Grade 9 pupils' choice of a course to pursue in senior high school in Ghana is a decision made at a young age usually below 16 years. Therefore, these young pupils rely on other persons for help when making such a decision. Previous research found that instead of assisting, these social agents rather interfere with this decision-making process.…

Sexual minority youth (SMY) students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT+) often struggle with gender identity and sexual orientation (Craig, Austin, & McInroy, 2014). The inclusion of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) and Safe Zones have united students and facilitated cultural shifts in schools (Patterson, 2013).…

Examined whether drug abuse prevention curriculum that challenges ninth grade students' (n=520) thinking about drug use through discussion and reflection on drug-related dilemmas would promote the process of individuation among adolescents by advancing students' moral reasoning and increasing their conceptual level. (ABL)

Investigated high school students' (n=325) knowledge of suicidal peers. Found 68 percent of females and 42.5 percent of males knew peer who had committed or attempted suicide. Ninety-seven students reported having talked to a peer who was definitely considering suicide; of these, 63 percent talked to their peer, 24.7 percent told adults, and 12…

In this article, the author discusses a transition program called "For Freshmen Only." This program serves as a worthwhile service that juniors and seniors can offer incoming freshmen; it offers opportunities for ninth graders to develop positive relationships with upperclassmen; it gives participants a leg up as they entered the more competitive,…

This study examined a Queensland secondary school where students select a track: Academic, Commercial, or General. Six months into their program, Grade 9 students were queried about their school experience, track choice, peer relationships, and future plans. Responses of the three track groups are summarized, with consideration of sex differences.…

Fourteen male and 14 female gifted and 14 male and 14 female nongifted adolescents completed questionnaires about intimacy with the closest same-sex friend and attachment style. Results suggest that gifted adolescents may have a stronger instrumental orientation than others, something that does not give them an advantage in friendship in…

A study examined the influence of coauthoring on the writing process in the classroom. Subjects were 24 students in a ninth-grade English class at a racially and socioeconomically diverse high school located in a medium-sized Midwestern city. Data was collected over the first 9-week quarter of the year. Eight collaborative writing triads,…

It was hypothesized that antisocial behavior and deviant peer involvement assessed prior to puberty, at grade four, would predict initiation of sexual intercourse by grade nine. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 201 boys who were at risk for delinquency. The subjects participated in an extensive multiple method/agent assessment for both…

Examined ninth graders' self-reports of peer social activity in two separate years. Data from four administrations each year suggest that peer social activity is correlated with social self-esteem, enhanced social self-efficacy, and teacher's ratings of social engagement. Social isolation appeared to be an independent dimension related to lowered…

This study assessed the prevalence of date violence and rape among adolescents in order to examine the associations between date violence and rape, and eating disorders and psychopathology. The study also attempted to determine if these associations remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. A Minnesota…

This study examined students' active roles in constructing knowledge when learning new information in the domain of biological evolution. A computer-based connectionist methodology was developed to provide a way to present students with new information while the experimenter provides probe statements congruent with or contradictory to the…