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Full-Text Articles in Education

Equity In Learning Opportunities For Middle School Students: Connecting Communities And Transportation Through Gis, Tom O’Brien, Ben Olson Sep 2023

Equity In Learning Opportunities For Middle School Students: Connecting Communities And Transportation Through Gis, Tom O’Brien, Ben Olson

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

Geographic information systems (GIS) is part of an in-demand career skillset that can lead to safer streets in California communities. This project included a three-session bootcamp that introduced middle school students to transportation via GIS and gathered assessments on their awareness of transportation as a career pathway. The project built upon CSUTC TRANSPORTS’ Year 4 project, “K–12 Special Investigation Project: Mapping E-Commerce Locally and Beyond.” The bootcamp for this project was coordinated in partnership with Rio Hondo College, which provided the instructor and connection to the students at the Mountain View Unified School District in El Monte, CA. The bootcamp …


An Analysis Of Citizenship Education In Maine Middle Schools, Tom Adams Aug 2021

An Analysis Of Citizenship Education In Maine Middle Schools, Tom Adams

Honors College

An essential responsibility of public schooling is to cultivate civic awareness in students and prepare them to participate in a democratic society. Schools have, however, broadly failed this task, a trend the Maine Department of Education has attempted to reverse through policy. The 2019 edition of the MDoE’s Maine Learning Results (“MLR”) standards mandates that middle school social studies teachers implement civic action and service-learning projects (a.k.a. “citizenship education”) to address community needs and foster students’ civic identity. Existing literature suggests that citizenship education improves students’ civic awareness, community engagement, and future voting behavior, but the effectiveness of this new …


Project Leadership, Ellie Russell, Paul Pechos Apr 2021

Project Leadership, Ellie Russell, Paul Pechos

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This club lesson plan is designed for middle schoolers to increase their leadership abilities through games relating to communication, cooperation, service, and leadership styles.


How Mother And Father Support Affect Youths’ Interest In Computer Science, Jody Clarke-Midura, Frederick J. Poole, Katarina Pantic, Chongning Sun, Vicki Allan Aug 2018

How Mother And Father Support Affect Youths’ Interest In Computer Science, Jody Clarke-Midura, Frederick J. Poole, Katarina Pantic, Chongning Sun, Vicki Allan

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Parental support is a predictor of children’s career interest and aspirations. However, mother and father support affects youth career choices differently. To understand how perceived mothers’ and fathers’ support affect career interest in computer science (CS), we developed two path models using both mother and father support gains to predict youths’ interest in CS. We hypothesized that perceived father’s and mother’s support would relate to youths’ interest in CS via youths’ perception of CS utility value as a mediator. We found that both mother and father support leads to interest in CS. However, father support was found to affect CS …


Is Diversity Enough? Exploring Intergroup Friendships In Italian Multiethnic Schools, Cinzia Pica-Smith, Rina Manuela Contini, Bob Ives Jan 2018

Is Diversity Enough? Exploring Intergroup Friendships In Italian Multiethnic Schools, Cinzia Pica-Smith, Rina Manuela Contini, Bob Ives

Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies Department Faculty Works

Italian schools are increasingly diverse spaces in which children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and cultural-linguistic practices interact daily. Thus, these spaces provide fertile ground for a continuum of relational experiences from positive intergroup relationships and friendships to tensions and experiences of discrimination and marginalization. Research has demonstrated that diverse spaces can be ideal for positive intergroup contact, intergroup dialogue and the formation of intergroup friendship, which have been associated with prejudice reduction and a decrease in intergroup anxiety. Employing a theoretical framework based on intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1954) and research on intergroup friendships, (Pettigrew & …


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

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

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

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 navigating …


Teaching Behavior Questionnaire : Verifying Factor Structure And Investigating Depressive Symptoms In Catholic Middle And High Schools., Caroline M. Pittard, Patrick Pössel, Rosamond J. Smith Nov 2015

