by reflecting on a university-middle school partnership focused on sustainable design. Undergraduates and middle school students met weekly for a semester to learn about sustainability through simple design projects and activities that focused on…

  4. The Power of Positional Competition and Market Mechanism: An Empirical Study of Parental Choice of Junior Middle School in Nanning, P. R. China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Xiaoxin

    2011-01-01

    School choice has been actively exercised by mostly middle class parents and "key" schools in many places in China, each obtaining what they want: school places and funds, respectively. The aims of this study were to explore the impact of positional competition in school choice and explore the effect of market mechanisms in the resulting…

  5. KSC-04pd1159

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf addresses students and faculty of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  6. KSC-04pd1158

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf addresses students and faculty of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  7. Literature Discussion: Encouraging Reading Interest and Comprehension in Struggling Middle School Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittman, Pamela; Honchell, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how literature discussion affects middle school struggling readers. The focus was on 16 middle school struggling readers in a rural Title I school in the southeastern United States. Findings indicated that (a) literature discussion increased student enjoyment of reading, and (b) students…

  8. An Exploration of Relationships between Leadership and Student Citizenship Outcomes in Cyprus Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savvides, Vassos; Pashiardis, Petros

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore direct and indirect relationships between Leadership and Student Citizenship Outcomes in Cyprus middle schools. In the case of indirect effects the mediating role of School Academic Optimism and Instructional Quality was examined. Method: The specific study adopted a value-added quantitative…

  9. Life Satisfaction and Violent Behaviors among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valois, Robert F.; Paxton, Raheem J.; Zullig, Keith J.; Huebner, E. Scott

    2006-01-01

    We explored relationships between violent behaviors and perceived life satisfaction among 2,138 middle school students in a southern state using the CDC Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MSYRBS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Logistic regression analyses and multivariate models constructed…

  10. Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Kevin J.; D'Angelo, Christina M.

    2013-01-01

    This report shares a study that explored the perceptions pre-service teachers have of middle school students. Participants were asked to complete the "Adjective Checklist" ("ACL") by endorsing the words they considered most characteristic of a typical middle school student. Items most frequently endorsed indicated a…

  11. Teachers' Experiences with Middle-Level Mathematics Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frost, Bernard Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    Many school districts have provided support to middle school mathematics teachers who face challenges involving delivery of instruction by hiring instructional mathematics coaches. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences between classroom mathematics middle school teachers and their instructional coach, and to…

  12. KSC-04PD-2047

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Astronaut Terry Virts questions students from Immokalee Middle School in Naples, Fla., which is part of NASAs Explorer School (NES) Program. Virts spoke about what it takes for mission success and the importance of teamwork. Virts accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy on the visit to the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Immokalee is part of NASAs Explorer School (NES) Program and is teamed with Pine Ridge Middle School. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three- year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.

  13. Classroom Management Strategies of Highly Effective Teachers in Diverse Middle Schools: Be Strict and Calm, Not Mean

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGregor, Katheryne L.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative research study investigated and identified the classroom management strategies of 12 highly effective middle school teachers who served diverse student populations at two different school sites. In addition, this research explored the beliefs and experiences of 305 diverse middle school students regarding their experiences with…

  14. Democratic Leadership in Middle Schools of Chihuahua Mexico: Improving Middle Schools through Democracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delgado, Manuel Lopez

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of the implementation of a democratic approach to lead and manage middle schools in Chihuahua, Mexico. This research was based on a Likert questionnaire and semistructured interviews to explore the level of involvement of students, teachers, and parents in schools participating in a programme…

  15. KSC-04pd1164

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf answers questions from a student on stage at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., during his talk about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy (seated at lower left) on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  16. KSC-04pd1163

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf answers questions from a student on stage at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., during his talk about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy (seated at lower left) on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  17. KSC-04pd1162

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf answers questions from a student on stage at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., during his talk about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy (seated at lower left) on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  18. KSC-04pd1161

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf answers questions from a student on stage at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., during his talk about his experiences in space. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Wolf joins Center Director Jim Kennedy (seated at lower left) on his visit to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  19. Teacher Kim Cantrell from the Edwards Air Force Base Middle School, Edwards, Calif., participating in a live uplink at NASA Dryden as part of NASA's Explorer Schools program, asks the crew of the International Space Station a question

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-07-15

    Teacher Kim Cantrell from the Edwards Air Force Base Middle School, Edwards, Calif., participating in a live uplink at NASA Dryden as part of NASA's Explorer Schools program, asks the crew of the International Space Station a question.

  20. Exploring strategies to promote middle school student participation in the school breakfast program

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Providing a school breakfast to students may be a practical intervention that improves energy balance, nutrient intake, and school academic achievement variables. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the ecological factors influencing middle school student school breakfast participation a...

  1. The Cumulative Disadvantages of First- and Second-Generation Segregation for Middle School Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin

    2015-01-01

    Middle schools are important because they launch students on trajectories that they are likely to follow throughout their formal educations. This study explored the relationship of first-generation segregation (elementary and middle school racial composition) and second-generation segregation (racially correlated academic tracks) to reading and…

  2. Best Practice in Middle-School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Wilcox, Kristen C.; Angelis, Janet; Applebee, Arthur N.; Amodeo, Vincent; Snyder, Michele A.

    2013-01-01

    Using socio-ecological theory, this study explores best practice (educational practices correlated with higher student performance) in middle-school science. Seven schools with consistently higher student performance were compared with three demographically similar, average-performing schools. Best practice included instructional approaches…

  3. KSC-04pd2052

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-09-28

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Les Gold, Aerospace Education specialist with KSC, speaks to students at Immokalee Middle School in Naples, Fla. At right is astronaut Terry Virts. Gold and Virts accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy for a presentation at the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Immokalee is part of NASA’s Explorer School (NES) Program and is teamed with Pine Ridge Middle School. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.

  4. KSC-04PD-2048

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Astronaut Terry Virts talks to students and staff of Immokalee Middle School in Naples, Fla., about what it takes for mission success and the importance of teamwork. Virts accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy on the visit to the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Immokalee is part of NASAs Explorer School (NES) Program and is teamed with Pine Ridge Middle School. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.

  5. KSC-04PD-2046

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Astronaut Terry Virts talks to students and staff of Immokalee Middle School in Naples, Fla., about what it takes for mission success and the importance of teamwork. Virts accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy on the visit to the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Immokalee is part of NASAs Explorer School (NES) Program and is teamed with Pine Ridge Middle School. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.

  6. Exploring Korean Middle School Students' View about Scientific Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Il-Ho; Park, Sang-Woo; Shin, Jung-Yun; Lim, Sung-Man

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine Korean middle school students' view about scientific inquiry with the Views about Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire, an instrument that deals with eight aspects of scientific inquiry. 282 Korean middle school students participated in this study, and their responses were classified as informed, mixed, and…

  7. Disciplinary Literacy in the Middle School: Exploring Pedagogical Tensions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Abbey C. K.; Kerkhoff, Shea N.; Spires, Hiller A.

    2017-01-01

    The present study examined middle school teachers' perceptions of literacy demands in their disciplines and specific literacy strategies they used to teach their disciplines. The eight participants in this multiple case study included 2 middle school teachers from each of 4 disciplines (i.e., English/language arts, science, social studies, and…

  8. Meeting the Needs of Middle Grade Science Learners through Pedagogical and Technological Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yerrick, Randy; Johnson, Joseph

    2009-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined the effects of inserting laptops and science technology tools in middle school environments. Working together with a local university, middle school science teaching faculty members wrote and aligned curricula, explored relevant science education literature, tested lessons with summer school students, and prepared…

  9. Learning Physics with Digital Game Simulations in Middle School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Janice L.; Barnett, Mike

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to share our findings in using video gaming technology to facilitate the understanding of basic electromagnetism with middle school students. To this end, we explored the impact of using a game called "Supercharged!" on middle school students' understanding of electromagnetic concepts compared to students…

  10. Unsettling Deficit Views of Students and their Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hattam, Robert; Prosser, Brenton

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we explore the possibilities for redesigning pedagogy in the middle years of schooling. We think that the middle schooling movement in Australia is unfinished because the pedagogical reforms promised have been patchy, not well researched and difficult to sustain. As well, middle schooling is a little exhausted because it has failed…

  11. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Students at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla., listen attentively to astronaut Kay Hire. She and Center Director Jim Kennedy were at the school to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Students at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla., listen attentively to astronaut Kay Hire. She and Center Director Jim Kennedy were at the school to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  12. Middle School and High School Students Who Stutter: A Qualitative Investigation of School Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cobb, Tiffany R.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and further understand the ways in which middle school and high school students perceive their school experiences within the school environment. School has an important impact on the social development of children (Milsom, 2006). Learning is not done individually as classrooms are inherently social…

  13. Peer Connectedness in the Middle School Band Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rawlings, Jared R.; Stoddard, Sarah A.

    2017-01-01

    Previous research suggests that students participating in school-based musical ensembles are more engaged in school and more likely to connect to their peers in school; however, researchers have not specifically investigated peer connectedness among adolescents in school-based music ensembles. The purpose of this study was to explore middle school…

  14. Comprehensive School Reform & Student Achievement in Kentucky Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans-Andris, Melissa; Usui, Wayne M.

    2008-01-01

    This project examines the effects of Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) models on the achievement of students in Kentucky middle schools. Previous studies exploring the effects of CSR on schools and student achievement have rendered mixed results (Berends, 2000; May & Supovitz, 2006; May, Supovitz, & Perda, 2004; RAND, 2002; Zhang,…

  15. Exploring Strategies to Promote Middle School Student Participation in the School Breakfast Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cullen, Karen Weber; Thompson, Deborah I.; Watson, Kathleen B.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: Providing a school breakfast to students may be a practical intervention that improves energy balance, nutrient intake, and school academic achievement variables. This purpose of this pilot study was to identify the ecological factors influencing middle school student school breakfast participation and possible strategies to…

  16. Elementary- and Middle-School Teachers' Reasoning about Intervening in School Violence: An Examination of Violence-Prone School Subcontexts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Behre, William J.; Astor, Ron Avi; Meyer, Heather Ann

    2001-01-01

    Compares middle-school and elementary school teachers' reasoning about their professional roles when violence occurs in school subcontexts such as hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds. Uses concepts from urban planning, architecture, criminology, and cognitive developmental domain theory to explore teachers' moral attitudes toward school…

  17. What Do Middle and High School Students Know about the Particulate Nature of Matter after Instruction? Implications for Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aydeniz, Mehmet; Kotowski, Erin Leigh

    2012-01-01

    This study explores middle and high school students' understanding of the particulate nature of matter after they were taught the concept. A total of 87 students (41 high school and 46 middle school) participated in the study. Findings suggest that students held misconceptions about the law of conservation of matter, chemical composition of matter…

  18. Are They All Language Learners?: Educational Labeling and Raciolinguistic Identifying in a California Middle School Dual Language Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, Sera J.

    2017-01-01

    This manuscript draws from a 2-year multiple-case ethnography on the educational experiences of Mexican immigrant families with California middle schools. The article explores the influence of the political landscape and raciolinguistic ideologies surrounding the nature and implementation of a middle school dual language bilingual program, and it…

  19. The Effect of an Experiential Learning Program on Middle School Students' Motivation toward Mathematics and Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weinberg, Andrea E.; Basile, Carole G.; Albright, Leonard

    2011-01-01

    A mixed methods design was used to evaluate the effects of four experiential learning programs on the interest and motivation of middle school students toward mathematics and science. The Expectancy-Value model provided a theoretical framework for the exploration of 336 middle school student participants. Initially, participants were generally…

  20. Youth as Design Partners: Age-Appropriate Websites for Middle and High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chow, Anthony S.; Smith, Kathelene McCarty; Sun, Katherine

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the impact of using best practices identified in previous studies in designing age-appropriate websites for middle and high school youth. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, 31 middle and 22 high school youth took part in six focus groups across four states. Participants were introduced to a website specifically designed for…

  1. Social Withdrawal, Peer Rejection, and Peer Victimization in Taiwanese Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wei, Hsi-Sheng; Chen, Ji-Kang

    2009-01-01

    This study aims to examine the relationships between social withdrawal, peer rejection and peer victimization among Taiwanese middle school students as well as to explore the applicability of relevant models in an East Asia culture context. The sample of this study consists of 219 7th grade students from middle schools in Taiwan. Data from…

  2. A Case Study of an Effective Middle School Algebra I Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linton, Patricia Lorraine Curtis

    2011-01-01

    Using a qualitative case study approach, this research explored the perceptions of middle school students on the role of their mathematics teacher in their success or failure to achieve in his mathematics classroom. Also, the study examined the teacher's perceptions of his role in the students' achievement. Further, the research explored the…

  3. Agriscience Education for the Middle School. Instructional Units. Grade 7: Agriscience Exploration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

    Designed to supplement the Agriscience Education for the Middle School curriculum guide, this instructional packet provides lessons to enable agriscience teachers to bring basic science concepts into the classroom through practical, hands-on activities and experiments. The course is designed to assist seventh-grade students in exploring science as…

  4. Looking for a Struggle: Exploring the Emotions of a Middle School Reader

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Triplett, Cheri Foster

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this case study was to explore a middle school student's emotions in the tutoring context in order to better understand the "struggles"faced by a struggling reader. Through cognitive explanations of emotions, the researcher identified aspects of tutoring that influenced Mitchell's feelings of enjoyment, pride, and success. These…

  5. Urban Middle School Students' Reflections on Authentic Science Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera Maulucci, María S.; Brown, Bryan A.; Grey, Salina T.; Sullivan, Shayna

    2014-01-01

    This study explores the experiences of six urban middle school students in an authentic science inquiry program. Drawing on data including teaching journal entries, student work folders, and semi-structured focus group interviews of six participants, the findings explore six dimensions of authentic science inquiry, an approach to science inquiry…

  6. Exploring Middle School Students' and Parents' Conceptions of Excellent Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Junjun

    2016-01-01

    While there have been many western studies about what excellent teaching means, there are far fewer eastern studies. This study explored how students and parents perceived conceptions of excellent teaching in Chinese middle schools. The 77 students' and 67 parents' responses relating to a personal narrative of a time they had experienced excellent…

  7. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla., is the site where Center Director Jim Kennedy and astronaut Kay Hire shared the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla., is the site where Center Director Jim Kennedy and astronaut Kay Hire shared the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  8. A Phenomenological Examination of Middle School African American Adolescent Men's Experiences with Professional School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washington, Ahmad Rashad

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study was conducted with a sample of five (5) middle school African American adolescent men from two different schools in the same school district to explore their perceptions of and experiences with their professional school counselors. Phenomenological qualitative methodology was used to complete this study. To gather research…

  9. Vocational Education Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davitt, Bob; And Others

    Vocational education programs were offered in 10 middle schools, 5 area high schools, 2 alternative high schools, and at the central campus of Des Moines Public Schools (Iowa). The major curricular focus at the middle school was career exploration. At the area high school level, the program was broad based to meet the needs of a high percentage of…

  10. The Effect of Using Problem-Based Learning in Middle School Gifted Science Classes on Student Achievement and Students' Perceptions of Classroom Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horak, Anne Karen

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) units developed by a large suburban school district in the mid-Atlantic for the middle school gifted science curriculum on: a) students' performance on standardized tests in middle school Science, as measured by a sample of relevant test questions from a…

  11. Silent Partners: Uncovering Middle School and High School Students' Perceptions of Their Roles in Two School-University Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kruse, Nathan B.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore middle school and high school band students' perceptions of two ongoing school-university partnerships. Interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with school students to capture their unique perspectives and to support the tenets of formative and action research designs. Findings indicated that…

  12. A Case Study of Policies and Procedures to Address Cyberbullying at a Technology-Based Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tate, Bettina Polite

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative case study explored the policies and procedures used to effectively address cyberbullying at a technology-based middle school. The purpose of the study was to gain an in-depth understanding of policies and procedures used to address cyberbullying at a technology-based middle school in the southern United States. The study sought…

  13. Exploring Middle School Girls' Science Identities: Examining Attitudes and Perceptions of Scientists when Working "Side-by-Side" with Scientists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farland-Smith, Donna

    2009-01-01

    This article is the culmination of an extensive inquiry-focused interactive experience involving female middle school students and five university scientists, which demonstrated that middle school girls' perception of science and scientists can be successfully improved. The study exposed students to adult professional scientists over a period of a…

  14. Mapping Our City: Learning To Use Spatial Data in the Middle School Science Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McWilliams, Harold; Rooney, Paul

    Mapping Our City is a two-year project in which middle school teachers and students in Boston explore the uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in project-based science, environmental education, and geography. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being field tested in three Boston middle school science classrooms.…

  15. Capturing Urban Middle School Students' Voices on the Use of Science Inquiry in Their Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osisioma, Irene U.; Onyia, Chidiebere R.

    2009-01-01

    The present study seeks to explore middle school students' perception of the kind of science instruction going on in their classrooms and its relevance to their daily lives outside the classroom. Data were collected using a five point Likert type survey instrument that was administered to 262 middle school (Grades 6, 7 & 8) students in six…

  16. Preliminary Exploration of the Mental Health Education Competency Survey of Primary and Middle School Head Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Chunyu; Liu, Yanling; Guo, Cheng; Lan, Haiying

    2014-01-01

    Despite a recent focus on the mental health of students, primary and middle school mental health education in China has been hampered by a lack of resources and inadequate professional training. This study assessed the mental health education competency of primary and middle school head teachers using the Mental Health Education Competency…

  17. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Kay Hire poses with 8th grader Kristy Wiggins at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Hire joined Center Director Jim Kennedy at the school in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Kay Hire poses with 8th grader Kristy Wiggins at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Hire joined Center Director Jim Kennedy at the school in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  18. Critical Media Literacy in Middle School: Exploring the Politics of Representation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gainer, Jesse S.

    2010-01-01

    This article explores issues of critical media literacy with middle school students in an urban setting in the United States. The author focuses on data from a qualitative study engaging students in the reading and writing of video texts. The article examines intersections of issues relating to the "crisis of representation" in social science…

  19. Career Counseling in Middle Schools: A Study of School Counselor Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanders, Carrie; Welfare, Laura E.; Culver, Steve

    2017-01-01

    Students in K-12 schools benefit from career counseling as a means to improve their readiness for academic and career success. This quantitative study explored the career counseling self-efficacy of 143 practicing middle school counselors using the Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale-Modified and a subscale of the School Counselor Self-Efficacy…

  20. Parents Negotiating Change: A Middle-Class Lens on Schooling of Children with Autism in Urban India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johansson, Shruti Taneja

    2016-01-01

    This article explores the views and experiences of schooling among parents of children with autism from middle-income families in urban India. A total of 18 parents with children attending private mainstream schools in Kolkata were interviewed about their school choice, interactions with the school and perceptions regarding their child's…

  1. The Relationship between Public Middle School Teachers' Reports of Their Empathy and Their Reports of Their Likelihood of Intervening in a Bullying Situation: An Action Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Jasdeep

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this action research was to explore and describe the relationship between middle school teachers' reports of their empathy and their reports of their likelihood of intervening in a bullying situation. Teacher volunteers from a single middle school within a suburban school district in a northeastern state were asked to complete…

  2. Turning around Maple Shade Middle School: A Principal's Initial Reform Efforts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salmonowicz, Michael J.; Levy, Melissa K.

    2009-01-01

    This case was written for use in courses dealing with school administration, specifically those related to organizational change, school improvement/turnaround, and the principalship. It explores a veteran principal's first year as a "turnaround specialist" in a low-performing middle school, where she works with a sense of urgency to achieve an…

  3. Systems Thinking among School Middle Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

    2017-01-01

    Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts. This study explores systems thinking among school middle leaders--teachers who have management responsibility for a team of teachers or for an aspect of the school's work. Interviews were held with 93 school coordinators, among them year heads, heads of…

  4. Using Argumentative Discussions to Enhance the Written Arguments of Middle School Students in Social Studies Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wissinger, Daniel R.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Walton, Reed, and Macagno's (2008) dialectical framework on middle school students' historical discussions and written arguments. To do this,151 middle school students from six classrooms were randomly assigned to one of two conditions and asked to participate in a three-week…

  5. Cross-Cultural Comparison of Perceptions on the Global Scientific Literacy with Australian, Chinese, and Korean Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mun, Kongju; Lee, Hyunju; Kim, Sung-Won; Choi, Kyunghee; Choi, Sung-Youn; Krajcik, Joseph S.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we explored the extent to which Australian, Chinese, and Korean middle school students perceived themselves to have scientific literacy as global citizens and attempted to identify differences and/or commonalities in their perceptions. A total of 655 middle school students (8th and 9th grades; 358 girls and 297 boys) from the three…

  6. The Perceptions of Secondary School Middle Leaders Regarding Their Needs Following a Middle Leadership Development Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorpe, Anthony; Bennett-Powell, Gay

    2014-01-01

    The importance of middle leaders in bringing about improvement in schools is well recognized in the UK, as in many other countries, with the ever-present demand for raising standards and achievement. This article outlines some initial findings and discussion points emerging from the first stage of a project exploring how middle leaders in…

  7. Using Teaching Portfolios to Revise Curriculum and Explore Instructional Practices of Technology and Engineering Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lomask, Michal; Crismond, David; Hacker, Michael

    2018-01-01

    This paper reports on the use of teaching portfolios to assist in curriculum revision and the exploration of instructional practices used by middle school technology and engineering education teachers. Two new middle school technology and engineering education units were developed through the Engineering for All (EfA) project. One EfA unit focused…

  8. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to students in Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to students in Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  9. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Kay Hire talks to students in Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. She joined Center Director Jim Kennedy in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Kay Hire talks to students in Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. She joined Center Director Jim Kennedy in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  10. Middle Leadership: A Key Role of Numeracy Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jorgensen, Robyn

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on a large national project that explored successful numeracy practices in remote and very remote schools. While there have been a number of significant findings, the middle leader has been identified as a key role in the development of successful numeracy/mathematics practices in schools. The middle leader plays a critical role…

  11. Well-Connected: Exploring Parent Social Networks in a Gentrifying School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cappelletti, Gina A.

    2017-01-01

    The enrollment and engagement of middle-class families in historically low-income urban public schools can generate school improvements, including increased resources and expanded extracurricular programming. At the same time, prior research has highlighted the marginalization of low-income parents as one consequence of middle-class parent…

  12. Longitudinal Analysis of the Trajectories of Academic and Social Motivation across the Transition from Elementary to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madjar, Nir; Cohen, Veronique; Shoval, Gal

    2018-01-01

    School transitions are important phases in students' educational experiences. The current study aimed to explore the trajectories of academic and social motivation across the transition from elementary to middle school. Participants (N = 415) were sampled from six elementary schools; 55% transitioned after sixth grade (transition) and 45% remained…

  13. Consistency Rules: A Critical Exploration of a Universal Principle of School Discipline

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irby, Decoteau; Clough, Cindy

    2015-01-01

    The current study explores the principle of "consistency" and its relevance in the discipline cultures of three middle and two high schools in a Midwest US school district. We explore how educators (1) evoke consistency as a necessity for school discipline and (2) attempt to be consistent in practice to develop disciplined students,…

  14. The Middle School Reading Coach: Exploring the Coaching Role and Understanding the Role of the Principal in Supporting Coaching Efforts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Mia L.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold. First, using a qualitative, single case study design, I explored the roles and responsibilities of a middle school reading coach to understand how the coach distributed her time to support content area teachers in improving literacy instruction within their content areas. In addition to…

  15. An Exploration of Middle and High School Students' Perceptions of Deviant Behavior when Using Computers and the Internet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Annie J.

    2005-01-01

    If the current trend continues, the use of computer technologies and the Internet will increase for teaching and education. It is urgent that researchers study computer and Internet deviance. The purpose of this study was to explore middle and high school students' perceptions of deviant behavior when using computers and the Internet. The target…

  16. Crossing Boundaries: Exploring Black Middle and Upper Class Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning in High Poverty Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Andrea D.

