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…

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the expectations of students from mathematics teachers in the planning phase of lesson study (LS) in mathematics classrooms. Design/methodology/approach: This study reported only a part of large-scale action research. The participants were Grade 8 students selected by the convenience sampling method. The data…

Students with aligned educational and occupational expectations have improved college and labor market outcomes. Despite extensive knowledge about the ways social background and school context contribute to educational expectations, less is known about the role of social intuitions in shaping expectational alignment. Drawing on data from the 2009…

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of teaching integers by lesson study model on students' success and attitudes in mathematics. The research uses quantitative technique, "quasi-experimental design" with pre-test post-test control groups. The participants of the study are 62 sixth grade students and 4 teachers in three…

This study analyses the self-regulation (goal setting and planning) of the novice middle school mathematics teachers during the preparation phase of teaching. The study is designed as a case study. The participants are six mathematics teachers with less than five-year teaching experience. The data were collected through interviews, observations…

Middle school students lack coping skills which cause misbehaviors and disruptions to their education. The misbehaviors are higher among middle school students with disabilities and middle school special education teachers are struggling to implement effective strategies to address the disruptive behaviors of their students in a suburban…

There exist many studies on modeling competencies and their promotion; however, there is a need to investigate what modeling competencies are and how they vary in lower and higher-achieving groups of students in mathematics within the current modeling literature domain. This study examined how mathematical modeling competencies were displayed in…

The purpose of the current study is to investigate middle school students' attitudes towards Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and to determine the predictors of these attitudes. The study was designed according to the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research designs. The sample of the study is…

Just as social media created a new language that causes a rift in understanding between many adults and adolescents, so too has the use of technology in classrooms. The author, Ana Homayoun, an educational consultant, spends much of her time helping young people harness the power of technology to improve their organization and time-management…

In this practice brief, we explore feedback from a group of eighth and ninth grade students, families, and educators on what has been challenging, what has been missing, and what is needed during the transition from middle to high school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. We also discuss the process for gathering stakeholder…

Integrated STEM education seeks to build deep connections between science, technology, engineering, and math. Contextualized lessons give students greater access to these content areas and can heighten engagement. Great parallels can be drawn between liberal arts philosophies and integrated STEM education. This paper explores how one teacher team…

Studies have documented widespread academic disengagement in middle and high school students. This disengagement has been tied to a myriad of negative outcomes, including failure to graduate from high school and transition into college and meaningful vocations. Supporting adolescents in cultivating a sense of beyond-the-self purpose is one factor…

This study was designed to examine relationships between student perceptions of school effectiveness and student achievement in mathematics and reading. Data were collected from over 350 middle school students in a large southeastern school district in the United States. The results revealed statistically significant correlations among the…

This report uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). HSLS:09 is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of more than 23,000 students who were first surveyed in fall 2009, when they were in the ninth grade, and then again in spring 2012, when most were in the eleventh grade. The 2012 administration also included…

Historical attitudes to literary creativity often focus on it as a genetic or innate characteristic. Ericsson's notion of 'deliberate practice' and Simon & Chase's 'ten-year rule', however, have shown the importance of sustained practice to achieve high-level performance. The iceberg illusion of elite performance leaves observers marvelling at…