The aims of this qualitative study were (1) to understand the experiences of two middle school English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) teachers as they planned and implemented critical literacy into a unit in their existing curriculum and (2) to understand the experiences of students as they engaged in a curriculum embedded with critical…

This study uses qualitative methods to explore the subjective experience of Black girls within the formal educational context. Placing two theoretical approaches in conversation, this study applies a decolonial Black feminist epistemological framework to provide a narrative account of the experience of Black girls in their own words. Recognizing…

Objectives: This study explores the experiences and coping strategies of secondary students as they engaged in learning activities during the pandemic. It investigated the sources of student stress during the pandemic, and the extent to which the pandemic influenced the stress that they usually experience. Method: Semi-structured interviews were…

The objective of this study is to explore the inclusiveness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents in junior high school from the perspective of LGBTQ adolescents in Sweden. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 GBTQ adolescents aged 16 to 19. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review…

Developing self-regulated learning (SRL) skills among young adolescents is crucial for lifelong learning, and teachers play a vital role in fostering these skills. Problem-solving is a key SRL skill; however, both learners and teachers encounter challenges during the problem-solving process and in evaluating its incorporated strategies. To tackle…

This article is intended to contribute to greater knowledge regarding the importance of flow and the time used to perform an activity, with a focus on students' mathematical experiences of 3D bodies. Thirty-one 9th-grade students took part in the study. Flow and variation theory was used in the analysis of lesson observations, submission tasks,…

The Center for Gifted Education (Center) at William & Mary has provided diverse enrichment programs for high-ability students since 1988. With an aspiration to serve financially disadvantaged students, the Center developed and hosted a summer residential enrichment program in STEM areas. Camp Launch, for low-income, high-ability middle school…

This study investigated how newcomer emergent bilinguals made meaning in two 9th-grade biology classrooms. Methods relevant to naturalistic inquiry were used to collect and analyze data. Findings indicate that newcomers bridged aspects of personal experiences with social competencies valued in classrooms through using heritage languages, engaging…

Background: Most United States schools include school-based physical fitness testing (SB-PFT), yet little evidence shows how it is implemented, perceived, and used. Purpose: 1) Explore stakeholders' experiences with SB-PFT; 2) identify: challenges in analyzing fitness data, ways schools can use fitness data, and predictors of meeting fitness…

In this study, we used an extreme case approach to examine the facilitators and barriers of cognitive engagement among freshmen in Advanced Placement (AP) or Pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Twelve ninth-grade AP/IB students participated in semistructured interviews focused on cognitive engagement. After analyzing the data using a…

Objective: This study examined children's representations of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as their pandemic experiences against the backdrop of the world having transitioned to normalcy. Design: Mixed-methods approach encompassing both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Setting: Two middle schools in…

This study draws on the theory of Cumulative Disadvantage and Advantage to explore the online learning experiences of low-income minority students in middle school during the COVD-19 pandemic. We draw on 8 semi-structured interviews with two students, 12 interviews with teacher participants, ongoing open-ended ethnographic interviews with students…

This article is a reflection on the journey through the process of my doctoral studies. Published dissertations or research articles are very neat and tidy with no mention of any adversity or struggle. Hence why many doctoral students feel stressed, anxiety, or like quitting when obstacles or roadblocks are encountered. My doctoral program took…

Students who are qualified under the special education category of Emotional Disturbance (ED) have some of the highest academic deficits, behavioral problems, and negative life outcomes compared to other eligibility groups. The heterogeneous nature of students classified as ED makes it difficult for school personnel to understand their needs.…

Considering the growth and promising outlook of STEM occupations and the significant need to diversify STEM, the present study explored Black and Latinx youths' situated experiences with and perspectives on STEM education. Informed by the major tenets of a grounded theory qualitative method, we interviewed 24 middle and high school students about…