    2012-01-01

    The intent of this study was to explore the perceptions of Black middle and upper class preservice teachers as they relate to teaching and learning in high poverty urban schools. Participants included 11 senior early childhood education preservice teachers at a historically Black college in the southeast region of the United States. The study was…

  17. Internet Use among Middle School Students in School and at Home: What Can We Learn from a U.S.-China Comparison?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lei, Jing; Zhou, Jingye; Wang, Qiu

    2009-01-01

    Based on data collected from middle school students in a U.S. school (N = 159) and a Chinese school (N = 183), this study compared Internet use in school and at home between American students and Chinese students, explored what affected students' use of the Internet, and examined how students' Internet use related to their learning. Results reveal…

  18. Seeking a "Critical Mass": Middle-Class Parents' Collective Engagement in City Public Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Posey-Maddox, Linn; Kimelberg, Shelley McDonough; Cucchiara, Maia

    2016-01-01

    A growing body of literature has begun to explore the individual identities, motivations, and school choices of middle-class, typically white, parents who choose to reside in socioeconomically and racially mixed central city neighborhoods. Drawing on qualitative research in three US cities, we argue that a focus on middle-class parents' collective…

  19. A National Survey of Middle and High School Science Teachers' Responses to Standardized Testing: Is Science Being Devalued in Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aydeniz, Mehmet; Southerland, Sherry A.

    2012-01-01

    This study explored American high school and middle school science teachers' attitudes toward the use of standardized testing for accountability purposes, their justification for the attitudes they hold and the impact of standardized testing on their instructional and assessment practices. A total of 161 science teachers participated in the study.…

  20. Mathematical Problem-Solving Styles in the Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erickson, Elizabeth E. A.

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the mathematical problem-solving styles of middle school and high school deaf and hard-of-hearing students and the mathematical problem-solving styles of the mathematics teachers of middle school and high school deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The research involved 45 deaf and hard-of-hearing students and 19 teachers from a…

  1. Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment of Students with Special Needs at the Middle School/Junior High School Levels: The Practical Arts Evaluation System (PAES).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swisher, Judy; Clark, Gary M.

    1991-01-01

    Describes the Practical Arts Evaluation System (PAES), a curriculum-based vocational assessment program for students with special needs at the middle school/junior high school level. Provides a rationale for curriculum-based assessment and occupational exploration at this level and describes benefits of the program. (Author/JOW)

  2. Teaching Them All: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study of African American Students' Perceptions of Their Middle School's Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hankerson, Henry

    2009-01-01

    Research indicates school culture impacts student achievement. At Teach Them All Middle School (TTA), an achievement gap exists between African American and White students. The purpose of the current study was to examine the perceptions of African American students concerning the school culture at TTA. The research questions explored the…

  3. Same- and Cross-Gender Sexual Harassment Victimization in Middle School: A Developmental-Contextual Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schnoll, Jessica S.; Connolly, Jennifer; Josephson, Wendy J.; Pepler, Debra; Simkins-Strong, Emily

    2015-01-01

    Using a developmental-contextual framework, the present study investigated risk factors for same- and cross-gender sexual harassment victimization in 986 middle school students. Participants completed questionnaires in the fall and spring of the same school year so risk factors could be explored longitudinally. Results revealed that gender…

  4. Targets and Witnesses: Middle School Students' Sexual Harassment Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lichty, Lauren F.; Campbell, Rebecca

    2012-01-01

    School-based peer-to-peer sexual harassment (SH) emerged as an issue of concern in the early 1990s. As a developing field, this literature has several notable gaps. The current study extends previous research by, (a) exploring the understudied experiences of middle school students, (b) assessing students' experiences witnessing SH, and (c)…

  5. Bullying by Exclusion: Gifted Students and "Maslow's Paradox"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schroeder-Davis, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    In this column the author explores the middle school nexus of asynchronicity, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and bullying as they apply to gifted students in secondary schools, with an emphasis on the middle school student. The premise is typically referred to as "achievement vs. affiliation," (Ford, 2004; Neihart, 2006, 2008) and concerns the…

  6. Perceived Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Elementary, Middle, and High School String Players

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Joshua A.; Benedetto, Rachel L.

    2014-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify the body regions where young string players report experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort and explore factors that may impact their perceived discomfort. A purposive yet nonprobability sample of elementary (n = 101), middle school (n = 97), and high school (n = 159) students participated in the study by…

  7. High-Stakes Testing and Teacher Stress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoyt, Joshua Paul

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed-methods research study was to examine how stress levels of middle school mathematics teachers who taught Algebra I in school districts in the state of Pennsylvania relate to high-stakes testing and to explore the experiences of middle school mathematics Algebra I teachers. The researcher collected and compared it to…

  8. The Effect of Cooperative Learning on Middle School Math Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Remillard, Heather A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore cooperative learning and the impact on middle school students overall academic achievement. The study included 47 students from a small private school, ranging from grades sixth through eighth. The researcher examined student perception of cooperative learning, implementation process and the overall impact…

  9. Middle School Choreography Class: Two Parallel but Different Worlds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minton, Sandra

    2007-01-01

    This research explored how middle school students construct meaning from their dance-making experiences in comparison to the meaning attached to these experiences by an outside observer, the researcher. An interpretive methodology was used to study two nine-week-long dance classes taught at a private K-12 school. Eleven students enrolled in the…

  10. Transformative Multicultural Science Curriculum: A Case Study of Middle School Robotics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, Mary Katheryn

    2012-01-01

    Multicultural Science has been a topic of research and discourse over the past several years. However, most of the literature concerning this topic (or paradigm) has centered on programs in tribal or Indigenous schools. Under the framework of instructional congruence, this case study explored how elementary and middle school students in a…

  11. Relationships between Character Education and School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karaburk, Hasan

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between character education and school climate based on the lived experiences and beliefs of teachers. The research was conducted in a public middle school to explore understandings and beliefs of teachers about character education and its perceived impact on school climate. Social…

  12. Back to School 1997--CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse III: Teens and Their Parents, Teachers and Principals. Conducted by Luntz Research Companies and QEV Analytics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

    For most middle and high school students in the United States, drug-free schools are not available. To explore the nature of drug problems in the schools, 305 middle school teachers, 484 high school teachers, 401 school principals, 1,115 teens, and 998 parents were surveyed so as to assess their attitudes toward cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs such…

  13. An Inquiry Safari

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Norman; Chapman, Seri

    2004-01-01

    The Virtual Gorilla Modeling Project--a professional development project--is a collaboration of middle and high school inservice teachers, Zoo Atlanta primatologists, science and computer educators, and students. During a 10-day professional development summer workshop, middle and high school teachers explore the world of the gorilla through…

  14. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Warren Elly (left), with WTVT-TV, Fox News, talks with Center Director Jim Kennedy at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy was joined by astronaut Kay Hire in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Warren Elly (left), with WTVT-TV, Fox News, talks with Center Director Jim Kennedy at Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy was joined by astronaut Kay Hire in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  15. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to WTSP-ABC News about his trip to Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to WTSP-ABC News about his trip to Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  16. Transcending an Urban-Rural Divide: Rural Youth's Resistance to Townization and Schooling, a Case Study of a Middle School in Northwest China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lou, Jingjing

    2011-01-01

    Based on an ethnographic study in a rural middle school in Northwest China, the author explores how the transition of the rural countryside, specifically townization, has challenged the urban-rural dichotomy being reproduced in and by formal schooling. Rural students express criticism of the chaos, pollution, and corruption they have experienced…

  17. Explorations in Multi-Age Teaming (MAT): Evaluations of Three Projects in Fulton County, Georgia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elmore, Randy; Hopping, Linda; Jenkins-Miller, Minnie; McElroy, Camille; Minafee, Margaret; Wisenbaker, Joseph

    Multi-Age Teaming (MAT) programs were implemented at Crabapple and McNair Middle Schools in Fulton County, Georgia, in the fall of 1993, and at Camp Creek Middle School in the fall of 1994. An important goal of these programs was the creation of school families within schools with multi-age teams of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. At…

  18. "It All depends...": Middle School Teachers Evaluate Single-Sex Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spielhagen, Frances R.

    2011-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explored the effectiveness of single-sex classes according to key stakeholders in this educational reform--the teachers who choose or are hired to teach in single-sex classes and schools. Specifically, this study examined the on-the-ground experiences of middle school teachers as they attempted to implement a relatively…

  19. Decision Making Associated with Selecting an Integrated or a Discipline Model for Middle School Science Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brockbank, Brennan R.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study sought to identify, understand, and describe the decision-making processes used by school districts to determine the middle school science course sequence as part of the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards. Additionally, this study explored and described the expressed comments, feelings, and beliefs of…

  20. Fostering Literacy Learning with Three Middle School Special-Education Students Using Therapy Dogs as Reading Partners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamkin, Donna

    2017-01-01

    This case study explored dog-assisted reading with three middle-school special education students in a self-contained alternative school. Data collection conducted over a 15-month period included observations, interviews, and artifacts. In this study, reading with therapy dogs and their handlers, helped three adolescent readers with their reading…

  1. Eight Voices of Empowerment: Student Perspectives in a Restructured Urban Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horn, Brian R.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores student empowerment in a restructured urban Title I middle school. The study includes data from eight participants in an action research project that involved a critical inquiry unit in an eighth-grade language arts class that asked students, "How are you empowered and disempowered by school?" Findings reveal that…

  2. Healthy Minds in Healthy Bodies: Adolescent Clinics and Middle Schools in Collaboration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reyes, Augustina H.; Fowler, Michelle

    1999-01-01

    Explores the development of a collaboration between a clinic and an urban middle school in a high-poverty, language minority community in Texas. Considers the need for an adolescent clinic and issues of community support, funding, clinic objectives, and problems. (JPB)

  3. Exploring the Evolving Professional Identity of Novice School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bamgbose, Olamojiba Omolara

    2017-01-01

    The study employed a grounded theory approach to explore the evolving professional identity of novice school counselors. Participants, who are currently employed as school counselors at the elementary, middle, or high school level with 1-4 years' experience, were career changers from other helping professions and graduates from an intensive school…

  4. KSC-04pd1178

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-18

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, greets teachers at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools — Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan — are on a team taking part in NASA’s Explorer Schools program. Whitlow visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  5. KSC-04PD-1202

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow signs autographs for students at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow visited the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  6. KSC-04PD-1177

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, greets a student outside Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow visited the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  7. KSC-04PD-1178

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, greets teachers at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow visited the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  8. KSC-04pd1169

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation, Center Director Jim Kennedy signs a memento for a student at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  9. KSC-04pd1171

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation, Center Director Jim Kennedy signs a memento for a student at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  10. Developmentally Appropriate Middle Level Schools. 2nd Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manning, M. Lee

    Noting factors that have contributed to an increased emphasis on developmentally responsive middle level schools, this revised monograph examines early adolescence as a developmental period and explores the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics of 10- to 15-year-olds. In addition, the monograph provides recommendations concerning…

  11. Who's Really Struggling?: Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Struggling Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreau, Leah K.

    2014-01-01

    This study explored middle school teachers' perceptions of struggling readers, including influences such as: understandings of components and factors relating to reading difficulties; views of struggling readers' behaviours and affect; classroom implications of their difficulties; and feelings of both competency and responsibility in the teaching…

  12. Examining Middle School Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge of Fraction Division Interpretations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alenazi, Ali

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated 11 pre-service middle school teachers' solution strategies for exploring their knowledge of fraction division interpretations. Each participant solved six fraction division problems. The problems were organized into two sets: symbolic problems (involving numbers only) and contextual problems (involving measurement…

  13. Middle School Children's Mathematical Reasoning and Proving Schemes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Yating; Manouchehri, Azita

    2013-01-01

    In this work we explored proof schemes used by 41 middle school students when confronted with four mathematical propositions that demanded verification of accuracy of statements. The students' perception of mathematically complete vs. convincing arguments in different mathematics branches was also elicited. Lastly, we considered whether the…

  14. Perceptions Regarding the Use and Experience of Information and Communication Technology from Female Students in a Catholic Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tellez, Julio C.

    2013-01-01

    Despite advancements in the search of equity, females still struggle to find acceptance in the field of information and communication technology. Research indicates that differences in perception of ability of ICT use begin to manifest in the middle school level. This mixed methods study explored the experiences and perceptions of 46 middle school…

  15. Preventing Truancy and Dropout among Urban Middle School Youth: Understanding Community-Based Action from the Student's Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodriguez, Louie F.; Conchas, Gilberto Q.

    2009-01-01

    This case study explores how a community-based truancy prevention program mediates against absenteeism, truancy, and dropping out and positively transforms the lives of Black and Latina/Latino middle school youth. Findings suggest that community-school partnerships are critical in the quest to combat truancy and the alarming dropout rate among…

  16. Afterschool: An Ally in Promoting Middle School Improvement. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 55

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Afterschool Alliance, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the first in its latest series of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief explores afterschool and school improvement. In communities across the…

  17. Exploring Career Pathways. A Guide for Expanding Vocational-Technical Education in the Middle School/Junior High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baxter, Jim

    This guide, which was developed for Idaho middle and junior high school teachers, provides a framework for developing hands-on curricula that will acquaint students with concepts and activities common to a wide range of occupations. Presented after a brief introduction explaining the rationale for a curriculum based on career pathways are a…

  18. Mathematical Explorations: Fun with Triangular Numbers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Medina, Elsa; Grassl, Richard; Fay-Zenk, Mary

    2014-01-01

    While some students are enjoying days at the park or at the beach, forty middle school students are in a classroom solving challenging mathematics problems. The second Math Camp for middle school students was offered in 2013 at a western university for students from local school districts. For three days, these students met from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.…

  19. The Careers Project: School Survey of Middle and High School Principals and Counselors in California. CRB 09-001

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Cos, Patricia L.; Chan, Julie

    2009-01-01

    The Careers Project is a study of the preparation all students in public middle and high schools receive to explore career options and the relationship between that preparation and California's state and regional economies. The California Research Bureau (CRB) undertook this research at the request of a bipartisan group of members of the…

  20. Exploring the Ups and Downs of Mathematics Engagement in the Middle Years of School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Andrew J.; Way, Jennifer; Bobis, Janette; Anderson, Judy

    2015-01-01

    This study of 1,601 students in the middle years of schooling (Grades 5-8, each student measured twice, 1 year apart) from 200 classrooms in 44 schools sought to identify factors explaining gains and declines in mathematics engagement at key transition points. In multilevel regression modeling, findings showed that compared with Grade 6 students…

  1. Examining Student Cognitive and Affective Engagement and Reading Instructional Activities: Spanish-Speaking English Learners' Reading Profiles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barber, Ana Taboada; Gallagher, Melissa; Smith, Peet; Buehl, Michelle M.; Beck, Jori S.

    2016-01-01

    Recent research has emphasized the key role of engagement in helping students succeed in school and beyond. Given the academic struggles that many English learners (ELs) face as they transition to middle school, exploring the facets of engagement in middle school ELs is needed. We established reader profiles for eight sixth grade Hispanic ELs and…

  2. The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Use of ICT at School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pullen, Darren

    2015-01-01

    The increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools has been largely explored in relation to how students' use ICT at school. In addition students' lives and experiences with technology beyond school have also begun to be explored. However, the nexus between the two is still an underdeveloped research area. Anecdotally…

  3. Gender and School Choice: Factors Influencing Parents When Choosing Single-Sex or Co-Educational Independent Schools for Their Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Carolyn; Bisset, Moray

    2005-01-01

    This paper explores factors influencing parents' choices of single-sex or co-educational schools in the independent sector. In doing so, it explores two relatively under-researched aspects of school choice by focusing upon gender and upon the middle classes. The paper draws upon research conducted in three independent schools--a boys' school, a…

  4. KSC-04PD-1180

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., astronaut Dom Gorie poses with two members of the school district. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Whitlow and Gorie are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  5. KSC-04pd1151

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a visit to Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., Center Director Jim Kennedy and other NASA and KSC representatives are greeted by students on stage. From left to right, are Jim Gerard, Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP) representative; Steve Lewis, assistant to Kennedy; Amber Marek, with KSC External Relations; David Wolf, astronaut; Kennedy; Les Gold, AESP representative; Burdette Brown; and Patricia Leonard and Clarence Bostic, Education Programs and University Research Division. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Kennedy is talking with students, the next generation of explorers, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  6. KSC-04pd1152

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a visit to Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., Center Director Jim Kennedy and other NASA and KSC representatives are greeted by students on stage. From left to right are Jim Gerard, Aerospace Education Services Program representative; Steve Lewis, assistant to Kennedy; Amber Marek, with KSC External Relations; David Wolf, astronaut; Kennedy; Les Gold, AESP representative; Burdette Brown; and Patricia Leonard and Clarence Bostic, Education Programs and University Research Division. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Kennedy is talking with students, the next generation of explorers, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  7. KSC-04pd1153

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a visit to Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., Center Director Jim Kennedy and other NASA and KSC representatives applaud faculty and students from the stage. From left to right are Jim Gerard, Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP) representative; Steve Lewis, assistant to Kennedy; Amber Marek, with KSC External Relations; David Wolf, astronaut; Kennedy; Les Gold, AESP representative; Burdette Brown; and Patricia Leonard and Clarence Bostic, Education Programs and University Research Division. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Kennedy is talking with students, the next generation of explorers, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  8. Professional Learning Communities: A Middle School Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentile, David N.

    2010-01-01

    This research project explored the transition from a traditional model to a Professional Learning Community model in a NJ Middle School. The administration overcame obstacles during the transition such as scheduling conflicts, teacher apathy, and resistance. This action research study gathered data to determine how to best structure the…

  9. Middle School Special Education Teachers' Perceptions and Use of Assistive Technology in Literacy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flanagan, Sara; Bouck, Emily C.; Richardson, Jennifer

    2013-01-01

    In this research the authors examined middle school special education teachers' perceptions of assistive technology during literacy instruction with students with high incidence disabilities. A survey explored the use, effectiveness, and factors impacting use or effectiveness of assistive technology for literacy teaching and learning. Results…

  10. Students' Perspectives of Urban Middle School Physical Education Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyson, Ben; Coviello, Nicole; DiCesare, Emma; Dyson, Lisa

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore and interpret students' perspectives of their experiences in four urban middle school physical education programs. Focus group interviews with 76 students were supported by field notes and researchers' reflective journals. Researchers used constant comparison methods (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) to identify seven…

  11. Effects of Critical Discussions on Middle School Students' Written Historical Arguments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wissinger, Daniel R.; De La Paz, Susan

    2016-01-01

    In this experimental study, 151 middle school students explored 3 historical controversies, first reading and discussing primary source documents in groups, then writing arguments on their own. Students were either randomly assigned to an experimental condition, using argumentative schemes and critical questions as guides during discussions, or to…

  12. Explorations of Metacognition among Academically Talented Middle and High School Mathematics Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Adena Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this dissertation was to examine metacognition among academically talented middle and high school mathematics students from both educational psychology and mathematics education perspectives. A synthesis of the literatures and three studies employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies were used to address three…

  13. Middle School Physical Education Teachers' Perspectives on Overweight Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doolittle, Sarah A.; Rukavina, Paul B.; Li, Weidong; Manson, Mara; Beale, Angela

    2016-01-01

    Using the Social Ecological Constraints model, a qualitative multiple case study design was used to explore experienced and committed middle school physical education teachers' perspectives on overweight and obese students (OWS), and how and why they acted to include OWS in physical education and physical activity opportunities in their school…

  14. Inviting Parents to the Middle: A Proactive Stance for Improving Student Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peel, Henry A.; Foster, Elizabeth S.

    1993-01-01

    Explores the challenge of keeping parents involved in their children's education beyond the elementary school years. Suggests the invitational model as proactive approach for keeping parents involved in the lives of their children, particularly during the transition years of middle school education. As background, discusses nature of…

  15. Technology-Based Inquiry for Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christmann, Edwin

    2006-01-01

    Activities featured in this new compendium--a collection of 26 articles published in Science Scope, NSTA's member journal for middle school teachers--will show how. Technology-Based Inquiry offers fresh approaches that teachers and students can use to explore physical science, Earth and space science, life science, and more. It covers the…

  16. Nonfiction Reading Comprehension in Middle School: Exploring in Interactive Software Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolff, Evelyn S.; Isecke, Harriet; Rhoads, Christopher; Madura, John P.

    2013-01-01

    The struggles of students in the United States to comprehend non-fiction science text are well documented. Middle school students, in particular, have minimal instruction in comprehending nonfiction and flounder on assessments. This article describes the development process of the Readorium software, an interactive web-based program being…

  17. Arranging Musicals for Middle School Voices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bobetsky, Victor

    2005-01-01

    Middle school choral students and their teachers can benefit from studying and performing a musical. The students can apply their vocal skills to the exploration of this important genre of American music. Outstanding chores members will have opportunities to perform as soloists and to master dramatic roles. The teachers can express themselves…

  18. Associations among Middle School Students' Bullying Roles and Social Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, Lyndsay N.; Demaray, Michelle Kilpatrick; Fredrick, Stephanie Secord; Summers, Kelly Hodgson

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the relations among self-reported bully participant role behaviors (i.e., bullying, assisting, experiencing victimization, defending, and outsider behavior) and self-reported social skills (i.e., cooperation, assertion, empathy, and self-control) among boys and girls. The sample consisted of 636 middle school students (52%…

  19. "It's Not My Fault": Using Neutralization Theory to Understand Cheating by Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zito, Nicole; McQuillan, Patrick J.

    2010-01-01

    According to neutralization theory, to justify unethical behavior delinquents often embrace strategies that deflect personal responsibility for their actions from them and toward other persons or contextual factors outside their control. Drawing on neutralization theory, this case study explores how middle school students endorsed comparable…

  20. Improving Middle School Science Learning Using Diagrammatic Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cromley, Jennifer G.; Weisberg, Steven M.; Dai, Ting; Newcombe, Nora S.; Schunn, Christian D.; Massey, Christine; Merlino, F. Joseph

    2016-01-01

    We explored whether existing curricula can be adapted to increase students' skills at comprehending and learning from diagrams using an intervention delivered by regular middle-school teachers in intact classrooms. Ninety-two teachers in three states implemented our modified materials over six curricular units from two publishers: "Holt"…

  1. Introduction to Vocations: Building Occupational Exploration at the Middle School Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutgers, The State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ. Dept. of Vocational-Technical Education.

    This handbook uses the 15 occupational clusters for infusing career exploration into an existing school curriculum for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Each grade's program explores designated occupational clusters through the basic curriculum of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education. A…

  2. KSC-04PD-1196

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A reporter from KREI radio interviews KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow after his presentation at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow is sharing Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  3. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to radio station WFLA-AM and Florida Radio Network about his trip to Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to radio station WFLA-AM and Florida Radio Network about his trip to Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy made the trip with NASA astronaut Kay Hire to share the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  4. KSC-04pd0838

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Rick Linnehan talks with a student at Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. Linnehan joined Center Director Jim Kennedy at the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. The purpose of the school visit is to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  5. KSC-04PD-1204

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie signs autographs for students at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program.

  6. KSC-04PD-1192

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie presents a photo montage to Jo Peukert, principal of Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program.

  7. KSC-04PD-1203

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie joins students at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., for a group photo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  8. KSC-04PD-1198

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie signs autographs for students at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program.

