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…

This study describes teachers' neglect vis-à-vis building students' civic disposition in civic education learning in junior high schools during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Employing a mixed methods approach, the research focuses on civic education teachers in junior high schools in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Data…

Common planning time is an integral part of the middle school concept, but this time is not always used effectively. When teaching teams do not effectively collaborate, there are missed opportunities to improve instruction and student achievement. The aim of the study was to improve middle school teachers' level of collaboration during common…

In this mixed-methods study, we explored perspectives of ensemble directors (N = 306) regarding standards-based instruction and circumstances impacting standards-based instruction in the areas of creating, performing, responding, and connecting. Our research was modeled on Byo's (1999) examination of teacher perceptions of the implementation of…

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 changing nature of education has forced educators to rethink the role of classrooms in student learning. Prior research has shown that the environmental and structural design of education centers impact student learning. With a dozen variables to deal with, classroom designers are faced with the daunting task of selecting one plan from the…

This cross-sectional study examined the links of social-emotional competencies (SECs: emotional regulation, relationship skills, and planning of schoolwork) with emotional well-being (EWB) and academic engagement (behavioral and emotional) among 1085 lower secondary school students. A latent structural model was tested using Mplus. The model…

With increased focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and STEAM, educators are looking for ways to integrate disciplines. Planning content around a common theme is an avenue for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning in the middle grades. Middle grade educators must find ways to relate content to their…

High school students in accelerated curricula tend to report higher level of perceived stress compared to general education students, but often receive limited school support (Conger et al., 2021). This study explored student experiences of a targeted intervention using Motivational Interviewing (Motivation, Assessment, and Planning; MAP) compared…

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…

Using a multinomial regression and a nationally representative sample of school counselors, we examined the factors influencing the percentage of time school counselors spend on career planning. Findings indicate that the school locale, school type, percentage of non-White students, and the number of full-time counselors were significant…

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…

This case study is designed to support the preparation of school administrators and teacher leaders enrolled in courses pertaining to school improvement, instructional leadership, and educational change. The principal of an urban middle school has been charged by the district superintendent to study a downward trend in math state achievement test…