This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examines what influences 7th and 8th grade rural middle school students to consider a potential career trajectory. Phase One of the study includes a demographic and career cluster interest survey of 38 participants. Phase Two of the study focused on 23 of the 38 Phase One participants, who were…

With the aim of engaging more students in meaningful thinking in mathematics, a cohort of Year 7 students were introduced to a 'Building Thinking Classrooms' framework for learning in mathematics. In this paper, the authors outline the key features of the implemented framework and share reflections on challenges and benefits.

Students' proficiency in the language of instruction is essential for their mathematical learning. Accordingly, language-responsive instruction, which includes adapting teaching material to students' language needs, is thought to promote mathematical learning, particularly for students with lower levels of proficiency in the language of…

Contemporary secondary science education is characterised by a greater inclination towards the constructivist paradigm of education and the development of inquiry-oriented teaching. The basic principle of this paradigm is the dynamic modification of preconceptions towards the desired level given by the school curriculum. This places particular…

There is a growing reliance on plastic, even though it is a synthetic material that does not decompose. This article presents a series of six mathematics activities that use plastics as the context to teach environmental education to seventh-grade students. The activities can increase students' awareness of the plastic problem while also serving…

The aim of this case study is to present the most frequent teaching methods used by biology teachers in the Republic of Croatia, based on the observations made during biology class and the teachers' statements. The study included six distinguished primary school biology teachers, along with their seventh-grade classes. The data comprised an…

Despite the growing emphasis on integrating collaborative problem-solving (CPS) into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, a comprehensive understanding of the critical factors that affect the effectiveness of this educational approach remains a challenge. This study aims to identify effective strategic and behavioral…

Using a Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) students can engage in a dynamic learning process that allows them to experiment, create strategies, make conjectures, argue, and deduce mathematical properties. A DGS enables the introduction of proofs, by providing visual aids. The proof of the conjectures made emerges as the next step towards formalising…

Purpose: This study aims to better understand the role of gender in the reciprocal relations between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension during adolescence. Method: Utilizing data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), this study focuses on a representative sample (N = 8,317) of German secondary school students, with…

This mixed-methods research study aimed to observe the changes in relational conceptual changes and achievement in photosynthesis and cellular respiration in 15 seventh-grade students using the variation theory of learning, a framework for contextual distinctions, and supports the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM) for science education.…

Grounded in the literature on peer social capital, this study examines middle school students' perspectives on COVID-19-related changes in their peer interactions and friendships. Qualitative analyses of 146 students' survey responses showed that a majority experienced changes in their peer interactions and friendships. These students reported:…

The model for implementing pedagogical technologies to the develop cognitive processes of secondary education students is highly significant in the present era. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and practically test some pedagogical technologies used in the process of secondary education. To investigate this issue in more detail,…

As people with power in schools, teachers and administrators make instructional decisions that shape opportunities in classrooms for students to learn. Educators' words and actions, especially related to the treatment of students and their ideas, are foundational for creating equitable learning communities in our classrooms and schools. David…

Background: Educators have a very important job of moulding learners' lives. However, they cannot do it alone, they need assistance from parents. Every child is different and learns differently and most of the information a child receives comes from their parents. Aim: The article seeks to find ways to help educators to work closely with parents…

The well-known associations of peer status (acceptance and rejection) with prosocial and aggressive behaviors have mostly relied on peer status measures assessed at a single time point. This study adopted a person-oriented approach to examine longitudinal links between stable peer status profiles assessed at two time points and prosocial and…