Writing motivation has been deemed a critical aspect of the writing process because motivation affects how students engage with the writing process, how much effort and time they exert in the tasks, and the quality of their written products (Graham, 2018). Writing motivation has been the focus of recent studies on how to improve the discouraging…

The return to in-person schooling post-COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased pressure on educators to ensure academic success for students. This study examines the school climate of 40 elementary and middle schools in California's Central Valley and its impact on academic performance and attendance, comparing pre-pandemic (2018-2019) with…

This phenomenological study examined how eighth grade students in a privileged suburban community and school district understood their civic identities and saw their roles and responsibilities as citizens. Through analyzing artifacts the student participants generated in their eighth grade civics social studies class and conducting semi-structured…

This research study sought to determine the effects of Flipped Classroom Instruction (FCI) on middle-grade students' mathematics achievement. In an FCI environment, students are initially exposed to new content outside of the classroom, through screencasts and assigned readings; class time is reserved for answering questions and engaging students…

This study utilized a pretest posttest design to examine the impact afterschool activities had on students in middle school. Survey and focus group data were used to access participants' behavior, achievement and attendance in while participating in afterschool programs. Findings from the study concluded that student's participation in afterschool…

Morphological processing is the use of morphological structure during word reading. This study examined the role of morphological processing in automaticity in word reading processes and asked whether automatic morphological processing made a unique contribution to decoding, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension outcomes of middle school…

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of math problem solving interventions with self-regulated learning (SRL) components on the math problem-solving performance of middle school students with disabilities. A meta-analysis was conducted of all single-case design studies meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria between 2000-2021, resulting in…

Motivators and supports can be a crucial part of the growth of a new teacher. However, capturing the most effective motivators and means of supports for novice teachers can be a daunting task as the needs can be ever-changing. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of novice middle school teachers' and school…

This study examined whether the intensive reading intervention affects annual reading level growth in middle school students to mitigate reading loss from the COVID19 school closures. Participants included struggling middle school readers (N = 101) from a rural district in east Texas. Student participant Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)…

With large-scale wicked problems threatening our world, the integration of sustainability into teacher professional learning is systemically lacking in the United States. The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact of a multi-session, sustainability-related professional learning program on twelve PreKindergarten-8th grade educators…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to determine if, and to what extent, differences existed in pre-and-post math scores following the VMath intervention for Title I 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the Southwestern United States. Three research questions guided this study: (1) is there a statistically significant difference in…

This study examined the effect of small class size intervention on student outcomes using reading achievement scores as measured by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), a standardized, norm-referenced test, while controlling for independent variables inclusive of students' gender, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and environment. This…

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to compare the end of year GPAs of 8th grade underachieving students who participated in Career and Technical Education programming through the Memphis Ambassadors Apprentice Program to those who did not. Introducing Career and Technical Education programs and activities to students at a young age…

Project-based learning (PjBL) instruction is an inquiry-based method that is beneficial to student achievement and their exploration of 21st-century learning skills, but there is a gap in the literature about how Grades 6 to 8 teachers feel about PjBL and its implementation. The research problem was science teachers in the United States were not…

Research supports the idea that low-income Black and Brown students are prone to higher suspension rates and are more likely to be labeled "troublemakers" for exhibiting the same behaviors as their White peers (Morgan, 2021). Middle school (6-8th grade) is an essential time, particularly for Black and Brown students, because they face…