Background: Within classroom research, there has long been agreement on the importance of dialogue and discussion for student learning. However, how the concept of knowledge influences classroom conversation needs further investigation, as this has key implications for students' active participation. Purpose: Our research sought to conceptualise…

In the United States, approximately 45% of high school students are either not engaged (28%) or actively disengaged (17%) in the academic process. Increasing a school's average student engagement yields an increase in reading and math achievement. This study evaluates a school connectedness program, Promoting Positive School Engagement (PPSE)…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers who teach 6th, 7th, or 8th grade English language arts in a virtual charter school environment describe the gamification process to support student engagement in the classroom. The overarching research question was: How do teachers who teach 6th, 7th, or 8th grade…

The game-based learning approach to developing students' computational thinking (CT) current has received attention from researchers. However, the compatibility between games and instruction is often insufficient to accommodate the entertaining and educational nature of the curriculum entirely, and the benefits of game-based learning could be…

This study examined academic self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between family functioning and learning engagement by constructing a structural equation model. The participants were 817 students from public junior high schools in rural China. The data were collected by measuring family functioning, academic self-efficacy, and learning…

Educational learning improvement is an important stage of a student's informative experience and is essential for teachers to provide their students with strategies that motivate them to learn. The overview discussed methods used by teachers who taught English to improve learning in middle school. This exploration in providing incentives could…

School connectedness is important for students' current and future outcomes but may decline in the middle school years. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a school garden project on 6th-graders' school connectedness. Surveys were completed by 46 middle school students at the beginning and end of a garden unit. In addition,…

This study examined the impact of Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (PASL), a school based social emotional reform implemented in the Broward County Florida Public Schools. Taking advantage of a phased roll out of PASL, we analyzed data collected during the first implementation year (2017-18) and compared 205 9th grade…

The purpose of the case study was to understand the use of technology, particularly AI, for public middle school teachers in Michigan for critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students. The theory that guided this study was the constructivist theory. The constructivist learning theory involves people learning from their experiences…

This study sought to investigate how students access and how teachers foster creativity in the curriculum and find solutions to student and teacher disengagement with creative alternatives to traditional assignments and assessments at a public school in the Northeast of the United States. The inability of many public school teachers to properly…

The purpose of this qualitative, single-site case study is to explore the impact of one middle school's advisory program on teachers' perceptions of student engagement and connectedness within the school community. Advisory programs have been identified as a critical component of effective middle schools by supporting students' academic and…

Expectations of big data across various fields, including education, are increasing. However, uncovering valuable insights from big data is like locating a needle in a haystack, and it is difficult for teachers to use educational big data on their own. This study aimed to understand changes in student participation rates during classes and…

This study examined the impact of a classroom-level component of The Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), an instructional and restorative alternative to exclusionary discipline, on student behaviors and school discipline practices in middle schools. Intervention implementation, classroom observations, and all other data collection…

As initiatives on AI education in K-12 learning contexts continues to evolve, researchers have developed curricula among other resources to promote AI across grade levels. Yet, there is a need for more effort regarding curriculum, tools, and pedagogy, as well as assessment techniques to popularize AI at the middle school level. Drawing on prior…

Background: Nanotechnology, a multidisciplinary field with increasing societal importance, demands for an increase in research abilities and capacities. Yet, nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST) are largely inaccessible to K-12 students. This situation demands efforts in research towards bringing NST learning into K-12 classrooms. Purpose: The…