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…

Children may not yet understand political issues or be engaged in politics, but identification with social groups emerges early; indeed, nearly a third of first-graders report identification with a political party. As a result, it is likely that ingroup favoritism (or preference for members of one's own political group) and outgroup derogation (or…

Gender stereotypes about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are salient for children and adolescents and contribute to achievement-related disparities and inequalities in STEM participation. However, few studies have used a longitudinal design to examine changes in gender stereotypes across a range of STEM fields. In a large,…

This study sought to develop an Academic School Climate Scale measuring students' perceptions of the learning environments at their schools. With a pilot sample of 1,265 students and validation sample of 14,773 students in Grades 4-12 in schools across the U.S., results of EFA and CFA supported a bifactor model with a general factor and three…

Though wrought with challenges, the COVID-19 Pandemic, which led to the closure of schools worldwide and forced educators into a rapid transition from traditional to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), held some promise for furthering the integration of digital technology in schools. But now, years following the crisis, policymakers, administrators,…

The purpose of this study was to examine in detail the relationship between perceived parental involvement in homework (content-oriented and autonomy-oriented forms of involvement) and students' homework behavior (homework time, homework time management, and amount of homework completed). The study also looked at how the relationships between…

Effective mathematics education for Latinx students with learning disabilities (LD) necessitates teachers who uphold high academic expectations, facilitate access to rigorous math curricula, and champion inclusive and meaningful student participation. This study delves into teachers' perspectives on instructing Latinx students with LD, including…

The study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometrical properties of a new brief measure of gender stereotyping career attitudes. Participants were 222 early and 196 middle adolescents from Croatia. The Vocational Gender Stereotype Attitudes Scale (VGSA) consists of 12 items that represent masculine, feminine and gender-balanced activities…

Safety, security, freedom of expression, love, and support are critical components for adolescent youth that encourage growth and development. This study explored how Black girls make sense of their educational experiences while partnering with school staff through the RoyalSapphires program. Children must be in relationships with well intended…

The present study investigated the unique and interactive role of parents' and peers' humanity virtue (i.e. kindness, love, and social intelligence) in association with children's humanity. The participants were 761 fourth-to-ninth-graders (M[subscript age] = 12.62; 45.2% boys) and their biological parents. The humanity subscale of the Values in…

This study carefully examined compensating, mediating, and moderating effects of positive school climate on the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) and achievement in a nationally representative sample of ethnocultural minority Arabic speaking students in Israel (N = 21,873). Positive school climate was predominantly influential in schools…

Assessment of language skills for upper elementary and middle schoolers is important due to the strong link between language and reading comprehension. Yet, currently few practical, reliable, valid, and instructionally informative assessments of language exist. This study provides validation evidence for Monster, P.I., which is a gamified,…

Writing is the result of our desire to express our feelings, thoughts, dreams, and ourselves. In today's education, with the penetration of technology into our lives, what we express not only on paper but also on the screen is within the scope of writing skills. Writing is a language skill that requires high-level mental skills such as producing a…

The purpose of the current research study was to investigate the extent to which student performance was influenced by the disruption to learning that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To explain observed differences in performance, we compared outcomes from a state-wide summative testing program between students who were administered the…

The United States educational system has historically struggled to improve the student outcomes for African American and economically disadvantaged students (Meatto, 2019). This doctoral study analyzed the underlying factors that affected schools' performances in a central Louisiana school system over a five year period. Specifically, this study…