Student focusing and noticing, which drive reasoning, are important but under researched aspects of student learning. Quadratic functions representations are perceptually and conceptually complex and thus, offer much for students to focus on and notice. Our study compared a teacher's goals for student focusing and noticing during quadratic…

This study examined relations between student engagement and drug use using data obtained from the statewide biennial California Healthy Kids Survey. Latent variable modeling with confirmatory factor analysis indicated four conceptually distinct and psychometrically sound factors capturing academic motivation, school connectedness, caring…

Adolescents who report high levels of satisfaction with their life tend to have better grades in school, fewer behavior problems, and positive long-term outcomes. For this reason, there is a growing interest in understanding how schools can promote life satisfaction. In this study, we examined how social support for learning (i.e., support…

This study aimed at exploring students' engagement, difficulties, and meaningful learning experiences in Biology class relative to the use of the intervention material developed--the digitized concept stories. Students' engagement towards learning Biology and difficulties experienced in class were revealed through in-depth interviews with 20 Grade…

Whereas developing meaningful connections with students has long been documented as critical for promoting classroom engagement, teachers' differing motives for building relationships with students remain underexplored. This study examined teachers' social achievement goals from a multidimensional perspective in relation to teachers'…

This paper describes the development of two versions of an NGSS-aligned principles of engineering design unit for use in middle schools. By employing a narrative framework that can help students to connect more deeply with the human contexts and consequences of the engineering design process, our goal was to enhance students' cognitive and…

Background: An overarching goal of school science education is to prepare young people for a rapidly changing and complex world. Middle school science students need more than a basic understanding of science concepts in preparation for further study. Rather, they need the skills to question and evaluate evidence and make decisions about complex…

Learning engagement varies in different modes of instructions. With such consideration, the authors of this article conducted comparative analyses on student learning outcomes measured by their final mean grade point averages (GPAs) during three timeperiods (before, at the onset of, and during pandemic) when inperson, online, and hybrid…

Field trips to museums and performing arts centers are not a frequent activity for most students, so how do cultural organizations learn to make the most of these limited but potentially valuable "gateway experiences" toward increased arts participation? This cross-sectional study examines the engagement of students during a performance…

A dual-factor model (DFM) of mental health conceptualizes complete mental health as both low levels of psychopathology and high levels of subjective well-being (SWB). Although middle adolescence (ages 14 to 18 years old) is associated with increases in symptoms of psychopathology and declines in SWB, further research is needed to understand how…

Social and emotional learning has gained much leverage in special education discussion, but limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of social and emotional programs addressing low engagement in self-contained classroom settings. This qualitative action research study examines the implementation of an evidence-based social and…

Schools around the world have always been striving to modernize and digitalize the educational process. This is especially true for English language classes where English teachers tend to incorporate online assignments, activities, and games, depending on the topic of the lesson. However, many would still rely heavily on traditional teaching…

As the pace of digital transformation continues to accelerate in classrooms and myriad distractions vie for the attention of learners, the challenge of engaging students grows ever more daunting (Garet et al., 2020). To establish stimulating learning environments in which students associate positive emotions toward tasks, ascribe value to their…

Middle school students' prosocial behavior, classroom engagement, and sense of belonging tend to decline across the school year. This study addressed whether these declines are associated with students' perceptions of their relationship with their teacher and the extent to which their teacher promoted respect among classmates. Self-report surveys…

Positive perceptions of school climate are associated with improved academic and behavioral outcomes, such as lower bullying victimization experience and higher student engagement. The present study evaluated the consistency of these relations across racial/ethnic student groups using the Authoritative School Climate (ASC) model which defines…