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Full-Text Articles in Education

Advocating For Adolescent Sexual Minorities, Madeline Hawkins Mar 2024

Advocating For Adolescent Sexual Minorities, Madeline Hawkins

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Sexual minority (gay, lesbian, and bisexual) adolescents experience bullying and mental health issues at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. It is important that teachers find ways to protect, support, and advocate for these students to prevent them from struggling academically and socially. Through the use of inclusive curricula, gay-straight alliances, and informal mentoring, educators can foster an environment of inclusion and respect for sexual minority students.


Using Music To Teach Math In Middle School, James D. Walsh, Bridget K. Coleman Jan 2023

Using Music To Teach Math In Middle School, James D. Walsh, Bridget K. Coleman

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Music is an effective tool to use in the middle school classroom. Music is engaging, makes learning memorable, and can help relieve anxiety. Music can be connected to math in many different ways. Lyrics, melodies, and movement can be used to enhance learning. Students can learn the quadratic formula song to help with procedural memory; they can identify fractions in musical composition and notation; and they can write class songs to help retain information.


Understanding Middle School Teachers’ Levels Of Efficacy To Meet The Needs Of Young Adolescents, Erika Daniels Dec 2022

Understanding Middle School Teachers’ Levels Of Efficacy To Meet The Needs Of Young Adolescents, Erika Daniels

Middle Grades Review

Middle school students are in even more need of social and emotional support due to the cognitive, social, and emotional changes occurring at this stage of their development (Caskey & Anfara, 2014), and their teachers are key players in providing what is needed. Unfortunately, there are few Institutions of Higher Education that offer programs or coursework focused on young adolescents’ unique and specific needs (Howell, et al., 2016). This contrast with calls for school contexts that are intentionally designed to support young adolescents (Bishop & Harrison, 2021) and raises questions about whether and how middle school teachers are prepared to …


Teacher Experiences In A Community-Based Rural Partnership: Recognizing Community Assets, Tawni Paradise, Malle R. Schilling, Jake Grohs, Jordan L. Laney Aug 2022

Teacher Experiences In A Community-Based Rural Partnership: Recognizing Community Assets, Tawni Paradise, Malle R. Schilling, Jake Grohs, Jordan L. Laney

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The purpose of this research study is to understand teacher experiences throughout their second year of engagement in the Virginia Tech Partnering with Educators and Engineers in Rural Schools partnership. This partnership is an assets-based community partnership in a rural environment between middle school teachers, regional industry, and university affiliates that is focused on implementing recurrent, hands-on, culturally relevant engineering activities for middle school students. This qualitative study uses constant comparative methodology informed by grounded theory on teacher interviews to capture both teacher experiences in the partnership as well as teacher-identified assets in their classrooms and school communities. Using the …


Learning About Teaching Writing: The Use Of Roles To Support Preservice Teachers Pedagogical Knowledge And Practices, Kristine Pytash, Denise N. Morgan, Elizabeth Testa Jul 2022

Learning About Teaching Writing: The Use Of Roles To Support Preservice Teachers Pedagogical Knowledge And Practices, Kristine Pytash, Denise N. Morgan, Elizabeth Testa

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

If teacher educators are fortunate to be able to teach a writing methods class, they encounter challenges in designing field experiences that support what preservice teachers are learning in their course. In this article, we described how we developed a unique field placement where the preservice teachers worked in teams and rotated roles each week. We found that these taking on these roles provided preservice teachers with unique lenses to learning about writing, students, and general teaching pedagogies.


Home Literacy Initiatives Of Middle School Families During The 2020 Quarantine Period: Transformation In Education?, Elizabeth S. Stewart, Jeasik Cho, Mellinee Lesley, Julie Smit Apr 2022

Home Literacy Initiatives Of Middle School Families During The 2020 Quarantine Period: Transformation In Education?, Elizabeth S. Stewart, Jeasik Cho, Mellinee Lesley, Julie Smit

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The coronavirus pandemic changed everything almost overnight for students and their families. The purpose of this qualitative case study, thus, was to investigate the views of families about the sudden change in education for their middle school children, particularly literacy practices, during the pandemic. Drawing upon Bourdieu’s theoretical framework of cultural capital, coupled with socioeconomic status, funds of knowledge, and crisis management, we conducted interviews with 4 parents. Using the in vivo coding data analysis method, we identified some key preliminary findings: all-day-happy-hour, the strange disconnection between teachers and parents, and soft and hard approaches to school-home literacy. Participants revealed …


Connecting Weirdness And Wonder To Mathematics, Elizabeth Basile, Deborah H. Mcmurtrie, Bridget K. Coleman Jan 2022

Connecting Weirdness And Wonder To Mathematics, Elizabeth Basile, Deborah H. Mcmurtrie, Bridget K. Coleman

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

Middle school students are weird and wonderful. Why not bring some of that weirdness and wonder into the mathematics classroom? Effective teachers of mathematics can create a culture of engagement, curiosity, and collaboration in mathematics instruction by presenting “weird” problems (as opposed to word problems) and giving students opportunities to explore their wonderings. Inspired by “the bizarreness effect,” the problems presented here are infused with humor and designed to intrigue young adolescents.


