This research examined parents' restriction of children's peer relationships in the United States and China. American and Chinese children (N = 934; M[subscript age] = 12.67 years) reported on their parents' peer restriction (e.g., limiting children's time with peers) and their behavioral and psychological adjustment 3 times over a year.…

Friendships can provide a critical buffer against stress for youth, but the extent to which they serve this role depends on whether they provide resources that youth value most. These valued provisions may differ for girls and boys and across stages of development. This study examined whether gender differences in friendship values intensify…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to shift to virtual or hybrid instruction, thrusting young adolescents into a very different educational environment. Stage-environment fit theory outlines ways in which educational contexts may, or may not, meet the developmental needs of young adolescents. Yet little is known about how virtual environments…

As teachers and administrators focus increasing attention on the mental health needs of students, researchers are exploring ways that addressing social-emotional needs is essential to academic growth as well as personal wellness. This descriptive investigation explored ways that seventh and eighth grade students perceived their social-emotional…

To address the needs of middle school students who experience difficulty with reading, students are often placed in reading intervention programs to improve literacy skills. This study explores the question: in what ways do students successfully and unsuccessfully use self-initiated comprehension strategies in their efforts to engage with…

Standardized testing and accountability are currently unavoidable components of Texas Public Education. Through years of push-back, parents and educators have demanded that Texas consider alternative testing options that would reduce the high-stakes testing burden on students and schools. In 2015, the State of Texas passed legislation requiring…

Values are conceptualized as the standards individuals use to determine the status of events and actions and are considered to influence individuals' behaviours, reasoning, and perceptions. Based on a synthesis of six school-based student values enhancement programs, this paper reports on the development of the Children's Values Questionnaire…

Student belonging to school has been consistently correlated with many significant outcomes, yet there is little research that depicts how this sense is developed. This study explores the factors through which late elementary/middle school students (Grades 4-8) develop a sense of belonging to their school. Individual interviews with teachers and…

This qualitative case study (N = 24) analyzed in what ways school-based interpersonal relationships may have helped to set the foundation for young adolescents' belonging within 1 large, diverse urban sixth through eighth grade middle school. Eighteen students (11-14 years old), 5 teachers, and 1 administrator were individually interviewed in the…

Each spring, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) surveys 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students about their perception of various aspects of their school experience, measuring students' impressions of their school, school safety, teachers, academics, future ready skills, and technology. The 2013-14 results indicate that elementary school…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which students in a rural Arkansas school district felt that bullying existed in their school. One hundred seventh grade students and 150 eighth grade students in a middle school were surveyed by a Likert questionnaire of ten items. Measures were taken to insure that students of all…