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Full-Text Articles in Education

What Does Motivated Mean? Re-Presenting Learning, Technology, And Motivation In Middle Schools Via New Ethnographic Writing, Justin Olmanson Oct 2016

What Does Motivated Mean? Re-Presenting Learning, Technology, And Motivation In Middle Schools Via New Ethnographic Writing, Justin Olmanson

Middle Grades Review

This article offers a critique of the way middle schoolers are often positioned as generalizable objects that can be acted upon to produce measurable increases in motivation and learning. The critique invites a reconsideration and cultural analysis of some of the dominant discourses and perceptions of technology, young adolescence, and the study of motivation. The use of New Ethnographic Writing—a method that performs a cultural critique via extended scenes connects to the roles and status of motivation, technology, and educational research methods deployed within public schools. Coupled with weak theory, this approach offers a way to understand young adolescents as …


The Need For Large-Scale, Longitudinal Empirical Studies In Middle Level Education Research, Steven B. Mertens, Micki M. Caskey, Nancy Flowers Oct 2016

The Need For Large-Scale, Longitudinal Empirical Studies In Middle Level Education Research, Steven B. Mertens, Micki M. Caskey, Nancy Flowers

Middle Grades Review

This essay describes and discusses the ongoing need for large-scale, longitudinal, empirical research studies focused on middle grades education. After a statement of the problem and concerns, the essay describes several prior middle grades efforts and research studies. Recommendations for future research efforts to inform policy decisions are provided, including roles for the Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group (MLER SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and other national organizations.