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…

Students with disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing poorer quality peer relationships than those without disabilities. Previous school-based efforts to promote positive peer interactions among students with and without disabilities have included individual skill development and broader initiatives such as inclusive school…

The study examined how L2 engagement is associated with students' general life satisfaction, a core element of well-being. A total of 1,109 seventh-grade EFL learners from a rural secondary school in China completed a measure of life satisfaction (family satisfaction, environment satisfaction, academic satisfaction, school satisfaction, freedom…

The purpose of the present study was to explore the voices of high- and low-achieving middle school students around the function and utility of a student-engaged design learning how to learn intervention. The intervention was a year-long standard elective course in the curriculum in which all students enrolled during their time in middle school.…

Educators rely on a conglomeration of assessment instruments to appraise, measure, monitor, and document evidence of students' academic readiness, learning progressions, acquisition of interdisciplinary knowledge, and extensive educational needs. The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program for Mathematics (MAAP-M) and the i-Ready Assessment…

The present study examined relations between concern for mianzi, or the social perception of one's prestige and standing in the group, and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Participants were seventh- and ninth-grade students in rural and urban regions of China (n = 794, M[subscript age] = 14 years). Data were obtained from multiple sources…

The prevailing portrayal of science and scientists within the public domain is a multifaceted mix of conventional stereotypes. Our study investigates these perceptions among Mexican children, analyzing 816 drawings and descriptions collected from fourth to seventh graders in rural and urban schools in Northwestern Mexico. Drawings were analyzed…

The Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) and its partners administered the STEM-CS intervention to support the professional learning of middle and high school STEM teachers in rural southcentral Kentucky counties. The goals of the STEM-CS intervention were to improve teacher STEM-CS knowledge, practice, implementation, and…

In rural, geographically dispersed school districts, access to high-quality face-to-face professional development (PD) is challenging. Our study developed and compared the effectiveness of an online PD for middle-school science teachers working in remote, rural areas of Kansas with an evidence-based traditional face-to-face PD with the goal of…

The FRIENDS Resilience programs provide cognitive-behavioral skills across the developmental spectrum and can be applied as a universal or selective prevention program. In the current study, we assessed whether, relative to the schools' existing counseling curriculum ("guidance"), FRIENDS improved social skills, problem behaviors, and…