Teaching Behavior Questionnaire : Verifying Factor Structure And Investigating Depressive Symptoms In Catholic Middle And High Schools., Caroline M. Pittard, Patrick Pössel, Rosamond J. Smith

Faculty Scholarship

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 schools. In the middle school sample, a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of the TBQ previously found in public high schools. As predicted, a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis with the high school sample found that only the Negative Teaching Behavior scale of the TBQ was positively related to CES-D …


Resisting Pressure From Peers To Engage In Sexual Behavior: What Communication Strategies Do Early Adolescent Latino Girls Use?, Anne E. Norris, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janet Hutchison, Kristi Campoe Aug 2014

Resisting Pressure From Peers To Engage In Sexual Behavior: What Communication Strategies Do Early Adolescent Latino Girls Use?, Anne E. Norris, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janet Hutchison, Kristi Campoe

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

A content analysis of early adolescent = 12.02 years) Latino girls’ (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL typology (i.e., refuse, explain, avoid, leave) previously identified in adolescent substance use research. However, strategies reflecting a lack of resistance (11%) and inconsistency with communication competence (e.g., aggression) were also noted (15%). Frequency of particular strategies varied depending on the situation described in the open-ended …


A Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Parents' Adolescent Experiences Influence Their Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Their Children's Middle School Education, Brenda Williams May 2013

A Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Parents' Adolescent Experiences Influence Their Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Their Children's Middle School Education, Brenda Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore ways in which parents' past school experiences as adolescents influence their attitudes and behaviors toward their children's education. Three research questions related to parents' past experiences, current attitudes, and participation guided the study. Hope County School system (pseudonym), a suburban school system in the southeastern United States, was the setting for the study. Participants included 12 middle school parents. Three instruments were used for data collection: interviews, surveys, and reflective booklets. Data analysis was conducted using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. From …


Grace Grossman Youth Collaborative, Sarah Oktay Apr 2013

Grace Grossman Youth Collaborative, Sarah Oktay

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Each year 5-7 middle school and high school groups from underserved communities across Massachusetts are treated to a 4-5 day all expense paid trip to Nantucket to stay at the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station and spend the week exploring the island and nature. MCAS standards are incorporated into this award winning program as students engage in hands-on, placed based experiential learning and document their journey through poetry, journaling, and photography.


A Study Of Eighth Grade Students' Self-Efficacy As It Relates To Achievement, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Casandra Alldred Apr 2013

A Study Of Eighth Grade Students' Self-Efficacy As It Relates To Achievement, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Casandra Alldred

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational and causal comparative research design was to discover the existing relationships between students' self-efficacy and three other variables: (a) achievement, (b) gender, and (c) socioeconomic status. Approximately 257 eighth grade students participated in the study. The study was conducted in a non-diverse public school located in the northeastern mountains of Georgia. Over 55% of the students receive free/reduced price lunches. The findings from this study contribute to the growing knowledge about how the factors of achievement, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) are related to a student's self-efficacy. A correlational design was used to analyze the …


The Effect Of Online Collaborative Learning On Middle School Student Science Literacy And Sense Of Community, Jillian Wendt Apr 2013

The Effect Of Online Collaborative Learning On Middle School Student Science Literacy And Sense Of Community, Jillian Wendt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the effects of online collaborative learning on middle school students' science literacy and sense of community. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest/posttest control group design was used. Following IRB approval and district superintendent approval, students at a public middle school in central Virginia completed a pretest consisting of the Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-Based Assessment Resources for Teachers (MOSART) Physical Science assessment and the Classroom Community Scale. Students in the control group received in-class assignments that were completed collaboratively in a face-to-face manner. Students in the experimental group received in-class assignments that were completed online collaboratively through the Edmodo educational platform. Both …


Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves Apr 2013

Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of middle school, technologically proficient, or digitally-wise teachers, regarding how they defined, prevented, recognized, and handled incidences of cyberbullying in four middle schools located in Southern Virginia. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire, archival data, including school public records and lesson plans, and interviews. Data for this study were triangulated and synthesized following Stake's data analysis procedures to create naturalistic generalizations for the readers. All data was coded and 10 emergent themes developed. Digitally-wise middle school teachers voiced confidence about their ability to define cyberbullying; they shared …