Analysis Of Middle School Performance From Pre-Covid To Post Covid, Erik A. Lowry Jan 2022

Analysis Of Middle School Performance From Pre-Covid To Post Covid, Erik A. Lowry

South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal

According to a January 11, 2021, SC Education Oversight Committee news release, Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing data from approximately 220,000 South Carolina students showed a projected decrease in the percentage of students meeting grade level expectations. The news release defines this as the “COVID Slide” (SCEOC, 2021). The purpose of this review is to see if those projections were accurate by conducting a state-wide review of middle school performance on the South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY). Comparisons are made by subject, grade level, gender, ethnicity, and poverty status from 2019 to 2021.


America’S Middle Schools: Examining Context, Organizational Structures, And Instructional Practices, Ryan Alverson, Mike Dicicco, Shawn A. Faulkner, Chris Cook Dec 2021

America’S Middle Schools: Examining Context, Organizational Structures, And Instructional Practices, Ryan Alverson, Mike Dicicco, Shawn A. Faulkner, Chris Cook

Middle Grades Review

The education of the young adolescent has consistently posed a challenge to the educational community. While the general belief is this age group (10-15-year-old children) would benefit from a specialized educational approach, historically, both the junior high school model of the early 1900s and the more current middle school concept have struggled to be fully implemented and embraced by the educational community. With almost a decade passing since the last national survey focused on middle grades schools (McEwin & Greene, 2010, 2011), researchers seek to reassess the context, organizational structures, and instructional practices of middle schools in the United States. …


Teacher Impact On Student Growth Mindset, Cassandra Jennings, Joshua A. Cuevas Jul 2021

Teacher Impact On Student Growth Mindset, Cassandra Jennings, Joshua A. Cuevas

Perspectives In Learning

The main goals of this study were to determine if student growth mindset impacted achievement and motivation and to see if gender and ethnicity made a difference in the type of mindset a student possesses. The study was conducted in a suburban middle school in Georgia with a predominantly white population and above-average socio-economic status. Ninety-five students from four 7th grade social studies classes took part in the eight-week study. The results from the study showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between mindset gains and academic gains; however, there was a strong positive, statistically significant relationship between mindset …


Twenty-First Century Middle Schooling In New York: Teachers Share Experiences And Perspectives On Remote Teaching And Learning Early In The Global Pandemic, Sandra L. Stacki, Zerin Bay, Andrew Flynndavis, Jessica Hermann Mar 2021

Twenty-First Century Middle Schooling In New York: Teachers Share Experiences And Perspectives On Remote Teaching And Learning Early In The Global Pandemic, Sandra L. Stacki, Zerin Bay, Andrew Flynndavis, Jessica Hermann

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

In early 2020, the Covid-19 virus hit many places, including New York City, with such a force that nobody could have foreseen the events following its spread. The education system was pushed to transition itself to meet with 21st century technology. This study explores this disruption in the education system and how middle school teachers in several New York counties responded. What are middle school teachers’ perspectives and practices during the rapid switch to remote teaching? Professor and graduate students in a Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment class on middle level schooling designed the interview protocol focused on five related areas …


Essential Practices For Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In Secondary Classrooms, Jenelle Williams Mar 2021

Essential Practices For Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In Secondary Classrooms, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

This article describes the role of student-centered, problem-based instruction, and it offers practical tips and resources for secondary English Language Arts educators in using effective problem frames for units of instruction.


Big Kids Need Books Too: Lessons Learned From Building Classroom Libraries At The Secondary Level, Jenelle Williams, Megan Kortlandt Mar 2021

Big Kids Need Books Too: Lessons Learned From Building Classroom Libraries At The Secondary Level, Jenelle Williams, Megan Kortlandt

Michigan Reading Journal

This article is intended to describe the rationale and process of creating and effectively using classroom libraries in middle- and high-school English Language Arts classrooms. The authors connect theory to practice, using research to guide decisions about book selection and teacher professional development that takes into account the unique affordances and constraints of using classroom libraries at the secondary level. Additionally, the authors include considerations for the current reality of remote, virtual, and blended learning scenarios.


