This study examines how students' identities are co-constructed through educational experiences. We analyzed narratives of fifth and seventh grade students from two private alternative schools in the Czech Republic. The findings reveal that students identified with friends, had positive relationships with teachers and the school, and experienced…

Stories of children moving in and out of refugee camps are not uncommon yet are often overshadowed by the dominant narratives of oppression, political failure, and war -- the stories "told of" rather than "told by" refugees. Dominant narratives on refugees largely shape perceptions about children and youth in displacement as…

Tutoring programs that link colleges to public schools are seen as a way to improve the academic performance of K12 students while providing a practicum site for college-age students. Prior research on college-K12 partnerships focuses on how the academic achievement of both K12 and college students are enhanced by these relationships. This article…

This study was conducted for the researcher's Master's thesis on the lived experience of introverted adolescent female students in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. The aim of the research was to better understand these students' lived experiences in public school. Due to their introverted natures, these students' stories are not typically reported. The…

In this study, we investigated the effects of choice of writing prompt on the number of story elements included in written narratives. The investigation took place in a residential facility for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Participants included six female students in a mixed-grade-level course (students had just completed…

As professors of education in an urban community, we wanted to identify mechanisms that would allow young people in the urban core the opportunity to share their unique voices with the world and for us to better understand their views on social justice and social change. The purpose of this paper is to discuss adolescent student perspectives on…

This article analyzes data from a summer literacy program for intermediate and middle-level children of migrant farmworkers. The program was grounded in a sociocultural perspective on literacy, stressing the importance of interaction and collaboration within socioculturally responsive pedagogy, using enabling literature to empower students.…

Teachers of reading in secondary schools know how important it is for low-attaining readers to read whole narratives but time to do this in a crowded curriculum is limited and progress is more easily measured through reading smaller parts of texts. This paper reports on a longitudinal critical action research project in which three English…

This paper explores how students, as multimodal storytellers, can weave powerful narratives blending modes, genres, artefacts and literary conventions to represent the real and imagined in their lives. Part of a larger ethnographic case study of student writing in a middle years class for immigrant students learning English as an additional…

The impact of persistent aggression on youths' social and psychological well being is well documented. What is less well understood is the shaping effect of cultural differences on how such conflict is experienced and responded to. In this study, we asked youth to write a story about a conflict they experienced and describe their associated…

The purpose of this study was to examine technical features of new and existing curriculum-based measures of written expression in terms of writing task, duration, and scoring procedures. Twenty-five third-, 43 fifth-, and 55 seventh-graders completed passage-copying tasks in 1.5 min and picture, narrative, and expository writing prompts in 3-7…

Reports the results of a study illustrating the differences between how early adolescents, late adolescents, and adults approach the writing of autobiographical narratives. Discusses developmental differences in self concept and differences in knowledge of literary conventions. Provides sample autobiographical essays and discusses implications for…

Two studies addressed age- and gender-related patterns in early adolescents' and emerging adults' conceptions of intimacy in friendships. Forty-one early adolescents and 96 emerging adults in Study 1 and 174 emerging adults in Study 2 described a time when they felt especially close to a friend. Narratives were coded for intimate behaviors and…

This paper presents the views of four general education teachers who without prior notice or training were assigned to teach special education classes. It also provides a short history of special education and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The elements of special education and the specific levels of special…