Teaching Social Justice To Middle School Aged Children, Stacey J. Gerstung Apr 2013

Teaching Social Justice To Middle School Aged Children, Stacey J. Gerstung

Honors Program Projects

Early adolescents find themselves in a very unique juncture of life. Even though these students in the middle grades are often troublesome to adults, they have the ability to perceive deep truths and are making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional time between childhood and adulthood is the prime time to introduce students to important concepts, such as the need to seek social justice. For this project, lessons regarding various aspects of social justice were taught to the Middle School/Jr. High Youth Group at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, …


Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer May 2012

Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study described the characteristics of science teachers in a high poverty urban middle school whose 2010 scores on South Carolina's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) ranked second in the state. Data was obtained through classroom observations, open-ended interviews, school documents, and photographs taken inside the school from ten participants, who were seven science teachers, a science coach, and two administrators. Findings revealed a school culture that pursued warm and caring relationships with students while communicating high expectations for achievement, strong central leadership who communicated their vision and continuously checked for its implementation through informal conversations, frequent …


What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett Mar 2012

What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated what current middle school boys are reading. The purpose of this study was to gain information that would aid educators in providing those reading materials and communicating with male students concerning their reading habits. Six middle school males were chosen for this study, which utilized a phenomenological approach to capture individual experiences. Results showed that boys do read, but they often read materials which educators do not generally accept as valid reading material, such as magazines. Boys often do not view themselves as readers. Males enjoy books with a lot of action and prefer to observe …


The Impact Of Council On Early Adolescents, Denise Jaimes-Villanueva Jan 2012

The Impact Of Council On Early Adolescents, Denise Jaimes-Villanueva

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Throughout history, attempts have been made to influence children’s social behavior through programs and policies in schools. While well-intentioned, such programs are sometimes introduced and perpetuated without evidence about whether they fulfill their goals and objectives. Council is a program that has been implemented in schools since 1980 to foster tolerance and social connection. The Center for Council Training started more than 50 programs in California, Arizona, Washington, Colorado, New York, and Israel. The Council Practitioners Center started to integrate Council into schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and has a goal of expanding Council throughout California …


Adaptations And Continuities In The Use And Design Of Visual Representations In Us Middle School Science Textbooks, Victor R. Lee Jan 2010

Adaptations And Continuities In The Use And Design Of Visual Representations In Us Middle School Science Textbooks, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Visual representations are ubiquitous in modern‐day science textbooks and have in recent years become an object of criticism and scrutiny. This article examines the extent to which changes in representations in textbooks published in the USA over the past six decades have invited those critiques. Drawing from a correlational analysis of a corpus of 34 US middle school physical science textbooks, continuities are established with respect to the purposes that most textbook images serve and the numbers of schematic representations that are used. Changes are observed in the overall total number of representations in textbooks and in the proportion of …


Implicit Theories Of Ability Of Grade 6 Science Students: Relation To Epistemological Beliefs And Academic Motivation And Achievement In Science, Jason Chen, Frank Pajares Jan 2010

Implicit Theories Of Ability Of Grade 6 Science Students: Relation To Epistemological Beliefs And Academic Motivation And Achievement In Science, Jason Chen, Frank Pajares

Articles

We investigated (a) the associations of implicit theories and epistemological beliefs and their effects on the academic motivation and achievement of students in Grade 6 science and (b) the mean differences of implicit theories, epistemological beliefs, and academic motivation and achievement as a function of gender and race/ethnicity (N = 508). Path analysis revealed that an incremental view of ability had direct and indirect effects on adaptive motivational factors, whereas fixed entity views had direct and indirect effects on maladaptive factors. Epistemological beliefs mediated the influence of implicit theories of ability on achievement goal orientations, self-efficacy, and science achievement. Results …