  9. KSC-04PD-1181

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie (left) talks with KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow during a visit to Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  10. KSC-04PD-1179

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., astronaut Dom Gorie talks to students and teachers. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Whitlow and Gorie are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  11. KSC-04pd1172

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation, students at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., gather around Center Director Jim Kennedy as he signs a memento for a student. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Kennedy visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  12. KSC-04pd1166

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Center Director Jim Kennedy (center) greets a student after his presentation at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The purpose of Kennedy’s visit is to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  13. KSC-04pd1168

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Center Director Jim Kennedy poses for a photo with students at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The purpose of Kennedy’s visit is to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  14. Investigating Stakeholder Attitudes and Opinions on School-Based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Programs

    PubMed Central

    Nodulman, Jessica A.; Starling, Randall; Kong, Alberta S.; Buller, David B.; Wheeler, Cosette M.; Woodall, W. Gill

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND In several countries worldwide, school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs have been successful; however, little research has explored US stakeholders’ acceptance toward school-based HPV vaccination programs. METHODS A total of 13 focus groups and 12 key informant interviews (N = 117; 85% females; 66% racial/ethnic minority) were conducted with 5 groups of stakeholders: parents of adolescent girls, parents of adolescent boys, adolescent girls, middle school nurses, and middle school administrators throughout the 5 public health regions of New Mexico. RESULTS All groups of stakeholders lacked knowledge on HPV and HPV vaccines. Stakeholders were interested in—but apprehensive about—the benefits of HPV vaccination. Despite previous literature showing the benefits of using middle schools as an HPV vaccination site, stakeholders did not deem middle schools as a viable site for vaccination. Nurses reported that using the school as an HPV vaccination site had not occurred to them; parents and adolescents stated they were uncertain about using this type of program. School administrators indicated that they lacked implementation authority. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered barriers to using middle schools as a site of HPV vaccination. Resources should be directed toward increased support and education for middle school nurses who function as opinion leaders relevant to the uptake of HPV vaccination. PMID:25846308

  15. Teachers' Perspectives about an Anti-Bullying Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lester, Robin Rawlings; Maldonado, Nancy

    2013-01-01

    Bullying has become a nationwide concern at the K-12 level. Guided by the theoretical framework of social learning theory, this study explored the perceptions of secondary education teachers about the bully-proofing program in place at one target middle school. Despite the target middle school's anti-bullying program, the incidence of bullying had…

  16. Sources of Science Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Britner, Shari L.; Pajares, Frank

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which A. Bandura's ([1997]) hypothesized sources of self-efficacy predict the science self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students (N = 319), to replicate previous findings that science self-efficacy predicts science achievement, and to explore how science self-efficacy and its…

  17. The Math Explorer: Games and Activities for Middle School Youth Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Pat; Lambertson, Lori; Tesler, Pearl

    This book offers games and mathematics activities using a hands-on approach for middle school students and features games, puzzles, experiments, and projects. Contents include: (1) "Boxed In!"; (2) "Oddball"; (3) "Pig"; (4) "Madagascar Solitaire"; (5) "Fantastic Four"; (6) "Eratosthenes' Sieve"; (7) "Hopping Hundred"; (8) "Tic-Tac-Toe Times"; (9)…

  18. A True Middle School Physical Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tenoschok, Mike

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the various ways in which the developmental needs of middle school students can be met in a physical education program. The themes of exploration and individualization appear throughout the article to emphasize the importance of providing a variety of sports, games and physical activity options for middle…

  19. Does Biliteracy + Mathematical Discourse = Binumerate Development? Language Use in a Middle School Dual-Language Mathematics Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubinstein-Ávila, Eliane; Sox, Amanda A.; Kaplan, Suzanne; McGraw, Rebecca

    2015-01-01

    Few studies on the role of bilingualism in mathematics classrooms explore the intersection of biliteracy, language use, mathematical discourse, and numeracy--especially at the middle school level. Drawing from biliteracy development theory and reform mathematics education literature, this qualitative case study of a dual-language mathematics…

  20. Emotion Regulation Strategies in European American and Hong Kong Chinese Middle School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wan, Kayan Phoebe; Savina, Elena

    2016-01-01

    This study explored emotion regulation strategies in middle school European American (N = 54) and Hong Kong Chinese (N = 89) children. Children were presented with scenarios describing a fictitious girl/boy who encountered situations eliciting sadness, anger, and fear. Based on Gross' theory (1998), the survey of emotion regulation strategies was…

  1. The Correlation between Temperament, Technology Preference, and Proficiency in Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colvin-Sterling, Sabrina

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between middle school students' personality type and their academic performance in the technology courses in which they participated. It also explored the differences in technology use by personality. Most participants identified games as a favorite pas-time. However, there were some noted temperamental…

  2. Quick Response (QR) Codes for Audio Support in Foreign Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vigil, Kathleen Murray

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the potential benefits and barriers of using quick response (QR) codes as a means by which to provide audio materials to middle-school students learning Spanish as a foreign language. Eleven teachers of Spanish to middle-school students created transmedia materials containing QR codes linking to audio resources. Students…

  3. Learning in Linguistically Diverse Middle School Classrooms: The Role of the Classroom Peer Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elreda, Lauren Molloy; Kibler, Amanda; Futch Ehrlich, Valerie A.; Johnson, Haley

    2016-01-01

    The literature suggests there is much to be gained from exploring the role of the peer network in linguistically diverse "mainstream" middle school classrooms (i.e., classrooms that include English language learners alongside fluent English-speakers). The present study uses social network analysis to examine whether between-classroom and…

  4. Cyberbullying in Turkish Middle Schools: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yilmaz, Harun

    2011-01-01

    This study explored Turkish students' experience of cyberbullying and their use of social networking tools. A total of 756 7th-grade students participated from eight different middle schools in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. A 15-item questionnaire was used in a classroom environment to collect data. Results revealed that male students were…

  5. Exploring Middle School Students' Conceptions of the Relationship between Genetic Inheritance and Cell Division

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Michelle; DeBarger, Angela Haydel; Montgomery, Beronda L.; Zhou, Xuechun; Tate, Erika

    2012-01-01

    This study examines students' understanding of the normative connections between key concepts of cell division, including both mitosis and meiosis, and underlying biological principles that are critical for an in-depth understanding of genetic inheritance. Using a structural equation modeling method, we examine middle school students'…

  6. The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on Middle School Students' Science Learning in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Danhui; Tang, Xing

    2017-01-01

    Informal science learning has been found to have effects on students' science learning. Through the use of secondary data from a national assessment of 7410 middle school students in China, this study explores the relationship among five types of extracurricular science activities, learning interests, academic self-concept, and science…

  7. Newjack: Teaching in a Failing Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sipe, Peter

    2004-01-01

    In this article, Peter Sipe compares his first year as a middle school teacher in Brooklyn, New York, to that of a rookie corrections officer at Sing Sing prison. Sipe explores what he considers to be disturbing similarities in these experiences, namely, a preoccupation with control, immersion in an adversarial social dynamic, and the prevalence…

  8. A Comparison of Actual and Preferred Classroom Environments as Perceived by Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Hsiang-Ru; Chou, Wei-Lun; Miao, Nae-Fang; Wu, Yu-Ping; Lee, Pi-Hsia; Jwo, Jiunn-Chern

    2015-01-01

    Background: A good classroom environment can promote students' learning motivation and affect their academic efficacy and adaptation. This study compares the perceptions of Taiwanese middle school students regarding actual and preferred classroom environments and explores the association with sex and grade level. Methods: Data were collected using…

  9. Middle School Mathematics Teachers Panel Perspectives of Instructional Practicess

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ziegler, Cindy

    2017-01-01

    In a local middle school, students were not meeting standards on the state mathematics tests. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore mathematics teachers' perspectives on effective mathematics instruction vis-a-vis the principles of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Within this framework, the 6 principles in the…

  10. An Exploration of Middle School Teachers' Essences of Participation in Service-Learning Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cochran Holmes, Ashlee Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the essence of middle school service-learning teachers' experiences with service-learning. Service-learning is "a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility,…

  11. Teaching Behavior Questionnaire: Verifying Factor Structure and Investigating Depressive Symptoms in Catholic Middle and High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittard, Caroline M.; Pössel, Patrick; Smith, Rosamond J.

    2015-01-01

    Teaching behavior impacts student psychopathology. This study explored the associations between teaching behavior types and depressive symptoms in students. The Teaching Behavior Questionnaire (TBQ) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were completed by 763 middle and 976 high school students from private Catholic…

  12. Barriers to Reducing the Digital-Use Divide as Perceived by Middle School Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Presby, Bob

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and describe the barriers to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) to support active learning in the classroom as perceived by middle school site principals. Methodology: This was a qualitative phenomenological study using data collected from…

  13. Inside the Black Box: Examining Mediators and Moderators of a Middle School Science Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desimone, Laura M.; Hill, Kirsten Lee

    2017-01-01

    We use data from a randomized controlled trial of a middle school science intervention to explore the causal mechanisms by which the intervention produced previously documented gains in student achievement. Our study finds that implementation fidelity, operationalized as a measure of the frequency of implementation of the cognitive science…

  14. [Relationship between cyberbullying and the suicide related psychological behavior among middle and high school students in Anhui Province].

    PubMed

    Wang, Gengfu; Fang, Yu; Jiang, Liu; Zhou, Guiyang; Yuan, Shanshan; Wang, Xiuxiu; Su, Puyu

    2015-11-01

    To examine the prevalence rate of cyberbullying in middle and high school students in Anhui Province and explore the relationship between cyberbullying and suicide related psychological behavior. A total of 5726 middle and high school students from the 7th to the 12th grades in three regular middle schools and three regular high schools recruited from three cities in the Anhui Province (Tongling, Chuzhou, and Fuyang). Tongling, Chuzhou, and Fuyang are in the south, middle and north of Anhui, respectively. Each city was selected one regular middle school and one regular high school, and 8 classes were selected form each grade from each school. A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to randomly select 5726 participants among the six schools. Self-reports on cyberbullying and suicide related psychological behavior were collected. Among these 5726 adolescents, 46.8% of them involved in cyberbullying. Among them, 3.2% were bullies, 23.8% were victims, and 19.8% were both. Prevalence rates of suicide idea, suicide plan, suicide preparation, suicide implementation were 19.3%, 6.9%, 4.7% and 1.8%, respectively. Cyberbullying involvement, as victims, bullies or bully-victims, increased the risk of four kinds of suicide related psychological behavior (suicide idea, suicide plan, suicide preparation, suicide implementation) (P < 0.05). Cyberbullying has become a common occurrence in middle and high school students. Additionally, cyberbullying is closely related to suicide related psychological behavior among middle and high school students.

  15. KSC-04PD-1183

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Prior to a presentation at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., Amber Marek, KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, astronaut Dom Gorie, Superintendent of Schools Randy Davis and Principal Jo Peukert salute the American flag. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow and Gorie are visiting the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  16. KSC-04pd1150

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a visit to Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., Center Director Jim Kennedy (shaking hands, center) and other NASA and KSC representatives are greeted by students on stage. With Kennedy on stage are (left to right), Jim Gerard, Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP) representative; Steve Lewis, assistant to Kennedy; Amber Marek, with KSC External Relations; David Wolf, astronaut; Kennedy; Les Gold, AESP representative; Burdette Brown; and Patricia Leonard and Clarence Bostic, Education Programs and University Research Division. Doolin Middle School is one of 100 to take part in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Kennedy is talking with students, the next generation of explorers, about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  17. Will I Succeed in Middle School? A Longitudinal Analysis of Self-Efficacy in School Transitions in Relation to Goal Structures and Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madjar, Nir; Chohat, Ronny

    2017-01-01

    The current study aimed to explore the concept of transition self-efficacy, which is defined as individuals' subjective evaluation of their ability to execute the actions required for a successful transition from elementary to middle school. The study followed a sample of 128 sixth-grade students for 2 consecutive years (before and after the…

  18. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

  19. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed Central

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

  20. KSC-04pd1200

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-18

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie joins faculty members of Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., for a photo. Students from three area schools — Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan — are on a team taking part in NASA’s Explorer Schools program. KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow and Gore are sharing America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  1. KSC-04pd1199

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-18

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A reporter from KJFF radio interviews astronaut Dom Gorie after his presentation at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools — Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan — are on a team taking part in NASA’s Explorer Schools program. KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow and Gore are sharing America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  2. KSC-04PD-1188

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie shares his experiences in space with the students and faculty at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie is accompanying KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on the visit to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  3. KSC-04PD-1189

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie shares his experiences in space with the students and faculty at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie is accompanying KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on the visit to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  4. KSC-04PD-1194

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie (left) and KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow (right) join students in the gymnasium stands at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow and astronaut Dom Gorie are sharing Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  5. KSC-04PD-1199

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A reporter from KJFF radio interviews astronaut Dom Gorie after his presentation at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow and Gore are sharing Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  6. KSC-04PD-1195

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mayor Wayne Malugen of Potosi, Mo., poses with astronaut Dom Gorie after a presentation by KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow and Gorie to students and faculty at Trojan Intermediate School. Whitlow and Gorie are sharing Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program.

  7. KSC-04pd1173

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., astronaut David Wolf signs a memento for a student. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Center Director Jim Kennedy and Wolf visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  8. KSC-04pd1174

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., astronaut David Wolf signs a memento for a student. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Center Director Jim Kennedy and Wolf visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  9. KSC-04pd1170

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation, astronaut David Wolf signs a memento for a student at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Center Director Jim Kennedy and Wolf visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  10. KSC-04pd1175

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After his presentation at Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., astronaut David Wolf signs a memento for a student. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. Center Director Jim Kennedy and Wolf visited the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They talked with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  11. Paving the Way for Change: Visionary Leadership in Action at the Middle Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Kathleen M.; Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Case study explores visionary leadership in action by focusing on the strategies that some middle-school principals use before implementing schoolwide reforms. Finds that visionary leadership in action involves an initial exploration of possible change areas; discussions and education regarding the issues involved; and support, commitment, and…

  12. KSC-04PD-1182

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie (left) talks with a faculty member during a visit to Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Whitlow and Gorie are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  13. Distributed Leadership and Middle Leadership Practice in Schools: A Disconnect?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lárusdóttir, Steinunn Helga; O'Connor, Eileen

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on a small-scale collaborative research study on middle leadership (ML) in Iceland and Ireland. It explores the ML role using the theoretical lens of distributed leadership (DL). The majority of DL studies to date examine leadership as an organisational resource that can be cultivated and utilised to serve school improvement.…

  14. A Study on the Use of History in Middle School Mathematics: The Case of Connected Mathematics Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haile, Tesfayohannes Kiflemariam

    2008-01-01

    This dissertation explores the use of history of mathematics in middle school mathematics. A rationale for the importance of the incorporation of historical dimensions (HD) of mathematics is provided through a review of the literature. The literature covers pedagogical, philosophical, psychological, and social issues and provides arguments for the…

  15. Struggling Middle School Readers Learning to Make Intertextual Connections with Texts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Sunni

    2011-01-01

    When people read, they often make connections to their lives, the world, and other texts. Often, these connections are not overt, but are a thinking process invisible to observers. The purpose of this study was to explore the intertextual connections struggling middle school students made as they read multiple topically-related texts to build…

  16. Exploring Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Aspects of Middle School Students' Aspirations for Their Mathematics Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkie, Karina J.; Sullivan, Peter

    2018-01-01

    Middle school students have been pervasively described in the research literature as exhibiting disaffection, disengagement, and a lack of interest in mathematics classrooms. This study investigated this notion empirically using students' own voice on their wishes for mathematics learning to see if they characterise themselves in this way in their…

  17. An Ethnographic-Case Study of Beliefs, Context Factors, and Practices of Teachers Integrating Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angers, Julie; Machtmes, Krisanna

    2005-01-01

    This ethnographic-case study explored the beliefs, context factors, and practices of three middle school exemplary teachers that led to a technology-enriched curriculum. Findings suggest that these middle school teachers believe technology is a tool that adds value to lessons and to students learning and motivation. Due to a personal interest in…

  18. A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of the Impact of Technology on the Collaborative Practices of Rural Middle School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dailey, Kimberli Simmemon

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study described the impact of collaboration and technology-based communication on the professional experiences of rural middle school classroom teachers. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to determine if technology-based tools, such as online discussion boards, email, social networking sites, and short message…

  19. Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Social Studies Classrooms: Middle School Teacher Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Lisa; Hsieh, Wu-Ying; Lopez-Reyna, Norma; Servilio, Kathryn

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of general education middle school social studies teachers related to their teaching practices and the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. More specifically, an in-depth exploration of general education social studies teachers'…

  20. The Content and Nature of Reflective Teaching: A Case of an Expert Middle School Science Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moallem, Mahnaz

    1997-01-01

    Explores the practical view of reflective teaching as it was revealed in the activities and thinking processes of an expert middle school science teacher. Discusses differences between types of reflection, importance of self-analysis by teachers, effect of social context on reflection, and having the opportunity to reflect. (RS)

  1. The Delivery of Professional Development in the Middle School: Exploring Optimal Settings, Times, and Participants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohr, Carrie A.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of teachers and instructional leaders related to the delivery of professional development at the middle school level. This qualitative study examines four professional development experiences and provides a summary of emerging themes related to those experiences for both…

  2. "It Is More than Just Laughing": Middle School Students Protect Characters during Talk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onofrey, Karen A.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how five middle school students examined humor and characterization used in adolescent literature according to Louise Rosenblatt's (1995) reader response transactional theory. The study was conducted with a focus group of five 6th-grade students, three girls and two boys, from a public…

  3. First-Year Urban Mathematics and Science Middle School Teachers: Classroom Challenges and Reflective Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Angela M.; Gningue, Serigne M.; Qian, Gaoyin

    2015-01-01

    This study explored the challenges facing 1st-year alternatively certified teachers of mathematics and science in urban middle schools. Four teachers, participants in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Robert Noyce Scholarship Program, were followed from preservice training through their 1st year of teaching, having taken part in…

  4. Middle School Students' Perceptions of and Responses to Cyber Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holfeld, Brett; Grabe, Mark

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the nature and extent of middle school students' (n = 665) experiences with cyber bullying. Approximately one in five students reported being cyber bullied in the past year, with 55% of those students being repeatedly victimized within the past 30 days. Female students were more likely to be involved in cyber bullying (victim,…

  5. Principled Neglect and Compliance: Responses to NCLB and the CCSS at an Expeditionary Learning Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stern, Rebecca

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study explored educators' sense making of and responses to No Child Left Behind and the Common Core State Standards at one urban Expeditionary Learning middle school. Sense-making theory (Spillane, Reiser, & Reimer, 2002) and inquiry as stance (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) were used as complementary conceptual frameworks…

  6. Food Safety Knowledge and Beliefs of Middle School Children: Implications for Food Safety Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Abbot, Jaclyn Maurer; Quick, Virginia

    2010-01-01

    To create effective educational interventions that address the food safety informational needs of youth, a greater understanding of their knowledge and skills is needed. The purposes of this study were to explore, via focus groups, the food-handling responsibilities of middle school youth and obstacles they face in practicing safe food handling…

  7. Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives on the Study of Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Christy H.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework…

  8. Islam and the Textbooks. A Report of the American Textbook Council.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sewall, Gilbert T.

    How widely adopted world history textbooks cover Islam and the history of the Middle East is a timely and important subject to explore. In 2001 the American Textbook Council began a comprehensive review of middle school and high school world history textbooks. The Council relied on respected historians and standard sources, influential articles…

  9. Using Fluid Power in the Middle School Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    In a middle school classroom, the science of fluidics was introduced using the rig. Afterwards the students were able to make informed choices about using air or water as the medium inside their syringes. The three kits available through the NFPA were explored, reverse-engineered, discussed, and analyzed as a lead-in to the in-house culminating…

  10. Middle School Student Factors as Predictors of College Readiness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karnick, Kelley

    2013-01-01

    In this study, several middle school factors of students from two consecutive graduating classes were analyzed to determine what relation they had to college readiness, as measured by ACT subtest scores. The academic factors included: 8th grade EXPLORE composite score, 7th grade spring reading and math MAP scores, highest math course completed in…

  11. Does Perceived Teacher Affective Support Matter for Middle School Students in Mathematics Classrooms?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sakiz, Gonul; Pape, Stephen J.; Hoy, Anita Woolfolk

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to explore the importance of perceived teacher affective support in relation to sense of belonging, academic enjoyment, academic hopelessness, academic self-efficacy, and academic effort in middle school mathematics classrooms. A self-report survey was administered to 317 seventh- and eighth-grade students in 5…

  12. KSC-04pd1165

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Center Director Jim Kennedy (left) is thanked by Principal Eduardo Tillet for his presentation to the faculty and students of Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla. The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The purpose of Kennedy’s visit is to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  13. Promoting Multi-Site Collaborative Inquiry: Initial Efforts and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rafferty, Cathleen D.

    This paper explores perspectives, issues, and experiences related to initiating collaborative inquiry across multiple levels and sites, based on school-university partnerships developed between Indiana State University (ISU) and 10 professional development schools (five elementary schools, one middle school, and four high schools). Principles…

  14. Organizational Health Directly Influences Student Performance at the Middle Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Kathleen M.; Roney, Kathleen; Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Explored the implementation of middle level reform components in both high- and low-performing middle schools, seeking to identify factors linked to student achievement. Found that organizational health, which includes academic focus, teacher affiliation, and resource support, more directly influences student performance than simple implementation…

  15. KSC-04pd0845

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Rick Linnehan shares his experiences in space with students and faculty at Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. Linnehan accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy, who is visiting NES sites to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. The purpose of the school visit is to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  16. KSC-04pd1179

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-18

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo., astronaut Dom Gorie talks to students and teachers. Students from three area schools— Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan — are on a team taking part in NASA’s Explorer Schools program. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Whitlow and Gorie are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  17. Icon Images in HyperCard: An Exploration of Visual Concepts with Middle School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philleo, Tom

    The purpose of this project was to investigate, in an informal and exploratory manner, the reactions of middle school students to unfamiliar symbols used as computer screen icons. The project focused on discovering a means to address the following issues: (1) the appearance of buttons containing text compared to those with graphics; (2) the…

  18. An Action Research Study of Barriers to Differentiated Instruction in Reading for Georgia Middle School Students in the Inclusive Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boston, Alicia

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore middle school inclusion teacher perceptions to overcome barriers to successful DI implementation in reading for students with special needs. Inclusion reading teachers are faced with the challenge of providing classroom instruction to students with varying abilities, levels, and…

  19. The Impact of Cyberbullying on the Self-Esteem and Academic Functioning of Arab American Middle and High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yousef, Wael Shaher Mohammed; Bellamy, Al

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Cyberbullying has received a considerable amount of attention within the academic and public literature. However, very little if any cyberbullying research has been conducted among Arab American students. This current study explored the impact of cyberbullying among middle and high school Arab American students on their self-esteem…

  20. Impact of Modifying Activity-Based Instructional Materials for Special Needs Students in Middle School Astronomy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsen, Julia K.; Slater, Timothy F.

    2009-01-01

    Middle school students who have special needs because they are learning disabled require targeted attention in our nation's pursuit of improved science achievement for all students. In early 2006, the Lawrence Hall of Science conducted a national field test of a newly developed GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) space science curriculum…

  1. Major Curriculum Units in Black History for Elementary & Junior High/Middle School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burton, Warren H.; And Others

    This publication outlines the role of the blacks in U.S. history. It is intended as an aid to elementary, middle, and junior high school teachers. The outline is organized by the following areas: The Role of the Negro in American History (1422-1790); Exploration and Colonization (1450-1763); Significant Events (1781-1796); (1796-1850);…

  2. A Case Study on Collective Cognition and Operation in Team-Based Computer Game Design by Middle-School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ke, Fengfeng; Im, Tami

    2014-01-01

    This case study examined team-based computer-game design efforts by children with diverse abilities to explore the nature of their collective design actions and cognitive processes. Ten teams of middle-school children, with a high percentage of minority students, participated in a 6-weeks, computer-assisted math-game-design program. Essential…

  3. Community Partnership Grant Generates Preservice Teacher and Middle School Student Motivation for Authentic Science and Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selover, Nancy J.; Dorn, Denise; Dorn, Ronald I.; Brazel, Anthony J.

    2003-01-01

    Motorola Inc., research climatologists, preservice teachers taking a science requirement, and students in a Title I middle school explored whether a new major urban lake increases local humidity and decreases quality of life in a community dependent on "dry heat" during summers. Analysis of automated climate data reveals that the urban lake is too…

  4. Applying NAEP to Improve Mathematics Content and Methods Courses for Preservice Elementary and Middle School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodson-Espy, Tracy; Cifarelli, Victor V.; Pugalee, David; Lynch-Davis, Kathleen; Morge, Shelby; Salinas, Tracie

    2014-01-01

    This study explored how mathematics content and methods courses for preservice elementary and middle school teachers could be improved through the integration of a set of instructional materials based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). A set of eight instructional modules was developed and tested. The study involved 7…

  5. Teacher Perspectives of Whole Brain Teaching in a Suburban Middle School: A Program Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    VanHosen, Wendy

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this program evaluation case study was to seek the perceptions of a group of teachers based on their experience with Whole Brain Teaching strategies at a suburban middle school. Perceptions and factors that lead to teacher use of the strategies were explored with the intention of informing stakeholders of whether teachers view these…

  6. Where Are the Gardens in the Garden State? Middle School Lessons on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmland Preservation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Loris

    This unit helps middle school students explore the local face of a global challenge: vanishing farmland and the need for sustainable agriculture. With an eye on the National Geography Standards and five areas of the New Jersey core curriculum standards, this unit also develops the skills needed to contribute toward creative solutions for such…

  7. Collaborative Middle School Geometry through Blogs and Other Web 2.0 Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hossain, Mokter; Wiest, Lynda R.

