The aims of this study are to describe 'Self-running class' project which is meant to provide maximum participation of pupils, assist them to set the learning goals, choose and apply learning techniques, brush up their study skills, monitor their performance, evaluate their academic progress, and measure its effect on learner autonomy. For the…

The use of alternative classroom seating has recently become a topic of interest in education. Many teachers have redesigned their classrooms to include many forms of classroom seating aside from traditional student desks. These forms of seating include but are not limited to: therapy balls, therapy cushions, and beanbag chairs. While this…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if classroom configuration--departmentalized and self-contained--is related to the academic achievement of Grade 6 students in a large urban school district as measured by California Standards Test (CST) scores in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) when controlling for prior academic…

A heterogeneous sixth grade class was divided into six competitive teams. Team members' individual grades were averaged to determine the day's winning team, which was rewarded with special privileges. Student enthusiasm and achievement improved. (SJL)

Eight highly structured fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms were compared with seven less structured classrooms with respect to the degree to which teachers', classmates', and self ratings of ability to read were in agreement. It was suggested that classroom structures may effect perceptions of ability. (CTM)

This study examined whether 81 sixth grade students from various socioeconomic and racial backgrounds perceived any disadvantages in being taught by a team of teachers rather than by a single teacher in a self-contained classroom. Critics of team teaching assert that a self-contained classroom provides more stability, security, structure, and…

The Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) sets forth a vision for technology immersion in Texas public schools that links ubiquitous access to technology with student achievement. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) directed nearly $14 million in federal Title II, Part D monies toward funding a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools…

Noting that computer based environments for communication may have profound effects upon classroom social organization and the development of literacy, this paper reports on a project that used QUILL, a software system that includes both tools that facilitate writing and new environments for communication. Following a brief introduction to the…

A whole-class model providing for student diversity through remediation and enrichment in small groups was compared with a two-group model accommodating diversity through fixed within-class ability groups. Higher mathematics achievement was found for the whole-class model in a study of 1,736 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. (SLD)

In two succeeding years, 1974 and 1975, the same attitude questionnaire is given to students in succeeding grades to determine attitude change as they move from third to fourth grade or from sixth to seventh grade. Rather than reporting on each of thirty-five attitude items separately, a statistical technique is applied to select the most…

Gifted students represent an under-served population in the education system, especially at the middle school level. These students require special attention in regard to their social and emotional needs. The first section of this paper explores the literature pertaining to the education of gifted middle school students and the definition and role…

A critical ingredient for understanding the experiences that students undergo in the transition from elementary school to junior high school is the students' changing perceptions. The Ecological Perspectives for Successful Schooling Practice Junior High School Transition Study tapped the perceptions of students in transition using data from two…

This volume, part of the Junior High School Transition Study which examined students' adjustment to junior high school, reports on findings related to instructional organization in elementary and junior high schools. Chapter 1 presents a brief overview of the project and outlines the theoretical framework used to describe and compare the ways in…

This report summarizes the findings of the Junior High School Transition Study. Section 1 describes the data base used in all three phases of the study. Section 2, "Organization of Instruction," discusses the instructional organization in grades six and seven and the implications for successful student performance in junior high/middle…