A Project-Based Literature Review Of Girls In Stem Day: A Day-Long Stem Event For Middle School Girls, Emily Carter, Tina Vo Feb 2021

A Project-Based Literature Review Of Girls In Stem Day: A Day-Long Stem Event For Middle School Girls, Emily Carter, Tina Vo

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Research specifically targeted at youth participation in STEM highlights the importance of community engagements outside of school to bolster interest in STEM. Representation of women in STEM and encouragement of girls’ participation and interest in STEM fields parallels the importance of designing and implementing curriculums that enhance middle school-aged girls’ participation in STEM fields. The Girls in STEM Day program hosted by UNLV Scientista Foundation is designed to encourage middle school girls of color from the Clark County School District to find interest in STEM. Interactive activities and framework analysis of the program provides prospective success towards increasing interest and …


Planning For Middle Level Clinical Experiences During A Crisis, Kent Divoll, Kelly Moore Feb 2021

Planning For Middle Level Clinical Experiences During A Crisis, Kent Divoll, Kelly Moore

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This article describes the trials and tribulations that a middle level education program faced during the global pandemic and recommendations that others can take away from these experiences. The provided suggestions for middle level teacher education programs are specifically for the current pandemic, but can be used for other disasters as well. We advocate that educator preparation programs develop a plan to deal with possible school closers or other disruptions to their field placements to prepare for the next disaster. Some of the recommendations include: (a) create an emergency plan, (b) cultivate relationships, (c) prepare your candidates in the best …


The Evolving Middle School Concept: This We (Still) Believe, Lisa Harrison, Penny A. Bishop Feb 2021

The Evolving Middle School Concept: This We (Still) Believe, Lisa Harrison, Penny A. Bishop

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The Successful Middle School builds upon many decades of commitment to the middle school concept. The fifth edition of AMLE’s landmark position paper amplifies the importance of responding both to young adolescents’ developmental needs and to their social identities. The edition’s release amidst a global pandemic and increasing protests against racial injustice reminds us that responding to the full diversity of student experience is not optional. It is critical to helping young adolescents--and indeed the world--to thrive, now and in the future.


Expressive Writing As An Intervention For Math Anxiety In Middle School Students, Angela Ruark Jan 2021

Expressive Writing As An Intervention For Math Anxiety In Middle School Students, Angela Ruark

MLET: The Journal of Middle Level Education in Texas

Math anxiety is a serious concern for educators and students. Students who may otherwise be successful can find themselves incapacitated to think and perform to their abilities due to this issue. Math anxiety negatively affects academic performance and deters students from pursuing math-based careers. This is particularly true for female students. Effective interventions are needed to address these issues. Expressive writing is one such intervention that has shown promise in reducing math anxiety with older students. This study investigated the impact of expressive writing on the math anxiety levels of middle school students according to group and gender. An experimental, …


The Global Pandemic As Learning Opportunities About The World: Extending School Curriculum, Bogum Yoon Jun 2020

The Global Pandemic As Learning Opportunities About The World: Extending School Curriculum, Bogum Yoon

Middle Grades Review

The purpose of this essay is to offer middle grades educators with suggestions on promoting students’ global perspectives by using the international pandemic as a main topic during and after the COVID-19 crisis. The outbreak of the coronavirus has affected individuals’ lives and education around the world including the United States. This phenomenon invites educators to work with students for deepening their understanding about the interconnected world as global citizens. Yet, education about the world is severely lacking. There is little in-depth discussion on how educators can help young adolescents to learn this interconnected world concept by using the current …


Teacher Perceptions And Implementation Of A Content-Area Literacy Professional Development Program, Osha Lynette Smith, Rebecca Robinson May 2020

Teacher Perceptions And Implementation Of A Content-Area Literacy Professional Development Program, Osha Lynette Smith, Rebecca Robinson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The Common Core State Standards recommend that all educators equip students with the literacy skills needed for college and careers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine middle-level content-area teachers’ perspectives on a district-led literacy professional development program and their implementation of the literacy strategies they learned. The conceptual framework included Bruner’s constructivist, Bandura’s self-efficacy, and Knowles’s andragogy theories. These theories informed the investigation of adult learners’ perspectives regarding the way they learn and gain confidence in providing literacy instruction. Eleven English, math, science, and social studies teachers participated in the study through individual interviews. Data were …


Lessons Learned From Facilitating A Pre-Service Teacher/Youth Mentoring Program, Alan English Dec 2019

Lessons Learned From Facilitating A Pre-Service Teacher/Youth Mentoring Program, Alan English

The Advocate

Traditional adult/youth mentoring programs have been associated with a host of positive academic, behavioral, and social/emotional youth outcomes. Little research, however, has been done on pre-service teacher/ youth mentoring programs; specifically if the benefits associated with more traditional mentoring programs translate into this context. For teacher educators, what is most promising about such mentoring programs is the potential for a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship. Pre-service teachers need experience working with youth as badly as youth need positive relationships and support. Furthermore, pre-service teachers need practicum experience throughout their coursework, at a time when some may not yet be ready to …