    2013-01-01

    This paper explores the use of blogs, a simple application of Web 2.0 technologies, in middle school geometry instruction. Specifically, it provides an overview of the interactive features of Web 2.0 technologies and the feasibility of using Web 2.0 technologies in geometry teaching and learning, as well as a proposed model for creating a…

  8. Influencing Social Capital in Times of Change: A Three Pronged Approach to Instructional Coaching at the Middle School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwarting, Joann

    2014-01-01

    This mixed methods participatory action research study explored how an instructional coach influenced a state mandated curriculum adoption at a Title 1 urban middle school. The purpose of this study was to identify ways in which an instructional coach supported a veteran staff during the adoption of new curriculum standards. The instructional…

  9. Exclusion, Engagement and Identity Construction in a Socioeconomically Diverse Middle School Wind Band Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Adria Rachel

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the wind band classroom as a social context and examine its influence on middle-school students' identity constructions. The integration of sociologically based identity theory and social identity theory from social psychology suggested by Deaux and Martin as well as Stets and Burke proved…

  10. Weight-Control Practices Reported by Students in a Maine Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Majka, Alan

    2011-01-01

    Extension professionals who work with youth are often faced with issues of body weight, diet and/or body image. How we handle these topics has the potential to either help or harm. The goal of the study reported here was to explore the prevalence and types of weight-control methods practiced by middle school students. The majority of students…

  11. Exploring U.S. Westward Expansion in the Elementary and Middle School Curriculum through Tall Tales

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Almerico, Gina M.; Martin, Nicole; Masuck, William; Strickland, Cynthia; Thomas, Jessica

    2012-01-01

    Teaching social studies in the elementary and middle school curriculum is enhanced by incorporating quality children's and adolescent literature and strategies that bring the human element into play. American tall tales are a genre unique to the history of our nation and provide a glimpse into the way early settlers of the west envisioned heroism…

  12. Trickle-Down Accountability: How Middle School Teachers Engage Students in Data Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marsh, Julie A.; Farrell, Caitlin C.; Bertrand, Melanie

    2016-01-01

    Despite a growing body of research on data use in education, there has been relatively little focus on the role of students. This article begins to fill this gap by exploring teacher and administrator reports on engaging students in data use at six middle schools. Even though teachers expressed a belief that involving students in data use would…

  13. The Effect of Varied Gender Groupings on Argumentation Skills among Middle School Students in Different Cultures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Pi-Sui; Van Dyke, Margot; Smith, Thomas J.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the effect of varied gender groupings on argumentation skills among middle school students in Taiwan and the United States in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 43 students comprised the treatment condition…

  14. Middle School Dropout? Enrollment Trends in the California 4-H Youth Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Stephen T.; Heck, Katherine E.

    2008-01-01

    There is a widespread belief that youth drop out of youth development programs during the middle school years. Alternative explanations for the smaller number of adolescent program participants have yet to be explored. We examine age trends in program enrollment using data from over 221,000 youth enrolled in the California 4-H Youth Development…

  15. Algebra Matters: An Ethnographic Study of Successful African American Male Algebra 1 Students in a Suburban Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkwood, Kirk

    2012-01-01

    Alarming statistics reveal that African American male students are encountering long-standing challenges in K-12 mathematics. However, few studies have explored the phenomena associated with African American males and K-12 mathematics education, particularly at the middle school level in the context of an Algebra 1 course of study. The purpose of…

  16. A Comparison of Methods to Screen Middle School Students for Reading and Math Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Peter M.; Van Norman, Ethan R.; Lackner, Stacey K.

    2016-01-01

    The current study explored multiple ways in which middle schools can use and integrate data sources to predict proficiency on future high-stakes state achievement tests. The diagnostic accuracy of (a) prior achievement data, (b) teacher rating scale scores, (c) a composite score combining state test scores and rating scale responses, and (d) two…

  17. Exploring Rural Contexts with Digital Storytelling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wake, Donna G.

    2012-01-01

    This article describes rural middle school students' exploration of their identity and their rural contexts through the vehicle of digital storytelling. Participants included 40 7th and 40 9th grade students at two rural schools in the Southeast United States. Students worked in shared writing groups to create digital stories expressing their…

  18. KSC-04PD-1185

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the podium, KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow talks to students in the gymnasium at Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. At left is Amber Marek, with the NASA News Center; at right is astronaut Dom Gorie. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program. Whitlow and Gorie are visiting the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  19. Exploration: An Important Middle Level Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brewer, Warren W.

    1985-01-01

    Describes a middle school program in Wisconsin that has a curriculum based on basic skills and provides exposure to special areas such as art, business, education, foreign language, music, home economics, physical education, and industrial education. (MD)

  20. KSC-04PD-1167

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf (left) and Center Director Jim Kennedy (right, with boy) pose for a photo with students and faculty in Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., plus other NASA and KSC representatives (rear). The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The purpose of Kennedys visit is to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  1. KSC-04pd1167

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-05-14

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut David Wolf (left) and Center Director Jim Kennedy (right, with boy) pose for a photo with students and faculty in Howard A. Doolin Middle School, Miami, Fla., plus other NASA and KSC representatives (rear). The school is one of 100 taking part in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The purpose of Kennedy’s visit is to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He is talking with students in Florida and Georgia Explorer Schools about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  2. Examining the Relationship between Principal Leadership and School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Eric S.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between transformative school principal leadership and school climate. The population of this study consisted of two middle schools with grades ranging from six through eight and one high school with grades ranging from nine through twelve. These schools are within the state of…

  3. Is There "Space" for International Baccalaureate? A Case Study Exploring Space and the Adoption of the IB Middle Year Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monreal, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    Henri Lefebvre (1991) wrote, "[representational] space is alive: it speaks" (p. 42). This article explores how we might "listen" to space in education by examining the role of space in one school's decision to adopt the International Baccalaureate's Middle Years Programme [IB MYP]. It builds upon recent scholarship that applies…

  4. Canisius College Summer Science Camp: Combining Science and Education Experts to Increase Middle School Students' Interest in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheridan, Phillip M.; Szczepankiewicz, Steven H.; Mekelburg, Christopher R.; Schwabel, Kara M.

    2011-01-01

    The Canisius College Summer Science Camp is a successful and effective annual outreach program that specifically targets middle school students in an effort to increase their interest in science. Five broadly defined science topics are explored in a camp-like atmosphere filled with hands-on activities. A 2010 module focused on chemistry topics of…

  5. The "I Knew It All Along" Phenomenon: Second-Order False Belief Understanding and the Curse of Knowledge in Primary School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massaro, Davide; Castelli, Ilaria; Sanvito, Laura; Marchetti, Antonella

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated two different expressions of the so-called curse of knowledge in primary school children: hindsight bias and outcome bias. Further, it explored the possible predictive function of false belief understanding in reducing these biases. Ninety-one children aged 7, 9, and 11 years (middle- to upper-middle class) were…

  6. The Way We Do the Things We Do: A Survey of Middle-School Choral Educators' Sight-Singing Attitudes and Influences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nichols, Bryan

    2013-01-01

    This study explored the rationale for sight-singing instructional choices of chorus teachers at the middle school level and sought to determine teachers' commitment to teaching music literacy. Three research questions formed the basis of the study: (1) what is the prevalence of sight-singing instruction in choral music classes, (2) what is…

  7. Textbooks of Doubt: Using Systemic Functional Analysis to Explore the Framing of Climate Change in Middle-School Science Textbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Román, Diego; Busch, K. C.

    2016-01-01

    Middle school students are learning about climate change in large part through textbooks used in their classes. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the language employed in these materials frames this topic. To this end, we used systemic functional analysis to study the language of the chapters related to climate change in four sixth grade…

  8. Trajectories of Maternal Verbal Aggression across the Middle School Years: Associations with Negative View of Self and Social Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donovan, Kera L.; Brassard, Marla R.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The primary research objective was to explore the relationship between trajectories of maternal verbal aggression (VA) experienced by low-income, community middle school students across a three-year period and outcomes that have been found to be related to VA in previous work, including a negative view of self and social problems.…

  9. Exploring Middle School Teachers' Perceptions and Applications of a Site-Based, Technology-Related Professional Development Program Focused on Interactive Whiteboards and Classroom Response Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desai, Shreya J.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study examined five middle school teachers' perceptions of a site-based, technology-related professional development (TRPD) program focused on the interactive whiteboard (IWB) and the classroom response system (CRS) and the practices implemented in the teachers' classrooms as a result of participation in the TRPD…

  10. An Exploration into the Potential Career Effects from Middle and High School Mathematics Experiences: A Mixed Methods Investigation into STEM Career Choice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeThomas, Elizabeth M.

    2017-01-01

    This mixed methods research study examined the effects of middle and high school mathematics experiences on students' choice of college major, particularly whether students decided to major in a STEM field. Social cognitive career theory was used to examine potential influences of mathematics self-efficacy and how those influences and mathematics…

  11. The Effect of Parental Participation on the Academic Achievement of Female English as a Second Language Middle School Students in the Persian Gulf

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baydoun, Nada

    2013-01-01

    This study addressed the problem of underachieving female English as second language students in the Persian Gulf Region. The purpose of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between parental participation, as measured by a middle school parent-participation survey, and students' academic achievement, as measured by parent…

  12. An Examination of One-to-One Computing in the Middle School: Does Increased Access Bring about Increased Student Engagement?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donovan, Loretta; Green, Tim; Hartley, Kendall

    2010-01-01

    This study explores configurations of laptop use in a one-to-one environment. Guided by methodologies of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model of change, an Innovation Configuration Map (description of the multiple ways an innovation is implemented) of a 1:1 laptop program at a middle school was developed and analyzed. Three distinct configurations…

  13. Learning, Engagement, and Technology: Middle School Students' Three-Year Experience in Pervasive Technology Environments in South Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hur, Jung Won; Oh, Jaekyeon

    2012-01-01

    This study explored an initiative that created a pervasive learning environment in a middle school in South Korea and examined its impact on student academic achievement and learning engagement. Forty students received a laptop to use for class projects, online collaboration, and lesson reviews over a 3-year period. To measure the effect of laptop…

  14. Spiritual Beliefs among Chinese Junior High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lili, Tian; Shenghua, Jin

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the characteristics of the spiritual beliefs among junior high school students. Method: 431 junior high school students are measured by Students' Basic Information Questionnaire (SBIQ) and Middle School Students' Spiritual Beliefs Questionnaire (MSSSBQ). Results: (1) The overall characteristics of the spiritual beliefs among…

  15. Storymaking: Combining Making and Storytelling in a School Makerspace

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bull, Glen; Schmidt-Crawford, Denise A.; McKenna, Michael C.; Cohoon, Jim

    2017-01-01

    "Storymaking" makes use of school makerspaces to combine making and storytelling. Constructing a diorama is a common storytelling activity in schools. This exploratory study describes preliminary efforts that explored the feasibility of extending "Make to Learn" activities with elementary and middle school students from two…

  16. KSC-04pd0837

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) talks to Aaron Fernander, principal of Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. Kennedy is visiting NES sites to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He was accompanied by astronaut Rick Linnehan on the visit. The purpose of the school visit is to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  17. KSC-04pd0839

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to students and faculty at Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. Kennedy is visiting NES sites to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He was accompanied by astronaut Rick Linnehan on the visit. The purpose of the school visit is to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  18. KSC-04pd0848

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Rick Linnehan talks to a classroom teacher at Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. Linnehan accompanied Center Director Jim Kennedy, who was visiting the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. The visit is one of many Kennedy has made to NES sites in Florida and Georgia to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  19. Academic Social Networking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies to the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taranto, Gregory; Dalbon, Melissa; Gaetano, Julie

    2011-01-01

    The middle grades are an exciting time for adolescents to explore, learn, and collaborate with one another (National Middle School Association, 2010). By incorporating an academic social network as part of the classroom experience, collaboration and active learning take on new forms, and a transformation from passive learning to active learning…

  20. Exploring the Causes of Underachievement of African American Boys: A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ennis, Rosetta

    2017-01-01

    The qualitative descriptive case study explores the underachievement phenomenon of fourth-grade African American boys in New York City public elementary schools. Numerous studies have been conducted at the middle school through college levels. However, very little is known about the underachievement phenomenon of fourth-grade African American…

  1. Musical Exploration Using ICT in the Middle and Secondary School Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Christopher J.

    2009-01-01

    In this article, I explore musical creativity through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This article aims to show that secondary school pupils can compose freely using ICT in the classroom, easing and "democratizing" the creative process, enabling a high standard for all, regardless of formal musical training. The fieldwork…

  2. KSC-06pd0142

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-01-23

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. — At Warrington Middle School in Pensacola, Fla., astronaut Alan Poindexter explains a science principal to students. Poindexter joined Center Director Jim Kennedy and others on a visit to the school, which has been named one of NASA’s Explorer Schools (NES). Kennedy is visiting the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer School teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

  3. School Counselors' Perceptions of Their Training Regarding School-Age Children's Mental Health Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Primiano, Jaime

    2013-01-01

    A scarcity of research exists concerning professional school counselors' perceptions of their training regarding recognizing and addressing the mental health issues of children and adolescents in the elementary, middle, and high school setting. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of professional school counselors regarding…

  4. KSC-04pd0307

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-20

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Kay Hire talks to students in Garland V. Stewart Magnet Middle School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Tampa, Fla. She joined Center Director Jim Kennedy in sharing the agency’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  5. School Audits and School Improvement: Exploring the Variance Point Concept in Kentucky's Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyons, Robert; Barnett, David

    2011-01-01

    As a diagnostic intervention (Bowles, Churchill, Effrat, & McDermott, 2002) for schools failing to meet school improvement goals, Kentucky used a scholastic audit process based on nine standards and 88 associated indicators called the Standards and Indicators for School Improvement (SISI). Schools are rated on a scale of 1-4 on each indicator,…

  6. Does perceived teacher affective support matter for middle school students in mathematics classrooms?

    PubMed

    Sakiz, Gonul; Pape, Stephen J; Hoy, Anita Woolfolk

    2012-04-01

    The purpose of the present study was to explore the importance of perceived teacher affective support in relation to sense of belonging, academic enjoyment, academic hopelessness, academic self-efficacy, and academic effort in middle school mathematics classrooms. A self-report survey was administered to 317 seventh- and eighth-grade students in 5 public middle schools. Structural equation modeling indicated significant associations between perceived teacher affective support and middle school students' motivational, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. The structural model explained a significant proportion of variance in students' sense of belonging (42%), academic enjoyment (43%), self-efficacy beliefs (43%), academic hopelessness (18%), and academic effort (32%) in mathematics classrooms. In addition to providing the basis for a concise new measure of perceived teacher affective support, these findings point to the importance of students' perceptions of the affective climate within learning environments for promoting academic enjoyment, academic self-efficacy, and academic effort in mathematics. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Expectations and Anticipations of Middle and High School Special Education Teachers in Preparing Their Students with Intellectual Disability for Future Adult Roles Including Those as Partner and Parent

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pedersen, Mette

    2012-01-01

    Through a series of individual ethnographic interviews and focus groups, I explored the expectations and anticipations of middle and high school special education teachers as they carry out their professional charge of educating their students with intellectual disability for lives in the least restrictive environment, including possible adult…

  8. Reading Engagement in Social Studies: Exploring the Role of a Social Studies Literacy Intervention on Reading Comprehension, Reading Self-Efficacy, and Engagement in Middle School Students with Different Language Backgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barber, Ana Taboada; Buehl, Michelle M.; Kidd, Julie K.; Sturtevant, Elizabeth G.; Nuland, Leila Richey; Beck, Jori

    2015-01-01

    The authors examined the role of an intervention designed to increase reading comprehension, reading self-efficacy beliefs, and engagement in social studies for middle school students of varying language backgrounds. Thirteen sixth- and seventh-grade teachers implemented the United States History for Engaged Reading (USHER) program with their…

  9. Learning the Language of Earth Science: Middle School Students' Explorations of Rocks and Minerals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reid-Griffin, Angelia

    2016-01-01

    The approaches and interpretations of a class of 6th graders and a class of 8th graders in a U.S. middle school asked to engage in tasks that involved using observations to describe and classify samples is the subject of this paper. Overall 8th graders were better able to perform the tasks, suggesting a developmental advantage aspect. However, the…

  10. In the Middle. Addressing the Needs of At Risk Students during the Middle Learning Years. Technical Team Report. Submitted to the Commission for Students At Risk of School Failure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

    This report explores contributions that schools, communities, and families can make toward preventing and intervening in behavior that places young adolescents at risk. The first part of the report considers characteristics of early adolescents and an environmental balance that capitalizes on the diversity of adolescents to minimize their risk of…

  11. Barriers and Facilitators to School-Based Parent Involvement for Parents of Urban Public Middle School Students

    PubMed Central

    Murray, Kantahyanee W.; Finigan-Carr, Nadine; Jones, Vanya; Copeland-Linder, Nikeea; Haynie, Denise L.; Cheng, Tina L.

    2016-01-01

    Using semistructured interviews, we explored barriers and facilitators to school-based parent involvement (SBPI) in a sample of predominately African American parents (N = 44) whose children attended urban public middle schools. Barriers to SBPI (e.g., perceptions of hostile parent–teacher interactions and aggressive, disrespectful students in the school) were more commonly reported than facilitators (e.g., child invitations for involvement). Findings suggest that parents’ motivations for engaging in SBPI may be undermined by a variety of barriers, resulting in low participation. Implications and tailored strategies for enhancing SBPI in this population are presented. PMID:27088049

  12. Big Fish, Little Fish: Teaching and Learning in the Middle Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Groundwater-Smith, Susan, Ed.; Mockler, Nicole, Ed.

    2015-01-01

    "Big Fish, Little Fish: Teaching and Learning in the Middle Years" provides pre-service and early career teachers with a pathway to understanding the needs of students as they make the important transition from primary to secondary schooling. The book explores contemporary challenges for teaching and learning in the middle years, with a…

  13. An Analysis of Approaches to Goal Setting in Middle Grades Personalized Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeMink-Carthew, Jessica; Olofson, Mark W.; LeGeros, Life; Netcoh, Steven; Hennessey, Susan

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the goal-setting approaches of 11 middle grades teachers during the first year of their implementation of a statewide, personalized learning initiative. As an increasing number of middle level schools explore personalized learning, there is an urgent need for empirical research in this area. Goal setting is a critical…

  14. [Impact of self-efficacy on behaviors of contacting infested water among middle school students in Hubei Province].

    PubMed

    Min-Jin, Peng; Han, Xiao; Jin, Shen; Meng-Ting, Gao; Shi-Yue, Li; Hong, Yan

    2016-01-20

    To explore the impact of self-efficacy on the behavior of contacting schistosome cercarial infested water among middle school students. In the transmission control area and endemic control area of the schistosomiasis endemic regions in Hubei Province, a total of 3 204 middle school students were selected through the stratified cluster random sampling method and investigated by questionnaires. The incidence rates of contacting infested water with Oncomelania hupensis snails during the past 3 and 12 months among the middle school students were 11.4% (364/3 204) and 14.8% (474/3 204) respectively, while those of contacting indefinite infested water during the past 3 and 12 months were 23.8% (762/3 204) and 28.0% (898/3 204) respectively. The awareness rate of schistosomiasis prevention and control knowledge was 82.1% (2 631/3 204). There were "knowledge-practice separation"in the prevention and control of schistosomiasis among the middle school students. The correlation analysis and Logistic regression analysis showed that the self-efficacy of schistosomiasis protective behavior of middle school students was a protective factor for contacting with infested water, with the adjusted odds ratio values of 0.882, 0.886, 0.914 and 0.927. Self-efficacy of schistosomiasis protective behavior is a protective factor for contacting with infested water among middle school students, and improving their self-efficacy may be an effective strategy to settle the problem of"knowledge-practice separation".

  15. No More Leaks: A Process-Oriented Lesson Exploring the Invention and Chemistry of Disposable Diapers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiller, Ellen; Yezierski, Ellen

    2009-01-01

    High school chemistry can be intimidating to some students, so it is critical that we engage students in nonthreatening preparatory investigations during middle school. Based on the learning cycle model (Bybee and Landes 1990), this lesson invites students to investigate disposable diapers. As they explore the properties of sodium polyarcylate, a…

  16. [Prevalence of deliberate self-harm and its relation with suicidal behaviors among students in middle schools in Beijing].

    PubMed

    Xing, Yi; Qiao, Yijuan; Duan, Jiali; Bai, Chengxu

    2015-09-01

    To understand the prevalence of deliberate self-harm in middle school students in Beijing, and explore the relationship between self-harm and suicidal behaviors. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 5 807 students selected through cluster random sampling from grade 9 to grade 12 in 16 middle schools in Beijing. Among the surveyed middle school students, 35.6% reported that they once had self-harm behaviors, 7.0% reported often had self-harm behaviors in the past 30 days before the survey. More girls reported self-harm behaviors than boys did. And the prevalence of self-harm behaviors was highest in girls in grade 8 and in boys in grade 9. The students in key senior high schools, or living with single or remarried parents were the risk population to have self-harm behaviors. Higher suicide behavior reporting rate was correlated with higher self-harm behavior reporting rate. Compared with students who reported no self-harm behaviors during the past month, the suicide behavior reporting rate in students reporting self-harm behaviors increased by 5.7-12.3 times. Deliberate self-harm behaviors were associated with suicide behaviors among middle school students in Beijing. Early psychological intervention and life education should be carried out among middle school students in order to find risk population and save their life.

  17. Tobacco Use among Native Hawaiian Middle School Students: Its Prevalence, Correlates and Implications

    PubMed Central

    Glanz, Karen; Mau, Marjorie; Steffen, Alana; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Arriola, Kimberly Jacob

    2013-01-01

    Objectives This study sought to explore whether Native Hawaiian primary ethnic identity is associated with cigarette use among Native Hawaiian middle school students. This study also explored whether social influence, psychosocial and cultural factors are associated with cigarette use in this sample. Design The data are from a cross-sectional survey of 1,695 Native Hawaiian middle school students at 22 public and private schools on five islands in Hawaii. A subset of these students from Native Hawaiian serving schools (N = 136) completed additional measures of Hawaiian cultural variables. Results Based on univariate analyses, students whose primary ethnic identification was Hawaiian were more likely to have tried smoking (p<0.001) and to be current smokers (p<0.05) as compared to those classified as part Hawaiian. However, these findings were no longer significant in multivariate analyses. Social influence variables (i.e. peer and parental smoking) were most influential in explaining both prior and current smoking. Attendance at public school was also an important factor in explaining previous (OR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.74, 3.38) and current (OR = 7.20; 95% CI = 4.58, 11.32) smoking behavior. Finally, cultural variables such as valuing Hawaiian folklore, customs, activities and lifestyle were largely unassociated with smoking behavior among Native Hawaiian middle school youth. Conclusions Additional research is needed to understand what aspects of ethnic identity are associated with smoking behavior among Native Hawaiian youth. The strong influence of peer and parental smoking suggests the need for interventions that support the creation of social environments that discourage tobacco use. PMID:17454098

  18. Leading a School through Change--Principals' Hands-on Leadership Strategies in School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soini, Tiina; Pietarinen, Janne; Pyhältö, Kirsi

    2016-01-01

    Principal's hands-on strategies reflecting their theories of changing have a substantial effect on the development of their schools and on how the large-scale reform takes root. The study explores five comprehensive school principals' leadership strategies during a large-scale school reform in Finland. The principals' strategies in the middle of…

  19. KSC-04pd0847

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A teacher (right) at Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga., shows a science project to astronaut Rick Linnehan (left) and Center Director Jim Kennedy (center). Linnehan and Kennedy were at the school to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. The visit is one of many Kennedy has made to NES sites in Florida and Georgia to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  20. Exploring Barriers to Implementing a School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gay, Ronald Lynn

    2016-01-01

    This study examined factors related to the implementation of a School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) program at a large middle school in the United States. Parent Teacher Student Association volunteers at the school reported that teacher fidelity to implementation of SWPBIS activities was inconsistent, threatening the…

  1. Factors that Influence Pre-Service Administrators' Views of Appropriate School Counselor Duties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Kimberly L.; Perera-Diltz, Dilani M.

    2010-01-01

    This study surveyed pre-service administrative internship students (N = 61) at an urban Midwestern state university to explore factors that influence duties assigned to school counselors at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Results indicated variation in duties assigned by pre-service administrators based on school building level.…

  2. School Nurses and Teachers: Attitudes regarding Inclusion of Breastfeeding Education in School Curricula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spear, Hila J.

    2010-01-01

    School nurses and middle and high school teachers (N = 107) participated in a survey that explored their attitudes and behaviors related to the inclusion of breastfeeding content to highlight the scientific and exceptional health advantages of breastfeeding and to promote a breastfeeding culture. Although some participants believed that…

  3. School Social Workers' Experiences with Youth Suicidal Behavior: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singer, Jonathan B.; Slovak, Karen

    2011-01-01

    No published studies have explored school social workers (SSWs) experiences with, or beliefs and attitudes about, working with suicidal youths at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The authors surveyed SSWs (N = 399) who were members of the 11-state Midwest Council on School Social Workers. Results indicated significant SSW…

  4. Factors Affecting Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Availability in Competitive Venues of US Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Johnston, Lloyd D.

