The Framework for K-12 Science Education details new goals to guide improvement of US science education. Among the new goals, the inclusion of engineering core ideas and practices stand out. We report a case study of four 8th-grade science teachers who chose to integrate engineering core ideas and practices into their science classes by teaching…

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a significant public health problem that can have lifelong consequences. Using a longitudinal, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), this study examines whether the "Dating Matters" comprehensive prevention model, implemented in middle school, prevented TDV and negative relationship behaviors and…

This research investigated the effectiveness of a forgiveness education program on reducing anger and ethnic prejudice and improving forgiveness in Iranian adolescents. There were 224 (Persian, Azeri, and Kurdish) male and female students in 8th grade who were selected from 3 provinces: Tehran, Eastern Azerbaijan, and Kurdestan. Schools were…

Identifying factors that influence peer aggression and victimization is important because of their high prevalence rates and associated negative outcomes during early adolescence. Limited research has examined the impact of environmental and contextual factors, such as school climate, on peer aggression and victimization. This study longitudinally…

Bullying is a pervasive and debilitating issue for youth that can lead to substance abuse, worse outcomes at school, mental and physical health problems, and in some instances serious acts of school violence. There are three criteria that must be present in order to be classified as bullying: Repetition, intentionality, and imbalance of power.…

Restorative justice pedagogies, such as dialogue or peacemaking circles, allow students to learn how to share and listen with peers, set boundaries for moral dialogue, and engage constructively with each other's perspectives. This study is part of a larger project focused on teachers' professional development and circle implementation. The focus…

Student-teacher relationships have been largely explored in literature from the perspective of successful relationships, i.e., what constitutes a successful relationship and how teachers build them. However, in moments of student defiance, resistance or pushback, how do teachers react? When teachers recount such moments, is the narrative one…

The purpose of this study is to examine Social Studies textbooks in terms of national and global citizenship. The research was carried out using qualitative research methodologies. Interpretive thematic analysis was used to examine the social studies textbooks from 4th grade through 8th grade. The analyses showed that the Social Studies textbooks…

It is widely accepted that conflict-related goals, skills, and strategies are linked. Yet it is rarely explored how these factors relate to each other and how they jointly promote or inhibit aggressive behaviors. The aim of this study is to provide answers to these questions. Data were derived from a structured questionnaire administered to 660…

This article provides a methodological illustration of how to conduct scientifically rigorous secondary interventions within the context of three-tiered models of support. Specifically, the authors demonstrate one approach for using schoolwide data to identify middle school students (N = 65) with both academic and behavioral concerns. Then, they…

The connection between drama and moral education in young adolescence has not been widely researched. This study examines the role of process drama. In this study process drama is defined as educational drama for awareness and conflict resolution through the creation of a dramatic collective exploring the moral values of junior high school age…

This article presents the results of an evaluation conducted by two middle school counselors, in collaboration with university researchers, to assess the effectiveness of a classroom intervention designed to impact academic achievement. The intervention utilized was a standardized conflict resolution curriculum, which then was linked to…

The purpose of this study was to examine age and gender differences in peer conflict, particularly in regards to conflict issues and resolution strategies reported by children and adolescents. Students from grades 4 and 8 (60 boys, 60 girls) were asked interview questions and given 3 hypothetical scenarios to respond to. Teacher and self-reports…

This study investigated the roles of relational and social aggression in the friendships of adolescent females. Using qualitative methodology, twenty-eight 8th grade female students from a predominantly white, rural, junior high school were invited to discuss how they respond to and cope with conflict in their friendships, identify and describe…

This study investigated the peer victimisation and conflict resolution experiences of adolescent girls attending a single-sex school. A modified version of the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scales (DIAS, Bjorkqvist, Osterman, and Kaukiainen, 1992) and conflict resolution scales, drawn particularly from the work of Feldman and Gowen (1998), were…