Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons^™

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Interactive Field, Interactive Class And Non-Interactive Class Lecture Teaching Strategies To Teach Wetland Ecology Concepts To 6th Grade Science Students, April Marie Samson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study tested the effectiveness of interactive teaching methods on the learning of wetland ecology concepts by 6 th grade science students. 330 students from nineteen different 6 th grade science classes were used in this study. These classes were separated into four different treatment groups, each containing presentations with varying degrees of student interaction. This was done in attempt to test the effect of interactive teaching methods on attitude about the environment and knowledge regarding wetland ecology concepts, specifically, on outdoor education as a process of learning by doing. Student knowledge of wetland ecology concepts and attitudes toward the …

Teaching Them All: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of African American Students' Perceptions Of Their Middle School's Culture, Henry Hankerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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 perceptions of these students regarding the role of school leaders in shaping a school culture that is academically supportive, as well as their perceptions of the actual academic support, academic rigor, and encouragement they received from administrators and faculty. A sequential exploratory mixed methods strategy was used to quantify and …

Lifelong Learning Characteristics And Academic Achievement Of Eighth -Grade Students: Lessons For Educators In Preparing Students For Global Citizenship, Lynn Q. Bruno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have expressed concern that current educational reform and its focus on psychometrics does not address the skills students will need to prosper in the 21st century. Several researchers have attempted to identify and measure those skills. The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed-methods study was: (a) to test for a strong link between the emotional components of learning and academic achievement, and (b) to determine if direct teaching of the learning domains as identified by the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) strengthens learning confidence. Using a convenience sample of 103 eighth-grade students at a Midwest suburban middle school, this study …

Effectiveness Of Inclusion In An Indiana Middle School, Clinton Todd Bowers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Repeated poor performance by students with special needs on the Indiana Statewide Test of Educational Progress (ISTEP) in an Indiana middle school supported the need for instructional changes. Following the implementation of a full inclusion program, a problem arose in that the program had not been evaluated and effectiveness was in question. This study, grounded in the constructivist and social reproduction theoretical frameworks, is important in explaining the effectiveness of a fully inclusive school. Whether placing middle school aged children with special needs in inclusive classrooms in the middle school setting is an effective practice is the research question guiding …

Bridging The Gap Between Real World Polar Science And The Classroom, William Robertson, Vanessa Lougheed, Craig Tweedie, Aaron Velasco, Claudia Garcia

Departmental Papers (TE)

The International Polar Year - Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM) program was designed to increase minority participation in polar science by immersing participants in an academic program that included a trip to Antarctica. The IPY-ROAM program was focused on increasing the public understanding of the Polar Regions and stimulating a new interest in polar science. This effort was coordinated by faculty from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and was implemented to positively contribute to the intense, internationally coordinated IPY scientific campaign. Through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a team of …

Dr. Skateboard’S Action Science: Transforming Science Education For Middle School Students, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

The main objective of this article is to describe an example of unique and creative classroom materials that are built around a real world interest of Middle School students. Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science is a curriculum supplement that integrates both skateboarding and BMX. As an example of transformative education, it is built around student interests with a direct link to specific science knowledge and skills that need to be learned. It incorporates a four part video series and twenty classroom activities for students and teachers to use in the classroom. The video and classroom materials focus on the physical science …

Skateboard: Ciencia De Acción De Doctor Skateboard: Educacion Transformativa En Física, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

This article, written in Spanish, describes a transformative process for teaching physics in the middle school science classroom through an analysis of the use of Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science. Additionally, the article attempts to bridge efforts in the US, specifically in El Paso, Texas to opportunities that exist in Spanish speaking countries, including Mexico and Chile. The provided abstracts, in Spanish and English, describe how “action science” can be used in presenting fundamental science concepts and that this approach can be expanded from Middle schools to high schools and universities. Action science is an active learning methodology for teaching physics …

Middle School Parents' Perceptions Of Career And Technical Education, Virginia R. Powers Jones

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study explored middle school parents' perceptions of the contributions career and technical education could make to their child's educational or workforce plans. It also examined what actions parents undertake to influence their child's plans, specifically the impact of the career exploration tool, Coin Career Community©, on their actions. Last, the study explored the correlation between the course choices students made in ninth grade relative to their parents' perceptions.

This study took place at Halifax County Middle School, located in South Boston, Virginia, in spring 2009. This school was the only middle school in the county with a student population …