    2012-01-01

    Background: This study explores sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) availability in US secondary school competitive venues during the first 3 years following the school wellness policy requirement (2007-2009). Furthermore, analyses examine associations with school policy and SSB availability. Methods: Analyses use questionnaire data from 757 middle and…

  5. In Search of Respect: A Qualitative Study Exploring Youth Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.

    2010-01-01

    Focus groups were conducted with middle and high school students (N = 78) in nine urban, suburban and rural schools to examine students' perceptions regarding school-based respect. Students defined school-based respect as treating others as you would like to be treated, listening to others, honoring others' property/personal space, and refraining…

  6. Factors Associated with High School Exit Exam Outcomes among Homeless High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uretsky, Mathew C.; Stone, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about academic performance among homeless high school students, although correlates of academic performance are well documented among their peers in the elementary and middle school grades. This study explores the relationship between student-level demographic and academic performance indicators (for example, grade point average…

  7. What Do the Teachers Have to Say? A Phenomenological Study of the Use of Stationary Movement Devices in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Amanda Hudson

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of elementary and middle schoolteachers who have used stationary movement devices (SMDs) in their classrooms. A phenomenological approach was as a foundational exploration of SMD use in the classroom setting because there was a lack of directly related research.…

  8. KSC-06pd0137

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-01-23

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. — During kickoff of the NASA Explorer School program at Warrington Middle School in Pensacola, Fla., NASA aerospace specialist Les Gold involves a student in a demonstration on stage. Gold, Center Director Jim Kennedy, astronaut Alan Poindexter and others are visiting the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer School teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

  9. KSC-06pd0136

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-01-23

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. — During kickoff of the NASA Explorer School program at Warrington Middle School in Pensacola, Fla., NASA aerospace specialist Les Gold involves a student in a demonstration on stage. Gold, Center Director Jim Kennedy, astronaut Alan Poindexter and others are visiting the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer School teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

  10. Exploring Computer Technology. The Illinois Plan for Industrial Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois State Univ., Normal.

    This guide, which is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum guides intended to assist junior high and middle school industrial educators in helping their students explore diverse industrial situations and technologies used in industry, deals with exploring computer technology. The following topics are covered in the individual…

  11. Career Exploration and Occupational Knowledge in Italian Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferrari, Lea; Ginevra, Maria Cristina; Santilli, Sara; Nota, Laura; Sgaramella, Teresa Maria; Soresi, Salvatore

    2015-01-01

    We explored the perception and actual occupational knowledge of jobs on career exploration across Holland's categories in 60 elementary and 60 middle school students. Results showed a closer relationship between career exploration and actual knowledge than children's perception of knowledge. We found higher levels of actual knowledge and…

  12. [Behaviours related to infectious disease and family factors in primary and middle school students].

    PubMed

    Feng, Na; Luo, Jiayou; Li, Huixia; Zhu, Na; Feng, Qi; Li, Xiongwei; Zhou, Haixiang

    2015-06-01

    To explore the behaviors related to infectious disease and family factors in primary and middle school students, and to provide evidence for improving behaviors related to infectious disease.
 A total of 8465 students were randomly surveyed by a standard questionnaire of behaviors related to infectious disease. Chi-square test was used to analyze the influential factors for behaviors related to infectious disease, and non conditional logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the multiple factors.
 The total formation rate of behaviors related to infectious disease was 66.4%. The rates for primary and middle school students were 69.4% and 62.8% respectively, with significant difference (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the following behaviors, such as washing hands before eating food, rarely buying snacks on outside stalls, informing teachers when showing infectious disease symptoms (all P<0.05), the degree for such behaviors in primary school students was higher than that in middle school students. There were also significant differences in the following behaviors, such as washing hands after using the toilet, blocking with a handkerchief, wiping while coughing and sneezing (all P<0.05), the degree for such behaviors in middle school students was higher than that in primary school students. Non conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the behaviors related to infectious disease in primary and middle school students were associated with parents' education degree, mother's occupation and living status with parents.
 Behaviors related to infectious disease in primary and middle school students need to be improved, and the formation of these behaviors may be related to many family factors.

  13. Effects of a prevention program for internet addiction among middle school students in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Yang, Sun-Yi; Kim, Hee-Soon

    2018-05-01

    This study explored the effects of a self-regulatory efficacy improvement program on self-control, self-efficacy, internet addiction, and time spent on the internet among middle school students in South Korea. The program was led by school nurses, and it is integrated self-efficacy and self-regulation promotion strategies based on Bandura's social cognitive theory. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent, control group, pre-posttest design was used. The participants were 79 middle school students. Measurements included the Self-Control Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Internet Addiction Proneness Scale, and an assessment of internet addiction. Self-control and self-efficacy significantly increased and internet addiction and time spent on the internet significantly decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group. A program led by school nurses that integrated and applied self-efficacy and self-regulation intervention strategies proved effective for prevention of students' internet addiction. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Muslim Students' Needs in Public Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haynes, Charles

    1998-01-01

    Explores whether public schools can accommodate the religious needs of Muslim students. Provides background information on the migration of Muslims to the United States from the Middle East and on Islamic beliefs and practices. Identifies the various needs and challenges in adapting the schools to fit Muslim students' lifestyle and religious…

  15. Abstract Algebra for Algebra Teaching: Influencing School Mathematics Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wasserman, Nicholas H.

    2016-01-01

    This article explores the potential for aspects of abstract algebra to be influential for the teaching of school algebra (and early algebra). Using national standards for analysis, four primary areas common in school mathematics--and their progression across elementary, middle, and secondary mathematics--where teaching may be transformed by…

  16. Peer Victimization and School Safety: The Role of Coping Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harper, Christopher R.; Parris, Leandra N.; Henrich, Christopher C.; Varjas, Kris; Meyers, Joel

    2012-01-01

    Peer victimization is a documented antecedent of poor mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. This article explored the role of coping effectiveness in the association between victimization and perceived school safety. A sample of urban middle school students (N = 509) in the southeastern United States were surveyed regarding…

  17. Principals as Leaders of School and Community Revitalization: A Phenomenological Study of Three Urban Schools in Morocco

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elmeski, Mohammed

    2015-01-01

    This article explores leadership of place in the context of three urban middle schools in Morocco. School reform means that principals are changing from agents of authority to leaders with school improvement responsibilities. This shift in mission can be stressful for principals who are called to lead, but are often constrained by bureaucratic and…

  18. Safety First: A Quantitative Study on Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate in Rural Louisiana Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brumfield-Sanders, Tongia M.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to explore the perceptions of school safety among middle and high school teachers in rural Louisiana. In order to achieve this objective, a specific research question was formulated pertaining to teacher perceptions. The Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS) survey was used to assess teachers'…

  19. The Atlanta Urban Debate League: Exploring the Making of a Critical Literacy Space

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cridland-Hughes, Susan

    2016-01-01

    The Atlanta Urban Debate League was established in 1985 as an after school program focused on providing debate outreach to high school students in the Atlanta public schools. Still in operation today, volunteers work with current students in public middle and high schools in Atlanta, supporting students as they practice reading, writing, speaking…

  20. Teacher Expectations of Students' Classroom Behavior: Do Expectations Vary as a Function of School Risk?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Pierson, Melinda R.; Stang, Kristin K.; Carter, Erik W.

    2010-01-01

    Understanding the social behaviors teachers believe is critical for school success and can contribute to the development of effective behavioral supports and assist teachers in better preparing students for successful school transitions across the K-12 grade span. We explored 1303 elementary, middle, and high school teachers' expectations of…

  1. Faculty Trust in the Principal: An Essential Ingredient in High-Performing Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tschannen-Moran, Megan; Gareis, Christopher R.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships among faculty trust in the principal, principal leadership behaviors, school climate, and student achievement. Design/methodology/approach: Data from 64 elementary, middle, and high schools in two school districts formed the basis of the study (n = 3,215 teachers), allowing for…

  2. The Use of Common Planning Time: A Case Study of Two Kentucky Schools to Watch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Christopher M.; Faulkner, Shawn A.

    2010-01-01

    Interdisciplinary teams with common planning time have been a hallmark of the middle school organizational structure since the 1960s, yet research on the effective use of common planning time is limited. This study explores how interdisciplinary teams at schools designated Kentucky Schools to Watch use common planning time, including the factors…

  3. A Comparative Analysis of 6th Grade Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes in Two Different School Configurations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacFarland, Anne M.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this two-group descriptive efficacy study was to explore the relationship between school configuration and academic and non-academic outcomes of sixth grade elementary students compared to academic and non-academic outcomes of sixth grade middle school students. The independent variable is the school configuration. Group 1 includes…

  4. Epidemiology as a liberal art: from graduate school to middle school, an unfulfilled agenda.

    PubMed

    Bracken, Michael B

    2014-03-01

    Calls by Lilienfeld, Fraser, and others some three decades ago to introduce epidemiology into undergraduate college education remain largely unfulfilled. Consideration of epidemiology as a "liberal art" has also led to exploring possibilities for introducing epidemiology into early education: to high and even middle schools. Adding epidemiology to school curricula should help educate the public to understand science-based evidence concerning the causes and treatments of disease, help inoculate them against a tsunami of biased and fraudulent media messaging, and permit advancing postgraduate education in epidemiology to even higher levels of scholarship. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The Influence of University Coursework on Pre-service Middle and High School Teachers' Experiences with Multicultural Themes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verma, Geeta

    2009-08-01

    The study explored the influence of university-based teacher education courses on pre-service middle and high school teachers’ experiences with multicultural themes in a secondary science alternative certification program. Eight participants ( N = 8), six women and two men, volunteered to be a part of the study that took place over a period of four semesters. Qualitative data was collected, coded and analyzed to make meaning of the participants’ experiences. Data comprised of participants’ reflective journals, personal and group interviews, and classroom observations done in middle school practicum and high school student teaching placements. The findings indicated that while the participants became more familiar with the themes of multicultural education, many did not demonstrate fluency with these themes and struggled with balancing their responsibilities as a science teacher and a culturally competent teacher.

  6. Improving Inquiry Teaching through Reflection on Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lotter, Christine R.; Miller, Cory

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we explore middle school science teachers' learning of inquiry-based instructional strategies through reflection on practice teaching sessions during a summer enrichment program with middle level students. The reflection sessions were part of a larger year-long inquiry professional development program in which teachers learned…

  7. Sustaining a Nonlinear Integrative Learning Context: Middle Level Teachers' Perspectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Richard; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Explored how middle level integrativist teachers working in a conventional school district sustain their commitment to integrativist learning. Used ethnographic interviewing, which uncovered four themes in these teachers' perspectives: (1) the very different nature of relationships among teachers and with students; (2) struggles with instructional…

  8. Understanding Male Underachievement in Middle School Science: Challenging the Assumptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holbrooks, Marilyn Jane

    The overall purpose of this collaborative action research study was to explore the experiences of eight middle school science teachers. This collaborative action research study concerned itself with male student underachievement in science at the middle school level. The study was conducted at Sherwood Forest Middle School (a pseudonym) with sixth through eighth grade science teachers with more than three years of experience, various teaching backgrounds within academic subjects as well as special education, and different grade levels. The interviews probed the teachers' personal experiences and insights regarding male underachievement in science. This collaborative action research study relied on qualitative data from interviews and other pieces of evidence that might support the teachers' observations, specifically standardized test data and class grades. In addition, four of the seven teachers participated in a focus group, developing strategies for more effective teaching in science for all students. Understanding the experiences of science educators for sixth through eighth grade students can assist local, state, and federal policymakers in educational decision-making processes for the future.

  9. KSC-04pd0851

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-04-13

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy (center) and Principal Aaron Fernander (right) visit a classroom in Ralph Bunche Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, in Atlanta, Ga. At left is Ralph Thomas, assistant administrator for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at NASA. Kennedy is visiting NES sites to share America’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. He was accompanied by astronaut Rick Linnehan on the visit. The purpose of the school visit is to talk with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  10. Not just black and white: peer victimization and the intersectionality of school diversity and race.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Sycarah; Middleton, Kyndra; Ricks, Elizabeth; Malone, Celeste; Briggs, Candyce; Barnes, Jessica

    2015-06-01

    Although bullying is a prevalent issue in the United States, limited research has explored the impact of school diversity on types of bullying behavior. This study explores the relationship between school diversity, student race, and bullying within the school context. The participants were African American and Caucasian middle school students (n = 4,581; 53.4% female). Among the participants, 89.4% were Caucasian and 10.6% were African American. The research questions examined the relationship between school diversity, student race and bullying behaviors, specifically race-based victimization. The findings suggested that Caucasian middle school students experience more bullying than African American students generally, and specifically when minorities in school settings. Caucasian students also experienced almost three times the amount of race-based victimization than African American students when school diversity was held constant. Interestingly, African American students experienced twice the amount of race-based victimization than Caucasian students when in settings with more students of color. The present study provides insight into bullying behaviors across different contexts for different races and highlights the need to further investigate interactions between personal and environmental factors on the bulling experiences of youth.

  11. Weed Warriors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buczynski, Sandy

    2007-01-01

    In these activities, middle school and high school students examine the threat of nonnative plant species to Hawaiian ecosystems. Students explore different viewpoints on alien plants and consider how beliefs and attitudes may affect others' decisions concerning nonnative plant species. Students also identify invasive plant characteristics and…

  12. From the Teacher's Eyes: Facilitating Teachers Noticings on Informal Formative Assessments (IFAS) and Exploring the Challenges to Effective Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sezen-Barrie, Asli; Kelly, Gregory J.

    2017-01-01

    This study focuses on teachers' use of informal formative assessments (IFAs) aimed at improving students' learning and teachers' recognition of students' learning processes. The study was designed as an explorative case study of four middle school teachers and their students at a charter school in the northeastern U.S.A. The data collected for the…

  13. Arts-Infused Learning in Middle Level Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorimer, Maureen Reilly

    2011-01-01

    To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…

  14. Middle Grade Students' Concept Images of Algebraic Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tekin-Sitrava, Reyhan

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates middle school students' concept images of algebraic concepts which are term, constant term, variable, and coefficient. Also, the study aimed to explore their performances in defining these concepts correctly. A phenomenological method was used to support methodological perspective and to reveal the findings of the study.…

  15. Mobilizing Resources for District-Wide Middle-Grades Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hatch, Holly; Hytten, Kathy

    This book describes the rationale and research underlying the testing of an "audit" that explored how school districts organize themselves to reform middle-grades education. The volume is intended for those who seek to improve achievement, equity, and learning communities. Section 1 describes the theory, research, and framework for district…

  16. Culture, food, and language: Perspectives from immigrant mothers in school science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagiwara, Sumi; Calabrese Barton, Angela; Contento, Isobel

    2007-04-01

    The article explores the role of immigrant parents in middle school science as both teachers and learners as part of an urban middle school curriculum, the Linking in Food and the Environment (LiFE) program. The curriculum engaged parents as partners with science teachers to teach science through food. Over a 2-year period, parents attended a series of bilingual workshops, collaborated with classroom teachers, managed activities, guided student inquiry, and assisted in classroom management. The following study analyzes the role of culture, language, and identity as four mothers navigated their position as `insiders' in a science classroom.

  17. Educators' Year Long Reactions to the Implementation of a Response to Intervention (RTI) Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanger, Dixie; Friedli, Corey; Brunken, Cindy; Snow, Pamela; Ritzman, Mitzi

    2012-01-01

    Mixed methods were used to explore the reactions of educators before and after implementing the Response to Intervention (RTI) model in secondary settings during a school year. Eighteen participants from six middle schools and four high schools collaborated on interdisciplinary teams that involved classroom teachers, speech-language pathologists…

  18. Student and School Staff Strategies to Combat Cyberbullying in an Urban Student Population

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pelfrey, William V., Jr.; Weber, Nicole L.

    2015-01-01

    Research indicates that cyberbullying is occurring among middle and high school student populations at increasing rates. There is limited research, however, on strategies students use to combat cyberbullying, as well as how schools implement policies, intervention tactics, and prevention strategies. This qualitative study aimed to explore, among a…

  19. Gender Differences in Perceptions of Studying for the GCSE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Lynne; Hallam, Susan

    2010-01-01

    This study explored gender differences in perceptions of studying for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The sample comprised 644 pupils drawn from eight schools in Outer London, UK. The schools encompassed pupils who could be regarded as high, middle and low achievers drawn from co-educational and single-sex schools. Pupils…

  20. Convivencia to Empowerment: Latino Parent Organizing at La Familia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jasis, Pablo; Ordonez-Jasis, Rosario

    2005-01-01

    This article explores the emergence of La Familia Initiative, a Latino parent-organizing project at a public middle school. Motivated by their urgency to improve their children's schooling and enhance their opportunities for a better high school experience in the future, the participants organize to establish a more inclusive partnership with the…

  1. Evaluation of a Truancy Diversion Program at Nine At-Risk Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haight, Courtney M.; Chapman, Gillian V.; Hendron, Marisa; Loftis, Rachel; Kearney, Christopher A.

    2014-01-01

    Many schools are faced with the prospect of soaring absenteeism rates, despite the use of traditional truancy courts and other legal interventions. A recent trend in the literature has been to explore alternative, hybrid, and multidisciplinary approaches to address the underlying obstacles to school attendance. These programs are often integrated…

  2. Exploring Electricity/Electronics. The Illinois Plan for Industrial Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois State Univ., Normal.

    This guide, which is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum guides intended to assist junior high and middle school industrial educators in helping their students explore diverse industrial situations and technologies used in industry, deals with electricity and electronics. The following topics are covered in the individual lessons: the…

  3. A Quest for Consciousness: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Exploring Leaders' Mindfulness in Elementary and Middle School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia-Post, Aine

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to add to the information known about the leaders charged with the task of successfully and sustainably turning around a school. Specifically, this research examined the extent to which leaders engaged in turnaround school reform experienced mindfulness. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, state assigned school grades of schools…

  4. Middle-Aged Thinking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nixon, Charles W.

    1998-01-01

    Examines renovation issues involving 30- and 40-year-old school facilities. Explores ways a school district can renovate old buildings to first-class cost-effective facilities while avoiding excessive transition costs. Discussions include installation of new technology and the resulting wiring demands, and developing more energy-efficient heating…

  5. Adapting BSCS Materials for Use in Hong Kong Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Ovid

    1977-01-01

    Explores possibilities for adapting BSCS materials for use in Hong Kong schools, including discussion of major areas for revision, i.e., selection of local flora and fauna and establishment of a resource supply center for living materials and chemicals. (CS)

  6. Middle school students' attitudes toward math and STEM career interests: A 4-year follow-up study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Madalyn R.

    The purpose of the current study is to examine middle school students' attitudes toward math, intent to pursue STEM-related education and occupations, and STEM interest from middle school to high school. The data used in this study are from a larger, on-going National Science Foundation (NSF) grant-funded study that is investigating middle school students' disengagement while using the Assistments system (Baker, Heffernan & San Pedro, 2012), a computer-based math tutoring system. The NSF grant study aims to explore how disengagement with STEM material can aid in the prediction of students' college enrollment as well as how it may interact with other factors affecting students' career choices (San Pedro, Baker, Bowers, Heffernan, 2013). Participants are students from urban and suburban schools in Massachusetts measured first in middle school and again four years later. Measures at Time 1 included: various items related to attitudes toward mathematics, occupations they could see themselves doing as adults, and the Brief Self-Control Scale (Tangney, Baumeister, & Luzio Boone, 2004). Measures at Time 2 included: items requesting the students' current mathematics and science courses and intended majors or occupations following high school graduation. Exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were used to test the following four hypotheses: I. There will be several distinct factors that emerge to provide information about middle school students' attitudes toward math; II. Students' attitudes toward math will correlate positively and significantly with students' intent to pursue STEM-related careers at Time 1 with a medium effect; III. Middle school attitudes toward mathematics will relate positively and significantly to level of high school mathematics and science courses with a medium effect; IV. Middle school intent to pursue STEM will correlate positively and significantly with high school intent to pursue STEM majors/careers with a medium effect. Results supported a 2-factor model of Attitudes toward Mathematics consisting of Math Self-Concept and Attitudes toward Assistments. Other significant findings include: a positive relationship between students' Attitudes toward Assistments and level of math class taken in high school; a positive relationship between students' Math Self-Concept and Self Control; a positive relationship between Self Control and students' endorsement of STEM careers while in middle school, and discrepancy between male and female students' endorsement of STEM careers as early as middle school. Although many of the study's primary hypotheses were not supported, the present study provides a framework and baseline for several important considerations. Limitations, including those related to the present study's small sample size, and future implications of the present study, which add to career development literature in STEM, are discussed in regard to both research and practice. Keywords: career development, middle school, attitudes, math, STEM, self-concept

  7. Best Practice in Middle-School Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Wilcox, Kristen C.; Angelis, Janet; Applebee, Arthur N.; Amodeo, Vincent; Snyder, Michele A.

    2013-03-01

    Using socio-ecological theory, this study explores best practice (educational practices correlated with higher student performance) in middle-school science. Seven schools with consistently higher student performance were compared with three demographically similar, average-performing schools. Best practice included instructional approaches (relevance and engagement, inquiry, differentiated instruction, collaborative work, moderate amounts of homework, and integration of language literacy and science) and administrative practices (nurturing a climate of opportunity to succeed in science, offering professional development based on data and dialogue, engaging teachers in standards-based curriculum revision and alignment, and recruiting the right fit of teacher). It is argued that best practice entails multiple levels of teaching and administrative praxis that together form a school-wide socio-ecological system conducive to higher performance.

  8. Exploring Solar Energy. The Illinois Plan for Industrial Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois State Univ., Normal.

    This packet is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum materials developed for junior high and middle school industrial educators. The Exploration Series is intended to help them provide seventh- and eighth-grade students an opportunity to explore a wide range of industrial situations as well as some of the technologies used in the industry.…

  9. Teachers' Perception of African American Middle School Girls' Interest in Mathematics and Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Best, Bonnie M.

    Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory were used to guide this study. Research questions focused on the perceptions and experiences of teachers' lived experiences teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school females. Criterion, purposive, and maximum variation sampling techniques were used to recruit 10 teachers who have 3 or more years' experience teaching African American middle school girls. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were the primary data collection source. First cycle and second cycle coding methods were used to support the analysis of this study. Findings suggest that there is a connection between a positive student-teacher relationship and academic success. The results of this study contribute to positive social change by providing empirical evidence policymakers and teachers can use to improve the mathematics and science instruction and practices that are needed to meet the needs of African American middle school females and reduce the underrepresentation and underachievement of African American females in mathematics and science.

  10. A Study of the Correlation between STEM Career Knowledge, Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Career Interests, and Career Activities on the Likelihood of Pursuing a STEM Career among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blotnicky, Karen A.; Franz-Odendaal, Tamara; French, Frederick; Joy, Phillip

    2018-01-01

    Background: A sample of 1448 students in grades 7 and 9 was drawn from public schools in Atlantic Canada to explore students' knowledge of science and mathematics requirements for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Also explored were their mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), their future career interests, their…

  11. An Exploration of Teachers' Attitudes and Beliefs about the Reform of an Eighth Grade Math Curriculum from an Integrated Math Curriculum to a Core Math Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marion, Carol

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain the attitudes and beliefs of mathematics teachers in the School District of Philadelphia regarding an eighth grade middle school mathematics core curriculum. This study explored the attitudes and beliefs of teachers in the reform of an eighth grade math "Core Curriculum, Math In Context" (School…

  12. Does Europe Matter? A Comparative Study of Young People's Identifications with Europe at a State School and a European School in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savvides, Nicola; Faas, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    This article explores the extent to which young people in predominantly middle-class environments identify with Europe and considers the influence of European education policy, school ethos and curricula. We compare data drawn from individual and focus group interviews with students aged 15-17 at a state school and a European School in England.…

  13. Leadership and Community Participation: Four Case Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Alison A.

    1997-01-01

    Reviews relevant literature on systemic change and community participation. Explores leadership styles of principals in four community-minded middle schools. Administrators should be aware of their individual leadership styles and their effects on others' behavior. Principals wishing to foster empowerment in schools should move toward a…

  14. Semiconductors: A 21st Century Social Studies Topic.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunal, Cynthia

    2000-01-01

    Addresses the reasons for exploring semiconductor technology and organic semiconductors in schools for either middle school or secondary students in an interdisciplinary social studies and science environment. Provides background information on transistors and semiconductors. Offers three social studies lessons and related science lessons if an…

  15. Perceptions and Attitudes of General and Special Education Teachers toward Collaborative Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Garletta

    2017-01-01

    In a Georgia middle school, general and special education teachers expressed concerns about the challenges of working collaboratively in the inclusive classroom. Effective teacher collaboration is pivotal to ensure academic success of all students. The purpose of this qualitative bounded instrumental case study was to explore middle school…

  16. Using Jacqueline Woodson's "Locomotion" with Middle School Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Napoli, Mary; Ritholz, Emily Rose

    2009-01-01

    Motivation is an essential component in developing a love of reading in middle level struggling students. For these readers, novels in verse bridge the gap to more challenging pieces of literature. In this article, Title One students explored Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson and learned that they, too, are poets. (Contains 9 figures.)

