The current study examined the effects of an intervention developing Futures Thinking Literacy (FTL) among middle school gifted and regular students. Study participants (N = 877) were divided into gifted students studying in separate classes, gifted students studying in pullout centers, and regular students. The quantitative research applied a…

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…

In this essay, Lisa Sandlos and Rennie Tang investigate the potential for movement to play a more significant role in schoolyard design processes to enhance the physical literacy of middle school youth. This research responds to a need for prioritizing physical literacy for historically marginalized youth whose movement needs are often different…

Autistic students demonstrate poor academic performance which may be related to challenges in learning behaviors such as organization, planning, study skills, and so forth. Most studies report on summary scores; however, there may be value in understanding specific strengths and challenges to better inform assessment and intervention efforts. The…

School leaders need to understand how to implement change through leadership as shifts in grading reform support student learning. The problem was educational leaders and school districts face many challenges transitioning from traditional report cards and grading systems to standards-based grading and reporting at the middle school level. A gap…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to explore the perception of middle school parents regarding the efficacy and effects of multi-option response drills that are conducted in schools with the intent to improve readiness for a critical shooting incident. Participants were parents of current middle school students who have…

Curriculum change affords middle leaders opportunities for pedagogical and planning renewal. This paper reports case studies of two schools engaged in preparing for implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Drawing on interview data from a middle leader from each school, Bacchi's question, "What's the problem…

This study explores the application of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development in pre-service teacher training by investigating the effectiveness of ZPTD in lesson plan design. A qualitative research approach has been utilized to gather and analyze both versions of a lesson plan designed by a pre-service teacher (the researcher). The revised…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teacher collaboration influenced the participation of Leo, an ESL student, in a collaboratively taught classroom at a middle school in the Southeastern United States. To this aim, this study consisted of two collaborative cycles and used the constant comparative method to analyze the…

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…

The problem is that there is a lack of information regarding the strategies that school leaders use to plan, develop, and implement nontraditional secondary school schedules. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to determine the strategies that secondary administrators use to successfully plan, develop, and implement a school schedule…

Education leaders need valid metrics to predict students' long-term success. We use a unique data set with cognitive skills, self-regulation, behavior, course performance, and test scores for eighth-grade students from a Northeast school district. We link these data to students' high school outcomes, college enrollment, persistence, and on-time…

The planning and implementation of effective transition services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have emerged as crucial aspects of middle school special education. This action research study examines the impact of professional development and collaborative practices on improving transition services for middle school students with…

This article describes our use of an online Future Creating Workshop (FCW) as a planning strategy to support our Global Climate Change Education Initiative (GCCEI). The GCCEI is an Educational Action Research project designed to provide the opportunity for students to discover how climate change acts to affect weather, health, economy, politics,…