Career Exploration At The Middle School Level: Barriers And Opportunities, Samantha Godbey, Howard R. D. Gordon Sep 2019

Career Exploration At The Middle School Level: Barriers And Opportunities, Samantha Godbey, Howard R. D. Gordon

Middle Grades Review

In this essay, we discuss issues related to the integration of career exploration in our nation’s middle schools. We discuss the theoretical and empirical basis for career exploration at the middle school level and identify selected barriers to its effective implementation, namely with regards to career advising and parent involvement. We also propose new directions for practice and research as we work to counteract these barriers.


The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De May 2019

The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Stimulating girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when they are in school, and sustaining that interest, is critical in motivating girls to choose STEM-related disciplines in higher education and enter STEM careers. Research indicates that girls show an interest in STEM until about 11-12 years of age, but this starts to wane by the time they are 15-16 years. Thus, there is a clear need to focus on sustaining the interest of girls in STEM at middle or high school levels. Research has shown that one of the main drivers that impact girls’ interest in STEM is …


Promoting This We Believe And The Amle Standards With Teacher Candidates, Amanda Wall Feb 2019

Promoting This We Believe And The Amle Standards With Teacher Candidates, Amanda Wall

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This article describes approaches to integrating This We Believe and the Association for Middle Level Education Standards into a middle grades course.


Collaboration In The Middle: Teachers In Interdisciplinary Planning, Gary Senn, Deborah Mcmurtrie, Bridget Coleman Feb 2019

Collaboration In The Middle: Teachers In Interdisciplinary Planning, Gary Senn, Deborah Mcmurtrie, Bridget Coleman

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The authors promote collaboration through interdisciplinary planning.


Personalized Professional Development Plans, Nancy B. Ruppert Feb 2019

Personalized Professional Development Plans, Nancy B. Ruppert

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Nancy Ruppert is the past-president of AMLE and past-president of NAPOMLE. She is the chair of the education department at UNC Asheville. Her current areas of interest are in advocating for middle school alumni and creating resources to advocate for middle level education. Here she invites readers to contribute to ideas for ongoing professional development.


Supporting Middle Grades Teacher Candidates In Becoming Culturally Competent, Nathan Carnes Feb 2019

Supporting Middle Grades Teacher Candidates In Becoming Culturally Competent, Nathan Carnes

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The author describes practices to support middle grades teacher candidates' becoming culturally competent.


Keynote. Motivation: Theory Into Practice, David Vawter Feb 2019

Keynote. Motivation: Theory Into Practice, David Vawter

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This paper is based on Dr. Vawter's keynote address at the Southeast Professors of Middle Level Education Symposium.


Collaboration In The Middle: Middle Grades To Higher Education Promoting, Advocating, Igniting Support For Middle Schools, Bridget Coleman, Nancy B. Ruppert Feb 2019

Collaboration In The Middle: Middle Grades To Higher Education Promoting, Advocating, Igniting Support For Middle Schools, Bridget Coleman, Nancy B. Ruppert

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The authors provide an overview of the Southeast Professors of Middle Level Education Symposium, which was held in Greenville, SC, May 17-18, 2018. This is the introduction to the proceedings from the Symposium.


Middle School Mathematics Pre-Service Teacher’S Responses To A Mathematics Content And Specific Mathematics Pedagogy Intervention, Stephen J. Norton Jan 2019

Middle School Mathematics Pre-Service Teacher’S Responses To A Mathematics Content And Specific Mathematics Pedagogy Intervention, Stephen J. Norton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Prospective middle school pre-service teachers’ knowledge and affect in Australia has had little empirical research. In this study, 108 graduate entry pre-service teachers were surveyed for their knowledge of middle years’ mathematics, confidence, and self-efficacy at the commencement of a mathematics curriculum course. It was found that their memory of middle years’ mathematics was very poor and this was accompanied by low levels of confidence and self-efficacy. An intervention was undertaken to address these issues. The findings are discussed in the context of the “genericism” of pre-service teacher preparation. In particular, the findings call into question the justification for pre-service …


Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein Sep 2018

Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This is a research study of design and engineering classes that use a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in digital fabrication makerspaces in two middle schools. In these studies, teachers employ a PBL approach and provide an ill-structured problem scenario to facilitate design and engineering lessons in the FabLab (fabrication laboratory). Students in each school tackled different challenges that they defined for themselves in groups. This study provides examples of student-student interactions separated into key themes—defining specifications with teammates, personal exploration, and communication about discoveries. This study also provides examples of teacher-student interactions, and themes include demonstrations with tangible objects, discussing …