  17. How Big Is a 16-Penny Nail? A Measurement Lesson for Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engel, Bill; Schmidt, Diane L.

    2004-01-01

    Many common objects can provide numerous opportunities for students to develop mathematical concepts and skills. The lesson described in this article provided an excellent opportunity for middle school students to discover how real-life situations do not always present obvious "right" answers. As students explored a question related to the…

  18. Bilingual Latino Middle Schoolers on Languaging and Racialization in the US

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesson, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation explores bilingual Latino middle schoolers' articulated understandings of their language practices as well as the links between language practices and processes of racialization and discrimination in the US. The research was conducted in the context of an after-school program whose explicit aim was to not only document students'…

  19. Investigating Middle School Students' Perceptions of Their Learning Environments through Drawings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McHatton, Patricia Alvarez; Shaunessy-Dedrick, Elizabeth; Farmer, Jennie L.; Ray, Sharon N. E.; Bessette, Harriet J.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore through student drawings and corresponding narratives, middle grades students' perceptions of their learning environment, which we defined to include pedagogy, interactions (teacher-student and student-student), and climate, and how these may differ based on service delivery model (i.e., gifted, special…

  20. Contributions of Personal and Situational Factors to Bystanders' Reactions to School Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oh, Insoo; Hazler, Richard J.

    2009-01-01

    The intent of this study was to explore bystanders' personal and situational variables predicting their behavioural reactions to school bullying by investigating a sample of 298 college students who had witnessed bullying during middle or high school. Results indicated that the bystander personal variables, gender and past experience as a bully or…

  1. From the School Yard to Cyber Space: A Pilot Study of Bullying Behaviors among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ockerman, Melissa S.; Kramer, Constance; Bruno, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Bullying and cyberbullying continue to be major problems in today's schools and topics of heightened public concern. This pilot study aimed to increase the knowledge base concerning bullying and cyberbullying, to explore the relationship between traditional bullying and cyberbullying, and to solicit information on the prevalence rates of…

  2. Family Distance Regulation and School Engagement in Middle-School-Aged Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartle-Haring, Suzanne; Younkin, Felisha Lotspeich; Day, Randal

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore how family distance regulation and other family demographic factors influence parenting behavior and family routines, which, in turn, influences the child's school engagement. The data from the project came from a larger study conducted in a large Northwestern urban area and included both two-parent and…

  3. Exploring Principals' Physical Education Perceptions and Views from Elementary and Middle Schools of Shanghai

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeng, Howard Z.; Wang, Xiaozan

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the status of principals' physical education (PE) perceptions, the differences between gender and school-levels of these principals' PE perceptions; and what they have to say about the opportunities, challenges and solutions on their school PE. Participants were 92 principals (37 Males, 55 Females) from 12 different school…

  4. "But I Said Something Now": Using Border Pedagogies to Sow Seeds of Activism in Youth Empowerment Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Candace; Hardee, Sheri C.

    2017-01-01

    In this article, two teacher educator researchers engage in a duologue to explore the pedagogical and poetic openings experienced during two individual youth empowerment school-based research projects--one a middle school poetry project, the other a high-school mentoring project. The projects engage minoritized youth with undergraduate students in…

  5. Who Wants to Learn More Science? The Role of Elementary School Science Experiences and Science Self-Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Ing, Marsha

    2017-01-01

    Background/Context: Much science education reform has been directed at middle and high school students; however, earlier experiences in elementary school may well have an important impact on young people's future science literacy and preparation for possible STEM careers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study explores the…

  6. Florida Public Middle School Principals' Perceptions of Teachers' Performance Pay and Its Relationship to Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burchfield, Michael G.

    2017-01-01

    This study will examine principals' attitudes concerning the impact of the new performance pay plans on principals' relationships with their teachers and how these plans impact their schools. This study will explore principals' perceptions of performance pay, thus providing information to school policy stakeholders, policymakers, teachers, and…

  7. Formal and Informal Context Factors as Contributors to Student Engagement in a Guided Discovery-Based Program of Game Design Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reynolds, Rebecca; Chiu, Ming Ming

    2013-01-01

    This paper explored informal (after-school) and formal (elective course in-school) learning contexts as contributors to middle-school student attitudinal changes in a guided discovery-based and blended e-learning program in which students designed web games and used social media and information resources for a full school year. Formality of the…

  8. Adherence to RIASEC Structure in Relation to Career Exploration and Parenting Style: Longitudinal and Idiothetic Considerations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tracey, Terence J. G.; Lent, Robert W.; Brown, Steven D.; Soresi, Salvatore; Nota, Laura

    2006-01-01

    We explored the ''idiothetic'' cognitive structure of RIASEC occupational percepts in a sample of Italian middle and high school students over a one year period, examining the possible bidirectional linkages between cognitive-vocational structure, involvement in career exploration activities, and exposure to authoritative parenting style. The…

  9. Career Exploration Program: A Cluster Approach. Publication No. 0057.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ansbro, William; And Others

    Based on the occupational clusters designated by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, this curriculum guide presents a career exploration program for junior high and middle school students. The program, presented in eighty-minute weekly sessions, is designed as an alternative activity in which students can elect to explore a wide…

  10. Making the transition to middle schooling: A case study of experienced science teachers coping with change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strong, Donna Dorough

    The increasing popularity of the middle school movement necessitates a need for more interpretive research in middle level education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore science teachers' perceptions of the transition to a new middle school and the meanings they attached to this new experience. The participants were three eighth grade science teachers, each with 20 plus years of teaching experience. The primary data for analysis was a series of five interviews with each participant. Data collection also included weekly participant observation of team meetings. Findings revealed that the science teachers all had positive feelings attached to the ability to keep track of students' academic progress and behavior problems as a result of teaming. The changes associated with the first year were very stressful for all three, primarily the loss of the traditional junior high departmentalized structure. The two participants who transferred directly from the junior high school were very skeptical of any benefits from an interdisciplinary curriculum, the appropriateness of the middle school philosophy for eighth grade students, and the move to heterogeneously grouped science classes. In contrast, the former junior high teacher who had spent the past ten years teaching sixth grade at the elementary school had positive beliefs about the potential benefits of an interdisciplinary curriculum and heterogeneous grouping. Teacher stress associated with a change in the school setting and the science teachers' constraints to actualizing a meaningful middle schooling experience are illuminated. Teachers' lack of ownership in the reform decision making process, loss of time with their science teacher peers, diminished compliments from high school counterparts, and need for more empirical evidence supporting proposed changes all served as barriers to embracing the reform initiatives. The participants found taking a very slow approach to be their most useful means of coping with the stress of these changes. The discussion includes meta-assertions and recommendations concerning the leadership and planning process for movement to a middle school philosophy, the most appropriate building structure for meeting needs of science teachers, teachers as curriculum makers, and the nature of middle level professional development for experienced science teachers.

  11. Holistic School Leadership: Systems Thinking as an Instructional Leadership Enabler

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

    2016-01-01

    As instructional leadership involves attempts to understand and improve complex systems, this study explored principals' perceptions regarding possible contributions of systems thinking to instructional leadership. Based on a qualitative analysis, systems thinking was perceived by middle and high school principals to contribute to the following…

  12. A Collaborative Problem-Solving Process through Environmental Field Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Mijung; Tan, Hoe Teck

    2013-01-01

    This study explored and documented students' responses to opportunities for collective knowledge building and collaboration in a problem-solving process within complex environmental challenges and pressing issues with various dimensions of knowledge and skills. Middle-school students ("n" =?16; age 14) and high-school students…

  13. Using "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christenbury, Leila

    The novels of Robert Lipsyte are excellent for use in a middle school or secondary school classroom. His 1967 classic, "The Contender," and its sequel, "The Brave," are both strong on characterization, plot, and theme. Focusing on "The Contender," students can explore contending characters, forces, and themes. Related…

  14. Supporting Middle Grades Mathematics Teachers and Students: A Curricular Activity System Used in an Urban School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roy, George J.; Fueyo, Vivian; Vahey, Philip

    2017-01-01

    The exploration of proportional relationships is foundational to the mathematics studied in the middle grades and beyond. Research has shown that an early emphasis on procedures often leaves students with a shallow understanding of the important underlying mathematical concepts of proportional relationships. One approach that addresses the needs…

  15. Learning to Teach English Language Arts in Urban Middle Schools: A Cultural and Interactional Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buescher, Eileen M.

    2017-01-01

    This dissertation explores the experiences of middle childhood pre-service teachers (PST) across two academic years as they learn to teach English language arts to diverse students from conflicting sociocultural contexts. To help PSTs navigate the tensions across contexts, this study introduced culturally relevant (Ladson-Billings, 1995; 2014) and…

  16. Student Researchers in the Middle: Using Visual Images to Make Sense of Inclusive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moss, Julianne; Deppeler, Joanne; Astley, Lesley; Pattison, Kevin

    2007-01-01

    Using "visual narrative" theoretically and practically, this paper explores issues of inclusive education, during a period of curriculum reform and renewal in Australia. In Australia, the middle years of schooling, Years 5 to 9, are well researched and known as a period when students disengage with learning and participation in…

  17. Middle Grade Students of Iris County: A Descriptive Study from Southern Appalachia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phelps, Margaret S.; And Others

    Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students (N=301) from a rural county in Tennessee (Iris County is a pseudonym) completed a Rural School Success Inventory (RSSI) and the Learning Styles Inventory (LSI). The study explored differences between low Socioeconomic Status (SES) students and middle/high SES students. The RSSI provided information about…

  18. Social Mix, Schooling and Intersectionality: Identity and Risk for Black Middle Class Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ball, Stephen J.; Rollock, Nicola; Vincent, Carol; Gillborn, David

    2013-01-01

    This paper addresses some particular aspects of the complex intersections between race and social class. It is based upon data collected as part of a two-year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project exploring the "Educational Strategies of the Black Middle Classes" (BMC). ("The Educational Strategies of the Black…

  19. Around the World in 80 Picture Books: Teaching Ancient Civilizations through Text Sets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batchelor, Katherine E.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to introduce text sets of picture books that address 10 ancient civilizations commonly taught in middle school and also offer instructional strategies that could be used for critical and multicultural literacy exploration. Beginning with discussion of the importance of picture books and text sets in the middle school…

  20. Teaching English and History through Historical Fiction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hicks, Alun; Martin, Dave

    1997-01-01

    Explores the appeal of historical fiction for young readers and describes its place within any school curriculum. Describes a project in Dorset Middle Schools which used historical fiction to teach medieval history and English. Notes that students' historical thinking was improved, their knowledge of medieval world advanced, and their writing was…

  1. One Day in Guajiquiro.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herdoiza-Estevez, Magdalena

    2002-01-01

    Explores the meaning of going to school in Guajiquiro, a deprived rural area in Honduras. Detailed descriptions of daily experiences at an elementary and a middle school spell out the range of investments needed to improve and sustain educational opportunities for Honduran children. Highlights the importance of shared ownership and community-based…

  2. White Collar Vocationalism: The Rise of Commercial Education in Ontario and British Columbia, 1870-1920.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Nancy S.; Gaskell, Jane S.

    1987-01-01

    Origins of commercial education in nineteenth-century middle-class schooling are traced and examined in relation to the vocational reform movement of the twentieth century. Areas explored include gender, class, and impact of school reform on competition between private and public business educators. (CJH)

  3. Exploring the Utility of a Virtual Performance Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke-Midura, Jody; Code, Jillianne; Zap, Nick; Dede, Chris

    2011-01-01

    With funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Virtual Performance Assessment project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is developing and studying the feasibility of immersive virtual performance assessments (VPAs) to assess scientific inquiry of middle school students as a standardized component of an accountability…

  4. Exploring Teachers' Beliefs and Their Influence on Grading Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of middle school teachers that shaped their beliefs as they relate to grading practices. The study offers insight for school leaders when addressing grading practices with teachers and may inform decisions regarding professional development for teachers. Conceptual…

  5. Picturing the Natural Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Phyllis Scott

    2011-01-01

    Around Scout Island Education Center, a site used by schools in Fresno County to explore the area's natural environment, a total of 200 cylinder-shaped concrete stools display tiles representing small mammals, flying insects, birds, wildflowers, and more. Twenty sets have been created by elementary, middle, and high-school art students as part of…

  6. Explorations with 142857: Connecting the Elementary with the Advanced

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, Alfinio

    2008-01-01

    University mathematics education courses do not always provide the opportunity to make connections between advanced topics and the mathematics taught in middle school or high school. Activities like the ones described in this article invite such connections. Analyzing concrete or particular examples provides a better grasp of abstract concepts.…

  7. Family and Consumer Sciences: A Facility Planning and Design Guide for School Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

    This document presents design concepts and considerations for planning and developing middle and high school family and consumer sciences education facilities. It includes discussions on family and consumer sciences education trends and the facility planning process. Design concepts explore multipurpose laboratories and spaces for food/nutrition…

  8. Coming to Know and Do Mathematics with Disengaged Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshman, Margaret; Brown, Raymond

    2014-01-01

    This case study explored how students disaffected with their school experience were scaffolded during their participation in a middle-school mathematics classroom. Of particular interest were the level of student engagement in discussion about the mathematics being presented by the teacher and the approach to doing mathematics being displayed by…

  9. Middle School Math Intervention in the Local Unified School District: Using Constructivist Strategies to Support Struggling Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Briggerman, Robert Starwalt

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effectiveness of a unique math intervention program in a local school district in Orange County, California in terms of academic achievement and student perceptions about their math abilities as a result of their experiences in the program. As the predominate instructional approach, the program provided students with…

  10. Experiences of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes as They Transition from Middle School to High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleischman, Katie; Smothers, Melissa K.; Christianson, Heidi F.; Carter, Laura; Hains, Anthony A.; Davies, W. Hobart

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) as they transitioned into high school in order to understand the contextual factors that impact diabetic health-related behaviors and self-identity. A qualitative interviewing methodology called consensual qualitative research (CQR) was…

  11. When Is Peer Aggression "Bullying?" An Analysis of Elementary and Middle School Student Discourse on Bullying at School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donoghue, Christopher; Rosen, Dina; Almeida, Angela; Brandwein, David

    2015-01-01

    Many forms of peer aggression are referred to as "bullying" by students, parents and adults, and this can be a source of confusion in schools. The main purpose of this study is to explore the circumstances under which students characterize peer aggression as "bullying" incidents. A secondary goal is to examine the feelings…

  12. Project CUES: A New Middle-School Earth System Science Curriculum Being Developed by the American Geological Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, M. C.; Smith, M. J.; Lederman, N.; Southard, J. B.; Rogers, E. A.; Callahan, C. N.

    2002-12-01

    Project CUES is a middle-school earth systems science curriculum project under development by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and funded by the National Science Foundation (ESI-0095938). CUES features a student-centered, inquiry pedagogy and approaches earth science from a systems perspective. CUES will use the expanded learning cycle approach of Trowbridge and Bybee (1996), known as the 5E model (engage-explore-explain-elaborate-evaluate). Unlike AGI's Investigating Earth Systems (IES) curriculum modules, CUES will include a single hard-bound textbook, and will take one school-year to complete. The textbook includes a prologue that addresses systems concepts and four main units: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. Each eight-week unit takes students through a progression from guided inquiry to open-ended, student-driven inquiry. During first 4 to 5 weeks of each unit, students explore important earth science phenomena and concepts through scripted investigations and narrative reading passages written by scientists as "inquiry narratives". The narratives address the development of scientific ideas and relay the personal experiences of a scientist during their scientific exploration. Aspects of the nature of science will be explicitly addressed in investigations and inquiry narratives. After the guided inquiry, students will develop a research proposal and conduct their own inquiry into local or regional scientific problems. Each unit culminates with a science conference at which students present their research. CUES will be the first NSF-funded, comprehensive earth systems textbook for middle school that is based on national standards. CUES will be pilot tested in 12 classrooms in January 2003, with a national field test of the program in 50 classrooms during the 2003-2004 school year.

  13. Transportation Exploration. Practical Arts. Instructor's Manual. Competency-Based Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keeton, Martha; And Others

    This manual provides curriculum materials for implementing a career exploration class in transportation occupations within a Practical Arts Education program for middle/junior high school students. Introductory materials include the program master sequence, a list of transportation occupations (land, water and aerospace transportation families),…

  14. Construction Exploration. Practical Arts. Instructor's Manual. Competency-Based Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keeton, Martha; And Others

    This manual provides curriculum materials for implementing a career exploration class in construction occupations within a Practical Arts Education program for middle/junior high school students. Introductory materials include the program master sequence, a list of construction occupations, and an overview of the competency-based instructional…

  15. The PHOTON explorations: sixteen activities, many uses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Donnelly, Judith; Amatrudo, Kathryn; Robinson, Kathleen; Hanes, Fenna

    2014-07-01

    The PHOTON Explorations were adapted from favorite demonstrations of teacher participants in the PHOTON projects of the New England Board of Higher Education as well as Hands-on-Optics activities and interesting demonstrations found on the web. Since the end of project PHOTON2 in 2006, the sixteen inquiry-based activities have formed the basis for a hands-on "home lab" distance- learning course that has been used for college students, teacher professional development and corporate training. With the support of OSA, they have been brought to life in a series of sixteen short videos aimed at a middle school audience. The Explorations are regularly used as activities in outreach activities for middle and high school students and are introduced yearly to an international audience at an outreach workshop at SPIE's Optics and Photonics meeting. In this paper we will demonstrate the Explorations, trace their origins and explain the content. We will also provide details on the development of the Exploration videos, the online course, and outreach materials and give statistics on their use in each format. Links to online resources will be provided.

  16. Awareness of and willingness to be vaccinated by human papillomavirus vaccine among junior middle school students in Jinan, China.

    PubMed

    Xue, Li; Hu, Wenqi; Zhang, Haiman; Xie, Zhongling; Zhang, Xi; Zhao, Fanghui; Qiao, Youlin; Gao, Lijie; Ma, Wei

    2018-02-01

    Willingness to be vaccinated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among junior middle school students in China is not well understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine and explore the factors associated with willingness to be vaccinated. First-year students from two junior middle schools in Jinan, China were selected by cluster sampling on December 28, 2015, December 26, 2016, and January 11, 2017, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore the factors associated with willingness to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine. A total of 1021 junior middle school students participated in this survey. Only 15.5% of them had heard of HPV and 18.9% of them had heard of the HPV vaccine. Students who were willing to take the HPV vaccine in the future accounted for 66.9%. Factors associated with the HPV vaccination were: urban junior middle school students (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.09), female students (AOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.36-2.66), students surveyed in 2015 (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.26-2.28), regarding menstruation/spermatorrhoea as a normal physiological phenomenon (AOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.14-2.36), believing vaccination is an important way to prevent diseases (AOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.83), believing that the first vaccination should be in infancy (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04-1.92), believing that cervical cancer is a concern for themselves (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.28-2.97), and having heard of HPV (AOR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.13-2.98). Awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine among junior students was low, however willingness to be vaccinated was high. Education focusing on HPV-related knowledge in addition to sex education is needed to promote the coverage of the HPV vaccine.

  17. Using Artwork to Explore Proportional Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bush, Sarah B.; Karp, Karen S.; Nadler, Jennifer; Gibbons, Katie

    2016-01-01

    Having an answer to "When are we ever going to use this in real life?" is important to middle school mathematics teachers. The activity described in this article awakened sixth graders' understanding of how artists use mathematics. By exploring ratio and proportionality in different paintings, students realized the use of proportional…

  18. A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Best Practices for Accommodating Students with Written Expressive Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Cecelia

    2013-01-01

    A qualitative case study was conducted to explore best practices for accommodating elementary, middle, and high school students with written expressive disorders. Students with disorders of written expression experience significant impairments in writing for their age, intelligence, and educational experience. Accommodations are crucial…

  19. Business and Office Exploration. Practical Arts. Instructor's Manual. Competency-Based Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keeton, Martha; And Others

    This manual provides curriculum materials for implementing a career exploration class in business and office occupations within a Practical Arts Education program for middle/junior high school students. Introductory materials include the program master sequence, list of business and office occupations, and an overview of the competency-based…

  20. Exploring Teachers' Perceptions of STEAM Teaching through Professional Development: Implications for Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herro, Danielle; Quigley, Cassie

    2017-01-01

    This research involves a multi-year study examining the perspectives and classroom practices of 21 middle school mathematics and science teachers, in the southeastern United States, participating in professional development (PD) exploring science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) literacies. This study sought to understand…

  1. Relationships between Fractional Knowledge and Algebraic Reasoning: The Case of Willa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Mi Yeon; Hackenberg, Amy J.

    2014-01-01

    To investigate relationships between students' quantitative reasoning with fractions and their algebraic reasoning, a clinical interview study was conducted with 18 middle and high school students. The students were interviewed twice, once to explore their quantitative reasoning with fractions and once to explore their solutions of problems…

  2. Can Generating Representations Enhance Learning with Dynamic Visualizations?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Zhihui Helen; Linn, Marcia C.

    2011-01-01

    This study explores the impact of asking middle school students to generate drawings of their ideas about chemical reactions on integrated understanding. Students explored atomic interactions during hydrogen combustion using a dynamic visualization. The generation group drew their ideas about how the reaction takes place at the molecular level.…

  3. Stretching Probability Explorations with Geoboards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler, Ann; Champion, Joe

    2016-01-01

    Students are faced with many transitions in their middle school mathematics classes. To build knowledge, skills, and confidence in the key areas of algebra and geometry, students often need to practice using numbers and polygons in a variety of contexts. Teachers also want students to explore ideas from probability and statistics. Teachers know…

  4. Mathematical Explorations: Freshwater Scarcity: A Proportional Representation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Alessandra

    2014-01-01

    Middle school students' mathematical understanding benefits from connecting mathematics to other content areas in the curriculum. This month's activity explores the issue of the scarcity of freshwater, a natural resource (activity sheets are included). This activity concentrates on the critical areas mentioned in the Common Core State…

  5. Exploration of Retailing Careers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkie, Barbara J.

    Designed as a semester unit of instruction at the middle or junior high school level in the exploration of retailing careers, this distributive education curriculum guide is divided into two sections: The Teacher's Guide and Student Materials. One of the elective courses intended as a followup to "Orientation to Marketing Careers," it provides the…

  6. Marine Science Exploration. Practical Arts. Instructor's Manual. Competency-Based Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keeton, Martha; McKinley, Douglas

    This manual provides curriculum materials for implementing a career exploration class in marine science occupations within a Practical Arts Education program for middle/junior high school students. Introductory materials include the program master sequence, a list of marine science occupations, and an overview of the competency-based instructional…

  7. An exploration of middle school science teachers' understandings and teaching practice of science as inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castle, Margaret Ann

    A number of reports have raised a concern that the U.S. is not meeting the demands of 21st century skill preparation of students, teachers, and practitioners in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 2005 and 2006 five reports were released indicating a need for improvement in science and mathematics education in the U.S. The reports were: Keeping America Competitive: Five Strategies To Improve Mathematics and Science Education (Coble & Allen, 2005); National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative: Meeting America's Economic and Security Challenges in the 21st Century (The Association of American Universities, 2006); Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (National Academies Press, 2007); Tapping America's Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative (Business Roundtable Taskforce , 2005); and Waiting for Sputnik: Basic Research and Strategic Competition (Lewis, 2005). Consensus of data in these reports indicates that the U.S., as compared to other industrialized nations, does not fare very well in science achievement and STEM degree attainment. For example, on the 2003 Program for International Assessment (PISA), 15-year-old students in the U.S. ranked 28th in math and 24th in science literacy (Kuenzi, Matthews, & Mangon, 2006). Furthermore, the U.S. ranked 20th among all nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds who earned degrees in natural sciences or engineering (Kuenzi, 2008). As a result, if the U.S. is to remain scientifically and technologically competitive in the world, it is necessary to increase our efforts to incorporate scientific practices associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into the science classroom. Middle school is a critical point in students' science education and it is in middle school that they begin to dislike science. Research indicates that when students learn science through inquiry their interest in and understanding of science increases (Akkus, Gunel & Hand, 2007; Gibson, 2002; Liu, Lee & Linn, 2010). As a result, it is important to explore middle school science teachers' definition of science as inquiry because of its importance in how their understandings are reflected in their practice. Researchers must witness, first- hand, what is taking place in middle school science classrooms with respect to the teaching of scientific inquiry before recommendations for improvements can be made. We must also allow opportunities for middle school science teachers to broach, examine, explore, interpret and report implementation strategies when practicing the elements of scientific inquiry as a science content area. It then stands to reason that more research needs to be done to: (1) assess teachers' knowledge related to reform-based teaching, (2) investigate teachers' views about the goals and purposes of inquiry, and (3) investigate the processes by which teachers carry out SI and motivation for undertaking such a complex and difficult to manage form of instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine middle school science teachers' understandings and skills related to scientific inquiry; how those understandings and skills were translated into classroom practice, and the role the school district played in the development of such understandings and skills.

