The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to explore how the implementation of physical movement brain breaks impacts engagement and academic achievement for middle school students. This study is grounded in brain-based learning theory which explains how we can use brain science to inform instructional decisions in the…

Youth with attention problems are at increased risk for school disengagement (Booster et al., JAD 16:179-189, 2012; DuPaul & Langberg, in: Barkley (ed), Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, Guilford, New York, 2014), which portends risk for poor outcomes (Bond et al., JAH 40:357.e9-357, 2007; Carter…

The Building Painted Cubes Task is a groupworthy algebraic task. Students build cubes using linking unit cubes, search for algebraic patterns, and report findings on posters. This task can create spaces for students to see themselves as doers of mathematics.

The importance of student engagement in schools is ever-increasing, particularly in the middle years area. Student achievement is directly linked to a student's level of engagement. Middle years teachers have a responsibility to work hard to understand the needs of their adolescent students, establish connections with their students, and provide…

Mathematics is the language and foundation for the science, engineering, and technological fields that define and enhance our lives in the 21st century. Proficiency in math requires problem solving, logical reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in college, the workplace, and everyday life. Unfortunately, math has…

This study explored the dynamics of motivational development across late elementary and early middle school. Using longitudinal data from a cross-section of fifth to seventh-grade students, analyses examined whether parents' and teachers' warm involvement shows unique and/or mediated effects on students' academic engagement and whether engagement…

This study examines the relationship between time management, academic engagement, and academic success among 11- and 12-year-old students in an online learning environment. A sample of 250 Iranian students was selected using a multi-stage random cluster sampling method The data were collected from students that self-reported via surveys. Results…

Despite an increasing focus on integrating engineering design in K-12 settings, relatively few studies have investigated how to support students to engage in systematic processes to optimize the designs of their solutions. Emerging learning technologies such as computational models and simulations enable rapid feedback to learners about their…

This paper considers how a curricular design that integrated computer programming and creative movement shaped students' engagement with computing. We draw on data from a camp for middle schoolers, focusing on an activity in which students used the programming environment NetLogo to re-represent their physical choreography. We analyze the extent…

Learning computer science (CS) is increasingly becoming a necessary component of K-12 education, but in most cases, teachers do not have either the essential knowledge to teach or a curriculum to follow. In this article, we analyze the outcomes from a yearlong, blended professional development (PD) program to teach teachers game design and coding…

Cognitive activation is an approach to instruction associated with increased mathematical achievement and engagement. However, researchers have questioned its effectiveness for students with different learner characteristics. A Year 6 class participated in a lesson designed using cognitive activation practices. Interviews with ten case study…

Research that uses self-report measures to examine the complexity of self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic challenges for adolescents is limited. This study examined the psychometric property of the Self-Regulated Learning Profile and Self-Diagnostic (SRL-PSD) instrument and addressed the multi-components of SRL and academic challenges for…

English Learners (ELs), students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, are a fast-growing, understudied, group of students in the U.S. with unique learning challenges. Cognitive flexibility--the ability to switch between task demands with ease--may be an important factor in learning for ELs as they have to manage learning in their non-dominant…

This team of authors collaborated to transform a middle school-focused informal STEM learning experience to a virtual platform that engaged students in authentic STEM learning experiences while simultaneously promoting discourse.

Building on research showing social-emotional benefits from a single live theater performance, this study tests for significant differences in pre to post social-cognitive outcomes among a racially and economically diverse sample of young audiences who attended the same theater performance with or without additional pre- and post-show educational…