This study examined the relationship between the Qualitative Measures of Teaching Performance Scale and teacher effectiveness. Nine middle school classroom teachers taught the volleyball forearm pass over eight lessons. Pretests and posttests and analysis of videotaped lessons indicated that the test was a valid measure of teacher effectiveness…

Analysis of questionnaire responses of 44 minority (African American, Hispanic, or Filipino) gifted students attending a high school preparatory program, and follow-up interviews with 24 students, identified themes of locus of control, peer relations, leadership, and community orientation. Responses differed between genders. The role of school…

Structural equation models were used to examine the paths from school grades and self-concept to subsequent course selection for 246 male 8th- and 10th-grade Catholic school students in Australia. Specific components of self-concept were more strongly related to course selection than were grades, a finding with implications for the study of…

Investigated the relationship between cultural background of Arab students in Canada and Israel and reading comprehension of majority and minority group stories. Findings indicate that, in terms of language education, it is essential to develop pedagogies that respond to the diversity of the social contexts in which the learners are situated. (70…

This study examined whether a comprehensive elementary health education curriculum influenced students' health behaviors after reaching eighth grade. Surveys of students in intervention and nonintervention districts indicated no apparent curriculum effects for most health behaviors. The only major difference was for the variable of age at first…

This study evaluated the effect of middle-to-high-school transition programs on educational progress (student performance and retention) in a nationally representative sample of public school students. Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey indicated that transition programs targeting students, parents, and school staff together…

Narratives of Puerto Rican and Mexican American students, written in 8th grade and then 11th grade, describe who they are and illustrate school-sponsored silencing, with student critiques of their educational experience ignored by schools. The narratives help explain the Hispanic student high dropout rate, reasons behind students' academic…

Describes study that compared the achievement of high and low ability eighth-grade students working cooperatively during computer-based instruction. Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping based on ability are explained, posttest results are analyzed, and implications for instructional design are discussed. (23 references) (Author/LRW)

Reports that those who were taught proportions exhibit more of a tendency to transfer than those who were not. Investigates the relationship of previous learning and problem-solving abilities to the learning of proportionality in facilitating transfer. Shows the magnitude of effects of task assignment on transfer. (YP)

Tests a cultural resources/social interaction model of gatekeeping by school teachers using data for seventh and eighth grade students in a city school district. Results indicate informal academic standards by which teachers reward general skills, habits, and styles, accounting for course grade differentials observed for gender, ethnicity, and…

Eleven papers on developments in middle school education (grades seven through nine) in England, West Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium are presented. Topics include comprehensive education for 11 to 16 year olds, mathematics, political issues, accessibility, curricula, school evaluation, and the view of the United States. (TJH)

Discussion of hypermedia-based instruction focuses on studies of eighth-grade junior high school students that investigated differences in cognitive style during information-seeking behavior and learning, the effect of social context (collaborative versus individual study), and the effects of magnet school students' self-regulation of study time.…

Eighth-grade students in bilingual classrooms explored the geometric concepts of reflection and rotation within a computer-based, dynamic, instructional environment. With initial differences controlled, treatment groups performed significantly better on concept formation and spatial visualization than did control groups receiving conventional…

Describes an eighth grade computer literacy course in which students used spreadsheet programs to illustrate statistics for classroom presentations. Discusses the use of color and animation in graphs, and the value of active participation using technology to increase student motivation, retention, and self-expression. (AEF)

Uses data from black male 8th and 10th graders to explore key issues affecting their achievement and engagement in school. Findings show a need to rethink current secondary-school disciplinary policies, especially suspension, extra-help delivery, and remedial courses because these areas explain important differences in engagement and achievement…