  8. What Makes My School a Good Training Ground for Leadership Development?: The Perceptions of Heads, Middle Leaders and Classroom Teachers from 70 Contextually Different Primary and Secondary Schools in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhodes, Christopher; Brundrett, Mark

    2008-01-01

    This article reports on outcomes from a study funded by the National College for School Leadership designed to explore leadership talent identification, development, succession and retention in contextually different primary and secondary schools in England. It draws upon this larger project and offers evidence not seen before elsewhere. It deals…

  9. Suspending in School Suspension?: Is ISS a Valid Means of Disciplinary Action to Reduce Negative Student Behaviors?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rahynes, Leron M.

    2015-01-01

    This paper explored whether or not In School Suspensions (ISS) is effective in reducing student behavioral problems. Research was conducted with 6-8th grade students in a rural middle school in the upstate of South Carolina for the purposes of determining if ISS, in its current design a viable and effective method to reduce negative student…

  10. Hierarchical Deficiencies: Constructed Differences between Adolescent Boys and Girls in a Public School Single-Sex Program in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glasser, Howard M.

    2012-01-01

    Although middle school is a critical time in adolescents' development, little is known about how that development is affected by public single-sex classes even though recent federal policy decisions have led more schools to provide these offerings. This case study used ethnographic methods to explore ways teachers, students, and courses in one…

  11. Empowering Muslim Girls? Post-Feminism, Multiculturalism and the Production of the 'Model' Muslim Female Student in British Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirza, Heidi Safia; Meetoo, Veena

    2018-01-01

    This article draws on an analysis of the narratives of teachers, policy-makers and young Muslim working-class women to explore how schools worked towards producing the model neoliberal middle-class female student. In two urban case-study schools, teaching staff encouraged the girls to actively challenge their culture through discourses grounded in…

  12. Sources of Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pajares, Frank; Johnson, Margaret J.; Usher, Ellen L.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Albert Bandura's four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy on students' writing self-efficacy beliefs (N = 1256) and to explore how these sources differ as a function of gender and academic level (elementary, middle, high). Consistent with the tenets of self-efficacy theory, each of the…

  13. Exploring Life Skills. Middle Grades Exploratory Vocational and Technical Education. Home Economics Education. HE 7018.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education Services.

    This curriculum guide was developed as a resource for teachers to use in planning and implementing a competency-based instructional program at the middle school level. It contains materials for a semester-long consumer home economics course based on the North Carolina Vocational Education Program of Studies, Revised 1992. The four units of the…

  14. A Case Study Exploring the Reading Engagement of Middle Grades English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Protacio, Maria Selena

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the reading engagement of four middle school English learners in their English or English as a Second Language classroom. Students with high levels of reading engagement are those who (a) are motivated to read, (b) use strategies when reading, (c) use reading as a way to construct meaning from texts, and (d) participate in…

  15. Learning to Teach at the Middle Level: Translating Policy into Promise in New York State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerstenblatt, Julie

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of colleges and schools of education to the newly created (2004) New York State middle childhood teacher certificate (Grades 5-9). The study explored different approaches to the translation and application of State policy at the college/university level. Defining exactly what the field…

  16. Middle Attainers and 14-19 Progression in England: Half-Served by New Labour and Now Overlooked by the Coalition?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodgson, Ann; Spours, Ken

    2014-01-01

    In the context of the international problem of "early school leaving", this paper explores the issue of sustained participation in upper secondary education in England. It focuses in particular on the position of middle attainers, who constitute a large proportion of the cohort and whose progress will be vital in realising the…

  17. Influences on Middle-Income, First-Generation Prospective College Students: Perspectives of College-Bound High School Seniors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dillon, Mary A.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which prospective first-generation students from middle-income families make decisions about attending college. I sought to discover the following: (1) what influenced students' decisions, and how the students felt about these influences; (2) how students interpreted the importance of going to…

  18. Mentoring and Academic Performance of Black and Under-Resourced Urban Middle Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggs, Shirley A.; Musewe, Lucas O.; Harvey, Jean P.

    2014-01-01

    Our study examines the impact of adult mentoring on Black, under-resourced, urban, middle grade students. First, we explore impact of mentoring on grades earned in the context of a comprehensive program which included one-on-one mentoring and an array of out-of-school enrichment activities. We also examine the nature of mentor-mentee engagement…

  19. The impact of a museum travelling exhibition on middle school teachers and students from rural, low-income homes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Badger, James; Harker, Richard J. W.

    2016-06-01

    Schools may be places of learning, but a great deal of learning occurs outside of school. A growing body of literature investigates how school field trips allow rural students to make real-life connections with their school curriculum. This paper contributes to that area of research by describing how students from five middle schools in the United States responded to a travelling museum exhibition hosted at a non-museum site. The authors explore the impact of the exhibition on students from poor, rural backgrounds, discussing how it helped them to engage with themes such as freedom of expression, democracy, citizenship and Holocaust education. The results show that, by connecting curricular content with real-life situations, field trips such as this have the potential to change not only students' understanding of the curriculum, but also their teachers' estimation of their abilities.

  20. A Latent Class Approach to Examining Forms of Peer Victimization

    PubMed Central

    Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Waasdorp, Tracy E.; O’Brennan, Lindsey M.

    2014-01-01

    There is growing interest in gender differences in the experience of various forms of peer victimization; however, much of the work to date has used traditional variable-centered approaches by focusing on scales or individual forms of victimization in isolation. The current study explored whether there were discrete groups of adolescents who experience distinct forms of peer victimization by bullying (e.g., physical, verbal, relational) among middle and high school-age youth, and whether membership in a particular victimization group was associated with internalizing problems and aggression. Latent class analyses examining 10 different forms of victimization were conducted on a diverse sample of middle school (n = 11,408) and high school (n = 5,790) students. All forms of victimization were less common among high school students, except cyberbullying and sexual comments/gestures. The analyses revealed that there were 4 distinct victimization patterns for middle school students (Verbal and Physical; Verbal and Relational; High Verbal, Physical, and Relational; and Low Victimization/Normative), whereas high school students fell into a similar pattern with the exception of a Verbal and Physical class. These patterns of victimization were functionally associated with co-occurring internalizing problems and aggression. There were also some notable gender and developmental differences in the pattern of victimization and its relation with adjustment problems. These findings enhance our understanding of the complex patterns of peer victimization that are experienced by middle and high school students. Implications for educational researchers and school-based bullying interventions are discussed. PMID:25414522

  1. Another Path to Belonging: A Case Study of Middle School Students' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Marissa; Emery, Alyssa; Sanders, Megan; Anderman, Lynley H.

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study explored students' experiences in a small, early-college secondary school in the United States that intentionally aims to create a culture promoting accelerated academic achievement, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Past research in the fields of both educational and…

  2. Placing Math Reform: Locating Latino English Learners in Math Classrooms and Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erbstein, Nancy

    2015-01-01

    This article explores how place matters in public school reform efforts intended to promote more equitable opportunities and outcomes. Qualitative case studies of three California middle schools' eighth grade math reforms and the resulting opportunities for Latino English learners are presented, using the conceptual frameworks of critical human…

  3. Nebraska State Plan Career Education Project. Final Performance Report for Period Ending June 30, 1977.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nebraska State Dept. of Education, Lincoln.

    The Nebraska state career education plan was developed to assist individuals in developing essential educational and career skills for responsible functioning. The plan, linking the school and work world, extends chronologically: elementary level--career awareness, middle/junior high school level--career exploration, and senior high school…

  4. Profile of the Principalship. A Study of Principals' Perceptions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beck, John J.

    This study surveyed 1,000 elementary, junior high/middle school, and high school principals in Texas by questionnaire to gather their perceptions on issues related to the principalship. The following four issues were explored: (1) source of expertise; (2) skills necessary to the success of any principal; (3) level of expertise of the respondents…

  5. An Exploration of Pennsylvania Corrective Action Plans, 2006-2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan-Davis, Carrie Lynn

    2013-01-01

    With the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" ("NCLB"), signed into law on January 8, 2002, schools nationwide have been challenged to improve student achievement. Several middle and junior high schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were identified as being in need of Corrective Action in 2006 based upon data from the…

  6. Being Bullied and Psychosocial Adjustment among Middle School Students in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Yulan; Newman, Ian M.; Qu, Ming; Mbulo, Lazarous; Chai, Yan; Chen, Yan; Shell, Duane F.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Using the Chinese version of the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS), this article describes the prevalence of being bullied among a nationally representative sample of Chinese students in grades 6-10 and explores the relationships between being bullied and selected indicators of psychosocial adjustment. Methods: A total of 9015…

  7. Leading for Change: How Leadership Style Impacts Teachers' Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Procek, Cara

    2012-01-01

    This research study explored how one middle school in a suburban New Hampshire town translates existing models of leadership into practice and how teachers experience these differences in practice. The research examined how school leaders balance formal and cultural models of leadership to affect change on a day-to-day level. In addition, the…

  8. Layering Literacies and Contemporary Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abrams, Sandra Schamroth; Russo, Michael P.

    2015-01-01

    This article explores how adolescents layer literacies in and outside school. Findings from a longitudinal study of gaming in a public library, as well as data related to the use of Portal 2 in a New York City middle school classroom, reveal how the students created, showcased, analyzed, and experimented with online and offline artifacts and…

  9. Effectiveness of Word Solving: Integrating Morphological Problem-Solving within Comprehension Instruction for Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodwin, Amanda P.

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the effectiveness of integrating morphological instruction within comprehension strategy instruction. Participants were 203 students (N = 117 fifth-grade; 86 sixth-grade) from four urban schools who were randomly assigned to the intervention (N = 110; morphological problem-solving within comprehension strategy instruction) or…

  10. History and Art that Touch the Heart

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellet, Laurie

    2007-01-01

    Teaching in a Jewish Day School provides opportunities to explore curricular, cultural, and historical subjects that are not necessarily covered in public middle school art curricula. This article describes how the author taught a group of students to create an installation piece for the community wide Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)…

  11. Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freidenreich, Hava Bresler; Duncan, Ravit Golan; Shea, Nicole

    2011-01-01

    Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc.…

  12. Understanding Reading Intervention from a Child's Perspective: Interviews with Adolescents, Parents, and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Despaux, Lori Juhas

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions and experiences of the middle school students who participated in learning center support as elementary students in independent schools. There were 16 participants from three sites included in the study: six students, seven parents, and three learning specialists. The research…

  13. Teachers Exploring Partnership Education and Ways to Transform the K-12 Educational System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cerda, Marisela Galvan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to engage middle school science teachers in collaborative dialogue to understand the implications of partnership values and principles in the classroom to transform their educational practice. Participants investigated issues which prevent partnership relationships in schools and ways to help transform education and…

  14. Enhancing a Career Exploration Program for 8th Grade Students with an Assessment for the Multiple Intelligences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shearer, C. Branton

    The use of a multiple intelligences (MI) assessment to enhance a career exploration program for eighth graders was studied. All of the eighth graders (n=160) in a suburban middle school completed three sets of activities as part of their career exploration program. Students completed a multiple intelligences self-assessment, the Multiple…

  15. ``It depends on what science teacher you got'': urban science self-efficacy from teacher and student voices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolshakova, Virginia L. J.; Johnson, Carla C.; Czerniak, Charlene M.

    2011-12-01

    In the United States today, urban schools serve the majority of high-poverty and high minority populations including large numbers of Hispanic students. While many Hispanic students perform below grade level in middle school science, the science teaching community as a whole is lacking elements of diversity as teachers struggle to meet the needs of all learners. Researchers have recognized that science teacher effectiveness, one consequence of self-efficacy among teachers, is associated with future science achievement and science-related careers of their students. This qualitative study explores how three science teachers' effectiveness in the classroom impacts students' science self-efficacy beliefs at one urban middle school. Hispanic students were the focus of this investigation due to demographics and history of underperformance within this district. Teachers' perspectives, as well as outside observer evaluations of instructional strategies and classroom climates were triangulated to explore dynamics that influence students' interests and motivation to learn science using a framework to link teachers' sense of efficacy (focusing on student outcomes). Findings suggest the impact teacher effectiveness can have on student outcomes, including strengthened student science self-efficacy and increased science achievement. Building awareness and support in teachers' sense of efficacy, as well as developing respectful and supportive relationships between educator/facilitator and pupil during the transition to middle school may construct permanence and accomplishment for all in science.

  16. A qualitative study of middle school students' perceptions of factors facilitating the learning of science: Grounded theory and existing theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spector, Barbara S.; Gibson, Charles W.

    The purpose of this study was to explore middle school students' perceptions of what factors facilitated their learning of science. Florida's Educational Reform Act of 1983 funded programs providing the state's precollege students with summer learning opportunities in science. mathematics, and computers. The programs were intended to encourage the development of creative approaches to the teaching of these disciplines. Under this program, between 50 and 60 high-achieving middle school students were in residence on the University of South Florida campus for 12 consecutive days of study in the World of Water (WOW) program. There were two sessions per summer involving a total of 572 participants. Eighi specially trained teachers were in residence with the students. Between 50 and 70 experts from the university, government. business, and industry interacted with the students each year in an innovative science/technology/society (STS) program. An assignment toward the close of the program asked students to reflect on their experiences in residence at the university and write an essay comparing learning in the WOW program to learning in their schools. Those essays were the base for this study. This was a qualitative study using a discursive approach to emergent design to generate grounded theory. Document review, participant observation, and open-ended interviews were used to gather and triangulate data in five phases. Some of the factors that middle school students perceived as helpful to learning science were (a) experiencing the situations about which they were learning; (b) having live presentations by professional experts; (c) doing hands-on activities: (d) being active learners; (e) using inductive reasoning to generate new knowledge; (f) exploring transdisciplinary approaches to problem solving; (g) having adult mentors; (h) interacting with peers and adults; (i) establishing networks; (j) having close personal friends who shared their interest in learning; (k) trusting the individuals in their learning environment, including adults and students; and (1) experiencing a sense of self-reliance. The preceding information was used to generate a series of hypotheses which were woven into a theoretical model. This model suggests that middle school science teacher education would be enhanced by helping prospective and in-service teachers develop and implement strategies that build trust, provide immersion in learning, and use inductive reasoning. This model is currently being used as the theoretical base to convert a traditional junior high school in the South to a middle school.

  17. Is Child Labor a Barrier to School Enrollment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries?

    PubMed Central

    Putnick, Diane L.; Bornstein, Marc H.

    2015-01-01

    Achieving universal primary education is one of the Millennium Development Goals. In low- and middle-income developing countries (LMIC), child labor may be a barrier. Few multi-country, controlled studies of the relations between different kinds of child labor and schooling are available. This study employs 186,795 families with 7- to 14-year-old children in 30 LMIC to explore relations of children’s work outside the home, family work, and household chores with school enrollment. Significant negative relations emerged between each form of child labor and school enrollment, but relations were more consistent for family work and household chores than work outside the home. All relations were moderated by country and sometimes by gender. These differentiated findings have nuanced policy implications. PMID:26034342

  18. Sources of science self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Britner, Shari L.; Pajares, Frank

    2006-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which A. Bandura's ([1997]) hypothesized sources of self-efficacy predict the science self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students (N = 319), to replicate previous findings that science self-efficacy predicts science achievement, and to explore how science self-efficacy and its antecedents differ by gender. Significant correlations were found between mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasions, physiological arousal, and self-efficacy. Only mastery experiences significantly predicted science self-efficacy. Girls reported stronger science self-efficacy than did boys. Findings support and extend the theoretical tenets of Bandura's social cognitive theory.

  19. Reading Strategy Guides to Assist Middle School Educators of Students with Dyslexia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nichols-Yehling, M.; Strohl, C.

    2014-07-01

    According to the 2010 International Dyslexia Association publication, “Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading,” effective instruction is the key to addressing students' reading difficulties associated with dyslexia, a language-based disorder of learning to read and write. “Informed and effective classroom instruction. . . can prevent or at least effectively address and limit the severity of reading and writing problems.” The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission Education and Public Outreach program recently funded the development of six strategy guides for teachers of middle school students with reading difficulties, especially dyslexia. These guides utilize space science-themed reading materials developed by the Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS), including the IBEX-funded GEMS Space Science Sequence (Grades 6-8). The aforementioned reading strategy guides are now available on the IBEX mission website.

  20. Polygons, Pillars and Pavilions: Discovering Connections between Geometry and Architecture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madden, Sean Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Crowning the second semester of geometry, taught within a Catholic middle school, the author's students explored connections between the geometry of regular polygons and architecture of local buildings. They went on to explore how these principles apply famous buildings around the world such as the monuments of Washington, D.C. and the elliptical…

  1. Socioscience and Ethics in Science Classrooms: Teacher Perspectives and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, Troy D.; Amirshokoohi, Aidin; Kazempour, Mahsa; Allspaw, Kathleen M.

    2006-01-01

    This study explored teacher perspectives on the use of socioscientific issues (SSI) and on dealing with ethics in the context of science instruction. Twenty-two middle and high school science teachers from three US states participated in semi-structured interviews, and researchers employed inductive analyses to explore emergent patterns relative…

  2. Go Figure. HEADJAM. Teaching Guide [and Videotape].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MATHCOUNTS Foundation, Alexandria, VA.

    The HeadJam series is comprised of six programs exploring mathematics, science, and critical thinking skills. It is an award-winning, educational videotape series for middle school students that explores multi-disciplinary skills in a highly entertaining way. The teacher's guide and 22-minute video, "Go Figure," demonstrate how math is used in the…

  3. Exploring Seventh-Grade Students' and Pre-Service Science Teachers' Misconceptions in Astronomical Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Korur, Fikret

    2015-01-01

    Pre-service science teachers' conceptual understanding of astronomical concepts and their misconceptions in these concepts is crucial to study since they will teach these subjects in middle schools after becoming teachers. This study aimed to explore both seventh-grade students' and the science teachers' understanding of astronomical concepts and…

  4. Using Alternate Energy Sources. The Illinois Plan for Industrial Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois State Univ., Normal.

    This guide, which is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum guides intended to assist junior high and middle school industrial educators in helping their students explore diverse industrial situations and technologies used in industry, deals with using alternate energy sources. The following topics are covered in the individual lessons:…

  5. Extending Appropriateness: Further Exploration of Teachers' Knowledge Resources for Proportional Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Brown, Rachael Eriksen; Burke, James P.; Millett, John; Nagar, Gili Gal; Park, Jinsook; Weiland, Travis

    2017-01-01

    In this study we extend our prior exploration focused on the extent to which middle school teachers appropriately identified proportional situations and whether there were relationships between attributes of the teachers and their ability to identify proportional situations. For this study, we analyzed both a larger dataset (n = 32) and two…

  6. Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships among Resilience, Goals and Academic Orientation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forrester, Matthew Mitchell

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this phenomenological analysis was to explore the identity development of gifted Hispanic male students in the middle school setting. The study used a survey, multiple interviews and observations, along with focus group data to acquire data in four principle areas: academic orientation, ethnic identity, resilience and goals. Results…

  7. Simulation for Authentic Learning in Informal Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dupuis, Jason; Ludwig-Palit, DeDee

    2016-01-01

    In 2011, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois embarked on the creation of a program that allows middle and high school students to explore community health issues using human patient simulation. MedLab was created to engage students in an authentic exploration of medical science, biology, and human anatomy, with a particular…

  8. Informal Formative Assessment and Scientific Inquiry: Exploring Teachers' Practices and Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruiz-Primo, Maria Araceli; Furtak, Erin Marie

    2006-01-01

    What does informal formative assessment look like in the context of scientific inquiry teaching? Is it possible to identify different levels of informal assessment practices? Can different levels of informal assessment practices be related to levels of student learning? This study addresses these issues by exploring how 4 middle school science…

  9. Exploring Middle School Students' Use of Inscriptions in Project-Based Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Hsin-Kai; Krajcik, Joseph S.

    2006-01-01

    This study explores seventh graders' use of inscriptions in a teacher-designed project-based science unit. To investigate students' learning practices during the 8-month water quality unit, we collected multiple sources of data (e.g., classroom video recordings, student artifacts, and teacher interviews) and employed analytical methods that drew…

  10. Sociograms as a Tool for Teaching and Learning: Discoveries from a Teacher Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sobieski, Cindy; Dell'Angelo, Tabitha

    2016-01-01

    This collaborative article by a middle school teacher and her college faculty mentor explores the use of visual representations of data--specifically, using sociograms to explore peer relationships in an eighth-grade setting. The sociograms revealed the complexity and changing nature of relationships among students and informed classroom-based…

  11. Achievement in and attitudes toward the science of sound, by middle school students, grades five through eight, both overall and by gender

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mariaschin-Melenson, Cynthia Faith

    2001-07-01

    This study explores the relationship, among middle school students, between the understanding of a physical science topic, sound, and expressed attitudes toward topics with a strong sound component. Further, it assesses these differences in achievement and attitude by grade level and by gender. An attitude inventory, comprised of 30 Likert-type questions, and a concepts-of-sound achievement instrument, comprised of 30 multiple-choice questions, were administered to approximately 1300 students in grades five, six, seven, and eight, the middle-school grades, in a variety of locations within a single school district in the Intermountain West. Results indicate that during the middle school years there is no significant difference between males and females in physical science achievement on the topic of sound energy. Results additionally indicate that, contrary to researched literature, throughout the middle school years females, as a group, do not have poorer attitudes than males toward the physical sciences; indeed, in grades five and eight female attitude responses were significantly more positive than male attitude responses. Overall, attitude correlates with knowledge. When positive attitude toward learning about sound diminishes, incremental knowledge about sound diminishes. Results of this study may be utilized in determining whether instructional and further research efforts should be directed toward methods for improving achievement in and attitudes toward the physical sciences. It is anticipated that improved methods for instilling positive attitudes and imparting greater knowledge would result in more students, especially females, pursuing advanced physical science studies and related occupations.

  12. Shoot for the Moon! the Mentors and the Middle Schoolers Explore the Intersection of Design Thinking and STEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carroll, Maureen P.

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the journey of a group of university students as they worked with underserved middle school students as mentors in a STEM-based afterschool program. Design thinking provided a frame within which students learned how to be mentors, how to create user-centered learning experiences, and how to share their experiences as…

  13. Teachers' Perceived Efficacy among English as a Foreign Language Teachers in Middle Schools in Venezuela

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chacon, C.T.

    2005-01-01

    Teachers' sense of efficacy has been shown to influence teachers' actions and student outcomes. This study explored self-efficacy beliefs among English as a Foreign Language teachers in selected schools in Venezuela. Data were collected through a survey administered to 100 teachers. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran &…

  14. Reform with Reinvestment: Values and Tensions in Gentrifying Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel-Hawley, Genevieve; Thachik, Stefani; Bridges, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    As cities across the country experience an influx of White and middle- to upper-class residents, new opportunities for the integration of urban schools emerge. Yet crucial challenges persist even when equity and inclusion are a focus for new stakeholders. This article explores the story of a largely White group of parents committed to investing in…

  15. The Relationship between Differentiated Instruction and Student Behavior in Georgia Middle School and High School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuessler, Wesely

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between levels of implementation of Tomlinson's (2015) differentiated instruction and students' disruptive classroom behaviors. This is an area of research that has not been previously explored. Tomlinson's differentiated instruction is a process of teaching in which each student's…

  16. Problem Posing in Leadership Education: Using Case Study to Foster More Effective Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myran, Steve; Sutherland, Ian

    2016-01-01

    This case explores Crabapple Middle, a struggling urban school in the midst of a transition that seeks new leadership that can overcome the challenges of two sub-cultures that divide the school and community. In an effort to address issues of low academic performance and negative community perception, an International Baccalaureate magnet program…

  17. Exploring an In-Service Staff Development System for Classroom Teachers in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiligenstein, Janna X.

