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Full-Text Articles in Education

Middle School Transition: The Influence Of An Academy Approach And The Role Of Leadership, Kimberly Calhoun Odom Jul 2022

Middle School Transition: The Influence Of An Academy Approach And The Role Of Leadership, Kimberly Calhoun Odom

Theses and Dissertations

Students entering middle school frequently encounter challenges in their transition as they leave the comforts of elementary school. Traditionally, fifth grade students experience their last year in elementary school in a similar fashion to the previous five years of elementary school. They are in self-contained classrooms with one teacher for the majority of their school day. This study’s objective is to determine best practices and strategies that support fifth grade students in transitioning to the rigors of middle school. More specifically, the research focuses on the impact of an Academy structure in the elementary setting that models the transitions of …


Providing Voice And Choice In The Classroom: The Effect Of Choice Boards On Student Motivation And Attitudes, Deborah B. Malinoski Jul 2022

Providing Voice And Choice In The Classroom: The Effect Of Choice Boards On Student Motivation And Attitudes, Deborah B. Malinoski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore how incorporating choice boards as a tool for personalized learning in social studies influenced sixth-grade students to engage in the classroom. Engagement in the classroom is necessary for students to meet educational goals. To engage in learning, students need intrinsic motivation to encourage them to strive to meet their potential. Research in personalized learning shows students who are provided opportunities for “voice and choice” show higher signs of achievement in meeting their goals (Pane et al., 2017). This action research study was guided by two research questions that explored the effect …


Increasing The Engagement Of Middle School Males Enrolled In A Foreign Language Class, Georgette Paula Leslie Apr 2022

Increasing The Engagement Of Middle School Males Enrolled In A Foreign Language Class, Georgette Paula Leslie

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study investigated the engagement of middle school males in a foreign language class based in a British overseas territory. The data collection methods consisted of focus groups, observations, and surveys. The participants for this research included five students who are identified as males. The desired outcome of the research was to determine whether teaching strategies aligned with Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (MI), the learner-centered approach, and Robert Gardner’s motivation theory with reference to integrative motivation, increased the engagement of middle school males in the foreign language classroom. The research questions included: RQ 1. How …


A Problem-Based Learning Approach To Civics Education: Exploring Citizenship Through Authentic Scenarios In A Middle School Civics Classroom, Rebekah Meri Rowland Apr 2022

A Problem-Based Learning Approach To Civics Education: Exploring Citizenship Through Authentic Scenarios In A Middle School Civics Classroom, Rebekah Meri Rowland

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on implementing problem-based learning as an instructional intervention in a middle school civics classroom. This action research study responds to the observations of the teacher-researcher who noticed that her students were not make meaningful connections to the practice of citizenship. The problem of practice was developed when the teacher-researcher realized that the students were not engaged in learning with the traditional lecture-style, rote memorization instruction; she needed an intervention that was active, collaborative, and meaningful. To increase the connection to middle school learners, the intervention should emphasize problem solving skills and build empathy for others through a …


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.