Several indices of factorial consistency were applied to a biographical inventory administered to a longitudinal sample of 2070 students in the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades. Results were compared with those of a prior cross-sectional study at the same grade levels. Comparisons of dimensional change over the three grades, for the cross-sectional and…

The guide outlines an interdisciplinary seventh grade course on urban studies focusing on the city of Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. By comparing the city of Bethlehem with other urban centers in the nation the student gains an understanding of the following: 1) the development of urban centers; 2) the increasing role played by…

A study determined the relationship, if any, between students' learning styles and the types of books they choose to read independently, as well as the amount of time they spend reading independently. Study participants were 72 seventh-grade students attending a middle school in Cobb County, Georgia, who had scored 70 or above in any of the four…

This study examined the personal value systems of 98 at-risk seventh- and eighth-grade students in a public middle school in southwest Baltimore County, Maryland. The study sought to determine differences in the value orientations, or personal beliefs and attitudes, of: (1) males and females; (2) minority and nonminority students; and (3) Asian…

The relationship among key social/psychological variables (self-esteem, locus of control, social isolation, perceptions of role models) and achievement among migrant children was examined, using December 1980 data obtained from 1,004 seventh grade students (515 males/489 females) from a large school district in Hidalgo County in the Texas Lower…

An experimental group of 51 students from non-graded and three matched groups of 187 pupils from graded programs were studied to determine the relative effectiveness of non-graded and graded approaches to elementary education and whether any differences found at the end of six years of schooling remained after both groups had been exposed to a…

During the 1968-72 years, Northwestern Junior High School had the reputation of the "most racially troubled" junior high school in Battle Creek, Michigan. The BACSTOP (Better Acquisition of Cognitive Skills Through Outdoor Programming) was implemented to address some of the negative problems facing the school. BACSTOP aimed to: create a…

Four hypotheses are tested in this study: (1) that there is no significant difference between students in regard to the total number of stated problems of adjustment; (2) that there is no significant difference between the two groups in adjustment related to either health and physical development, school, home and family, money, work, the future,…

This Quinmester world studies elective course for grades 7, 8, and 9, focuses on the comparative study of three far eastern nations: China, India, and Japan. The study examines the successes and failures of each nation in dealing with the common problems of over-population, industrialization, and literacy education, leading to speculation as to…

In spring 1998, 1,020 seventh-grade students were surveyed as one component of a statewide evaluation of Arizona's school-to-work system designed by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. This second survey measured attitudes toward and participation in career activities. Results were compared to baseline data collected from over 2,000…

The use of a generative and evaluative computerized prompting framework to improve the teaching of writing skills was studied with 164 children in grades 6, 7, and 8 with high or low writing skills, who were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups. The treatment group received computer prompts, think sheet scaffolds, and expert modeling…

As a prelude to testing deductions from the Ferguson and other ability theories that environment influences patterns of ability, school children in 5 large and 11 small isolated communities on the South Coast of Newfoundland were tested to compare ability patterns of children in small places with those in large communities. Data used for…

Contrasted role of ethnic labels and identity in predicting drug use among seventh graders. Found that minority students with strong ethnic pride reported less drug use/exposure than those with weak pride; ethnically proud White students reported more. Minority students who viewed themselves as consistent with their ethnic group reported more drug…

This study investigated the impact of a sequence of social relationship activities on regard for classmates and teammates in middle school (grade 7) mathematics classes using cooperative learning. The sample consisted of 184 students (55% Hispanic American, 27% White, 14% Black, and 3% Asian American) in a city in Los Angeles County (California).…

The effect of a listening-to-literature program on the attitudes toward reading of 1,712 middle school (grades 6 through 8) students was studied. Selected teachers read aloud to students four or five days a week for six months. An experimental group pretest/posttest design indicated a positive difference in student attitudes. (SLD)