    2010-01-01

    Population data across the nation demonstrates the growing number of students in public schools who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, while public school data reflects a teacher population that is mainly white, middle class and female. While new teacher programs are beginning to respond to this diversity, in-service…

  18. Aiming High: Exploring the Influence of Implementation Fidelity and Cognitive Demand Levels on Struggling Readers' Literacy Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feldman, Jill; Feighan, Kelly; Kirtcheva, Elena; Heereen, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    Researchers studied components of a two-year school-wide Striving Readers intervention aimed at bolstering middle school teachers' use of literacy strategies to raise students' reading achievement. Although students of intervention teachers had significantly higher Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) scores than students of non-participating…

  19. Ethics in America II: A Video Series for Middle School, High School, and Adult Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annenberg Media, 2007

    2007-01-01

    New, and yet familiar, hypothetical cases are debated and agonized over by eminent leaders from government, business, science and academia. "Ethics in America II" follows its predecessor by exploring gripping ethical dilemmas using the time-honored Socratic Dialogue format. The programs can be used with a discussion guide to help teachers engage…

  20. Effectiveness of Interactive Satellite-Transmitted Instruction: Experimental Evidence from Ghanaian Primary Schools. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-08

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnston, Jamie; Ksoll, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    In lower- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, students in rural areas dramatically underperform their urban peers. Rural schools struggle to attract and retain professionally trained teachers (GES 2012; World Bank 2012). We explore one potential solution to the problem of teacher recruitment: distance instruction. Through a cluster…

  1. Influences of Constructivist-Oriented Nutrition Education on Urban Middle School Students' Nutrition Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCaughtry, Nate; Fahlman, Mariane; Martin, Jeffrey J.; Shen, Bo

    2011-01-01

    Background: Health professionals are looking to nutrition-based youth health interventions in K-12 schools to combat the growing obesity crisis; however, none have explored the influences of interventions guided by constructivist learning theory. Purpose: This study examined the influences of a constructivist-oriented nutrition education program…

  2. Middle School Engagement with Mathematics Software and Later Interest and Self-Efficacy for STEM Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; San Pedro, Maria Ofelia; Lai, Huei-yi; Baker, Ryan S.; Borgen, Fred

    2016-01-01

    Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle…

  3. A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hersch, Patricia

    Noting that half of America's adolescents are at risk for serious problems such as substance abuse, accident-prone lifestyles, and delinquent behavior, this book explores the world of adolescents through the study of eight middle-school and high-school students from Reston, Virginia. These eight teenagers were selected based on gender, ethnicity,…

  4. Digital Youth Divas: Exploring Narrative-Driven Curriculum to Spark Middle School Girls' Interest in Computational Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinkard, Nichole; Erete, Sheena; Martin, Caitlin K.; McKinney de Royston, Maxine

    2017-01-01

    Women use technology to mediate numerous aspects of their professional and personal lives. Yet, few design and create these technologies given that women, especially women of color, are grossly underrepresented in computer science and engineering courses. Decisions about participation in STEM are frequently made prior to high school, and these…

  5. Mothers' Perception and Practice in Their Childs' Out of School [Summer] Time: A Socioeconomic Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milhomme, Marcy B.

    2014-01-01

    I set out to explore the question: How do middle-class, working-class and low-income mothers experience their children's out of school summer time? Using qualitative basic interpretive approach, study findings draw from interview data, journal entries and participant observations from a study completed with 22 mothers of varying socioeconomic…

  6. Teaching History to Adolescents: A Quest for Relevance. Adolescent Cultures, School, and Society. Volume 52

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beineke, John A.

    2011-01-01

    "Teaching History to Adolescents: A Quest for Relevance" is an exploration of research, ideas, trends, and practices for educators who teach American history to adolescents from the middle grades through high school. Higher education faculty in history and professional education will also find the book germane to their work. Topics within the…

  7. Living in the city: school friendships, diversity and the middle classes.

    PubMed

    Vincent, Carol; Neal, Sarah; Iqbal, Humera

    2018-06-01

    Much of the literature on the urban middle classes describes processes of both affiliation (often to the localities) and disaffiliation (often from some of the non-middle-class residents). In this paper, we consider this situation from a different position, drawing on research exploring whether and how children and adults living in diverse localities develop friendships with those different to themselves in terms of social class and ethnicity. This paper focuses on the interviews with the ethnically diverse, but predominantly white British, middle-class parent participants, considering their attitudes towards social and cultural difference. We emphasize the importance of highlighting inequalities that arise from social class and its intersection with ethnicity in analyses of complex urban populations. The paper's contribution is, first, to examine processes of clustering amongst the white British middle-class parents, particularly in relation to social class. Second, we contrast this process, and its moments of reflection and unease, with the more deliberate and purposeful efforts of one middle-class, Bangladeshi-origin mother who engages in active labour to facilitate relationships across social and ethnic difference. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

  8. The relationship between club drug use and other drug use: a survey of New York City middle school students.

    PubMed

    Goldsamt, Lloyd A; O'Brien, Julie; Clatts, Michael C; McGuire, Laura Silver

    2005-01-01

    In order to explore the relationship between use of club drugs (crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy, GHB, ketamine), and use of other drugs, survey data collected from 23,780 middle school students in New York City during 2002-2003 was examined. Results of HGLM analyses (a generalization of HLM to accommodate nonlinear outcomes), controlling for the effect of school, indicate that Black students are less likely than White students to use club drugs depending on the timeframe of use. The use of alcohol and/or marijuana predict club drug use regardless of the timeframe of use, and lifetime cigarette use predicts lifetime club drug use. Recommendations for future research and prevention efforts are discussed.

  9. Implications of Middle School Behavior Problems for High School Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Young Adults: Estimation of a Recursive Model.

    PubMed

    Karakus, Mustafa C; Salkever, David S; Slade, Eric P; Ialongo, Nicholas; Stuart, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    The potentially serious adverse impacts of behavior problems during adolescence on employment outcomes in adulthood provide a key economic rationale for early intervention programs. However, the extent to which lower educational attainment accounts for the total impact of adolescent behavior problems on later employment remains unclear As an initial step in exploring this issue, we specify and estimate a recursive bivariate probit model that 1) relates middle school behavior problems to high school graduation and 2) models later employment in young adulthood as a function of these behavior problems and of high school graduation. Our model thus allows for both a direct effect of behavior problems on later employment as well as an indirect effect that operates via graduation from high school. Our empirical results, based on analysis of data from the NELS, suggest that the direct effects of externalizing behavior problems on later employment are not significant but that these problems have important indirect effects operating through high school graduation.

  10. Navigating into, through, and beyond the middle grades: the role of middle grades attendance in staying on track for high school graduation.

    PubMed

    Kieffer, Michael J; Marinell, William H; Neugebauer, Sabina Rak

    2014-12-01

    In this longitudinal study, we investigated the use of attendance during middle school as a behavioral indicator of engagement to predict whether students are on track toward high school graduation. We used administrative data from four cohorts of students in New York City schools (N=303,845) to (a) explore patterns of change in attendance between Grades 4 and 8 and (b) determine the extent to which changes in attendance between Grades 4 and 8 predict which students are on track in Grade 9 for going on to graduate from high school. Results of latent growth modeling indicated that students demonstrate the most substantial declines in attendance during Grade 8 and that attendance changes are most variable in this year, with some students demonstrating much more dramatic declines than others. In addition, these changes in attendance were robust predictors of whether students were on track for high school graduation. To identify students who are at risk for not graduating for the purposes of providing appropriate interventions, educators should pay attention to their commonly collected data on attendance rates as a behavioral indicator of engagement. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Watershed Investigations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bodzin, Alec; Shive, Louise

    2004-01-01

    Investigating local watersheds presents middle school students with authentic opportunities to engage in inquiry and address questions about their immediate environment. Investigation activities promote learning in an investigations interdisciplinary context as students explore relationships among chemical, biological, physical, geological, and…

  12. ARC-1993-AC93-0608-41

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1993-12-12

    Life from other Worlds' with McNair Middle School TROV robot explores under Antarctic ice - image of Eric James, Ron Schutz, and Wade Sisler of the Photographic Technology Branch co-ordinating remote shots from Antarctic to Ames

  13. Middle-School Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect using a NetLogo Computer Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schultz, L.; Koons, P. O.; Schauffler, M.

    2009-12-01

    We investigated the effectiveness of a freely available agent based, modeling program as a learning tool for seventh and eighth grade students to explore the greenhouse effect without added curriculum. The investigation was conducted at two Maine middle-schools with 136 seventh-grade students and 11 eighth-grade students in eight classes. Students were given a pre-test that consisted of a concept map, a free-response question, and multiple-choice questions about how the greenhouse effect influences the Earth's temperature. The computer model simulates the greenhouse effect and allows students to manipulate atmospheric and surface conditions to observe the effects on the Earth’s temperature. Students explored the Greenhouse Effect model for approximately twenty minutes with only two focus questions for guidance. After the exploration period, students were given a post-test that was identical to the pre-test. Parametric post-test analysis of the assessments indicated middle-school students gained in their understanding about how the greenhouse effect influences the Earth's temperature after exploring the computer model for approximately twenty minutes. The magnitude of the changes in pre- and post-test concept map and free-response scores were small (average free-response post-test score of 7.0) compared to an expert's score (48), indicating that students understood only a few of the system relationships. While students gained in their understanding about the greenhouse effect, there was evidence that students held onto their misconceptions that (1) carbon dioxide in the atmosphere deteriorates the ozone layer, (2) the greenhouse effect is a result of humans burning fossil fuels, and (3) infrared and visible light have similar behaviors with greenhouse gases. We recommend using the Greenhouse Effect computer model with guided inquiry to focus students’ investigations on the system relationships in the model.

  14. Exploring Gender Differences across Elementary, Middle, and High School Students' Science and Math Attitudes and Interest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LeGrand, Julie

    The issue of female underrespresentation in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology careers and courses has been well researched over the last several decades. However, as gender gaps in achievement close and representation becomes more equitable in certain academic domains, research has turned to social and cultural factors to explain why fewer women persist in STEM studies and careers than men. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in science and math attitudes and interests from elementary school, to middle school, to high school. To examine possible gender-specific shifts in students' interest and attitudes in science and math, 136 students from a suburban, public school district were surveyed at the elementary school level (N=31), middle school level (N=54), and high school level (N=51) and various constructs were used to assess the responses in accordance with expectancy-value theory. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, a random sample of students from each grade level then participated in focus groups, and corollary themes were identified. Results from a logistical regression analysis and Mann-Whitney Test indicated that significant gender differences exist for interest, efficacy, expectancy, and value within science domains (p<.05), although these differences are not the same at each grade level or for each scientific discipline. Significant gender differences in mathematics are present only at the elementary school level.

  15. The Voices of Four Principals: An Exploration of the Four Dimensions of Leadership as Used by Middle School Leaders in Transforming Low Performing Schools into Schools that Meet and/or Exceed Local, State, and National Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter-Heaston, Tanisha L.

    2010-01-01

    For more than 50 years, education professionals have pondered over the phenomenon of failing schools. Despite years of educational reform efforts, America remains "A Nation at Risk" (1983). Towards the turn of the 21st century, America was well into it third attempt to remedy one if its major maladies, scholastic insufficiency. In the…

  16. A Cross-Cultural Study of the Effect of a Graph-Oriented Computer-Assisted Project-Based Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Science Knowledge and Argumentation Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, P.-S.; Van Dyke, M.; Chen, Y.; Smith, T. J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States and sixth graders in an urban school in Taiwan developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 42…

  17. Culturally Responsive Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program for Middle School Students in Hawai‘i

    PubMed Central

    Barker, Linda Toms; Chan, Vincent; Eucogco, Jasmine

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of Pono Choices, a culturally responsive adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention program targeting middle school youths in Hawai‘i. Methods. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial with the school as the unit of random assignment over 3 semesters between 2012 and 2013. The sample consisted of 36 middle schools and 2203 students. We administered student surveys to collect baseline outcomes, student demographic data, and outcomes at 12 months after baseline. Results. We found statistically significant effects for the knowledge assessment, which focused on basic understanding of adolescent pregnancy and STI prevention. The average percentage of correct responses was 73.6 for the treatment group and 60.4 for the control group (P < .001). We did not find statistically significant effects on behavioral outcomes (initiation of sexual activity or engagement in high-risk sexual behavior) or on other nonbehavioral outcomes (attitudes, skills, intentions). Conclusions. Pono Choices had a statistically significant impact on knowledge of adolescent pregnancy and STI prevention among middle school students at 12 months after baseline, though it did not lead to detectable changes in behavioral outcomes within the 1-year observation period. These results call for an exploration of longer-term outcomes to assess effects on knowledge retention and behavioral changes. PMID:27689477

  18. Enhancing personal agency and competence in eating and moving: formative evaluation of a middle school curriculum--Choice, Control, and Change.

    PubMed

    Contento, Isobel R; Koch, Pamela A; Lee, Heewon; Sauberli, Wendy; Calabrese-Barton, Angela

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this formative evaluation was to examine the impact of an innovative inquiry-based science education curriculum for middle school students, called Choice, Control, and Change, that is designed to foster healthful eating and physical activity and a healthy weight through enhancing agency and competence. The 24-session curriculum helps students develop understandings about the interactions between biology, personal behavior, and the environment and personal agency through cognitive self-regulation skills in navigating today's complex food system and sedentary environment. An extended theory of planned behavior served as the design framework. The study used a pretest-posttest evaluation design involving 278 middle school students in 19 science classes within 5 schools. Based on paired t tests, students significantly improved on several curriculum-specific eating and physical activity behaviors: they decreased several sedentary activities and increased their frequencies of fruit and vegetable intake. They decreased the frequency of sweetened beverages, packaged snacks, and eating at a fast-food restaurant, and ate and drank smaller portions of some items. Their outcome beliefs and overall self-efficacy, but not their attitudes, became more positive. A strategy based on fostering personal agency, cognitive self-regulation, and competence can be effective in increasing healthful eating and physical activity behaviors in middle school children and should be explored further.

  19. "It Made Me Hurt Inside": Exploring Tough Social Issues through Critical Literacy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leland, Christine H.; Harste, Jerome C.; Davis, Abby; Haas, Celeste; McDaniel, Kathryn; Parsons, Mitzi; Strawmyer, Melinda

    2003-01-01

    Considers how a critical literacy perspective encourages readers to use language as a tool for interrogating and critiquing the difficult things that happen in the world around them. Reports the findings of five teacher education interns who explored the use of critical literacy text sets with elementary and middle school children. Describes…

  20. Lending Student Voice to Latino ELL Migrant Children's Perspectives on Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irizarry, Stephanie; Williams, Sherie

    2013-01-01

    Migrant workers in the United States have a well-documented history of struggle. This research explored the perspectives of a select group of middle school Latino migrant students in terms of their education in the United States. The research used qualitative and quantitative data gathered from a focus group session and a survey that explored the…

  1. Exploring the Middle School Science Achievement Gap: Influences of Curriculum, Instruction and Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winning, Rosalie Anne

    2012-01-01

    Students' science achievement has been subject to scrutiny and criticism in the United States. The decline in rankings on standardized international assessments has been the focus of concern for educators, policy makers, parents and society at large. This study, designed as an action research, explored the factors contributing to the decrease in…

  2. Teaching and Learning Science through Song: Exploring the Experiences of Students and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Governor, Donna; Hall, Jori; Jackson, David

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative, multi-case study explored the use of science-content music for teaching and learning in six middle school science classrooms. The researcher sought to understand how teachers made use of content-rich songs for teaching science, how they impacted student engagement and learning, and what the experiences of these teachers and…

  3. An Exploration of the Science Teaching Orientations of Indian Science Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri

    2012-01-01

    This study explores the concepts and behaviors, otherwise referred to as "orientations", of six Indian science teachers and the alignment of these orientations to the 2005 India National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). Differences in teachers' orientations across grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary) and school types (public…

  4. From Phenotype to Genotype: Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Genetic Inheritance in a Web-Based Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Michelle; Montgomery, Beronda L.; Manokore, Viola

    2012-01-01

    Research shows that students face challenges as they learn about genetic inheritance. The challenges could emanate from the fact that genetic inheritance involves unseen processes at different organizational levels. We explored students' understanding of heredity and related concepts such as cells and reproduction using a Web-based Science Inquiry…

  5. Learning to Take an Inquiry Stance in Teacher Research: An Exploration of Unstructured Thought-Partner Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawton-Sticklor, Nastasia; Bodamer, Scott F.

    2016-01-01

    This article explores a research partnership between a university-based researcher and a middle school science teacher. Our partnership began with project-based inquiry and continued with unstructured thought-partner spaces: meetings with no agenda where we wrestled with problems of practice. Framed as incubation periods, these meetings allowed us…

  6. Making It in Marketing Services. Exploration of Marketing Services Careers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkie, Barbara J., Ed.

    This curriculum guide is designed to be used with a distributive education course offering. It provides students, at the middle or junior high school level, an opportunity to explore marketing services careers. The guide is divided into two sections: The Teacher's Guide and Student Materials. The Teacher's Guide is composed of eleven units: (1)…

  7. Exploring the Changing Identities of English Language Learners in a Kindergarten Classroom Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farnsworth, Megan

    2010-01-01

    In this dissertation, the participation of 5-year-old Spanish speaking children in a kindergarten classroom community was explored. The school was located in a working and middle-class community in Southern Arizona, where pursuant to state law; the language of instruction was English. Student participants spent four hours every day in an English…

  8. A Case Study Exploring Science Competence and Science Confidence of Middle School Girls from Marginalized Backgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Yeni Violeta

    2013-01-01

    The inclusion of learners from underrepresented background in biology field research experiences has not been widely explored in the literature. Increased access and equity to experiences for groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been identified as a priority for many, yet little is…

  9. On school violence in Korean middle school, prevention and reaction measures.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Se-Jeong; Kim, Tae-Young

    2015-02-01

    This study is aiming to explore the practical and realistic measure in more variable way, which enables us to manage the problems about school violence we are currently facing as well as to overcome limitations in the current situation where we react only with punishments, mainly in the form of the law enforcement, supported by the police. This study was conducted on male and female students (n= 424) and teachers (n= 136) attending at the seven middle schools located in Seoul. The frequency analysis, one way ANOVA F-test, t -test, the multiple regression analysis were applied. Students recognize' harmful environmental cleanup' as an important variable or factor to reduce school violence. Also, both teachers and students are aware that 'regular survey on school violence' could reduce school violence. In conclusion, it is considered that as an effective and viable prevention measure against school violence, more attention and affection efforts need to be activated and addressed, on the part of home, school, and government, which will enable our young generations of students to be brought up, and take up the future of our country.

  10. Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bresler Freidenreich, Hava; Golan Duncan, Ravit; Shea, Nicole

    2011-11-01

    Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc. Genetic literacy entails understanding three interrelated models: a genetic model that describes patterns of genetic inheritance, a meiotic model that describes the process by which genes are segregated into sex cells, and a molecular model that describes the mechanisms that link genotypes to phenotypes within an individual. Currently, much of genetics instruction, especially in terms of the molecular model, occurs at the high school level, and we know little about the ways in which middle school students can reason about these models. Furthermore, we do not know the extent to which carefully designed instruction can help younger students develop coherent and interrelated understandings in genetics. In this paper, we discuss a research study aimed at elucidating middle school students' abilities to reason about the three genetic models. As part of our research, we designed an eight-week inquiry unit that was implemented in a combined sixth- to eighth-grade science classroom. We describe our instructional design and report results based on an analysis of written assessments, clinical interviews, and artifacts of the unit. Our findings suggest that middle school students are able to successfully reason about all three genetic models.

  11. P-20 Model of Digital Citizenship.

    PubMed

    Curran, Marialice B F X; Ribble, Mike

    2017-03-01

    This chapter explores a P-20 digital citizenship model that builds upon the respect, educate, and protect REP model beginning with our earliest learners through elementary, middle, high school, and college. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  12. Melding Environmental Education and Creative Learning in Elementary and Middle-school Settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, S.; Baker, T.; Crofton-Macdonald, J.; Scott, M.

    2017-12-01

    Teaching environmental topics, such as sustainability and ecosystem management, to students through the lens of computational thinking provides unique educational opportunities. Environmental topics are an excellent source for multidisciplinary learning, as questions concerning human well-being, environmental policy, science, and mathematics can naturally be incorporated into educational discussions and activities. The use of computational modeling allows students to critically reason about and explore environmental concepts by envisioning complexity, and asking and investigating a series of "what if" questions. Students can furthermore reflect on their own relationship with their local ecology. For the past five years, we have tested and developed activities for middle school students. Through in-class activities, workshop, and summer clubs, we have explored these ideas. We plan to present examples from our work and a tentative framework for a new approach to environmental education, one reinforced by computational thinking and creative learning.

  13. A Perspective of Middle Schools and the Motivating Factors that will Influence Students to Pursue Careers in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hollins-Miller, Cornelia B.

    This dissertation project will determine what factors are being used to engage students to obtain careers in science. It will explore factors and other theories that contribute to persuading students to think about careers in science after college. The participants of the study included counselors, parents, principals, middle school students and teachers. All of the participants were surveyed. Information from the participants was collected and analyzed according to their responses. The results indicated that there were many contributing factors that the participants thought changed their attitudes about science and engaging in a science career.

  14. Gender Differences in the Consistency of Middle School Students' Interest in Engineering and Science Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ing, Marsha; Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Tsai, Sherry M.

    2014-01-01

    This longitudinal study analyzes survey responses in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade from diverse public school students (n = 482) to explore gender differences in engineering and science career preferences. Females were far more likely to express interest in a science career (31%) than an engineering career (13%), while the reverse was true for…

  15. Deep Knowledge: Learning to Teach Science for Understanding and Equity. Teaching for Social Justice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larkin, Douglas B.

    2013-01-01

    "Deep Knowledge" is a book about how people's ideas change as they learn to teach. Using the experiences of six middle and high school student teachers as they learn to teach science in diverse classrooms, Larkin explores how their work changes the way they think about students, society, schools, and science itself. Through engaging case stories,…

  16. Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Applications in Saudi K-12 Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bingimlas, Khalid Abdullah

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to understand teachers' perspectives of the use of Web 2.0 applications in learning and teaching and to explore the barriers to their use. The sample of this study involved teachers from primary, middle, and secondary schools in the Kharj region. The total sample consisted of 352 teachers. A quantitative survey instrument was…

  17. Life and Death Decisions: Using School-Based Health Education to Facilitate Family Discussion about Organ and Tissue Donation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waldrop, Deborah P.; Tamburlin, Judith A.; Thompson, Sanna J.; Simon, Mark

    2004-01-01

    Public education that encourages family discussions about organ and tissue donation can enhance understanding, facilitate a donor's wishes and increase the numbers of donations. Action research methods were used to explore the impact of a student-initiated family discussion about donation. Most discussions were positive; only 7% middle school and…

  18. Racial Identity Attitudes, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement among African American Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonvillain, Jocelyn Freeman; Honora, Detris

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to explore the extent to which racial identity attitudes and self-esteem could predict academic performance for African American middle school students. A total of 175 African American adolescents in 7th grade attending one of two urban schools participated in the study. The Multi-Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM)…

  19. Interests and Conflicts: Exploring the Context for Early Implementation of a Dual Language Policy in One Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forman, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    Dual language immersion program models represent a potentially effective way to serve growing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in schools and districts. However, local challenges, such as interpersonal conflict, can impact the process of implementing dual language policies and programs, limiting the extent to which they are able to meet…

  20. Using Rasch Modeling to Explore Students' Understanding of Elementary School Ideas about Energy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herrmann Abell, Cari F.; DeBoer, George E.

    2015-01-01

    Energy plays a central role in our society, so it is essential that all citizens understand what energy is and how it moves and changes form. However, research has shown that students of all ages have difficulty understanding these abstract concepts. This paper presents a summary of elementary, middle, and high school students' understanding of…

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