School counselors help foster student's academic, social, and career development; yet, school counselors are often neglected in research on school climate and student safety. Framed by the theory of planned behavior, this study examined how 206 school counselors' multicultural counseling competence, multicultural self-efficacy, and perceptions of…

There is little extant theory framing the role of isolation in predicting various outcomes relating to the quality of work life of school principals. Building on previous work, this paper examines the relationships between isolation, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave the job using structural equation modeling on a…

This qualitative study explores how parents decide to enroll their children in one-way immersion programs and how the decision is made to continue in those programs at the middle/junior high school level. A total of 131 parents responded to a survey with open-ended questions about these two decisions. Analyzed thematically and within a conceptual…

This study examined Georgia middle school teachers' perceptions of their work environment, their perceived efficacy, and organizational commitment. The study included 400 full-time, certified teachers from 40 rural and metropolitan middle schools. Teachers completed a mailed survey that asked about demographics, organizational commitment,…

Examined relationships among young adolescents' motivational processes, use of learning strategies with expository text, and classroom achievement. Found that performance and mastery orientation predicted use of cognitive learning strategies. Adolescents' intrinsic value, but not self-efficacy, predicted use of cognitive and self-regulating…

Studied middle school teachers' and student teachers' perceptions of efficacy, relations of their attitudes to efficacy perceptions, and how they translate their views of efficacy and climate into an ethos of caring. Found that both groups articulated high self-efficacy and sophisticated views of young adolescents. Ongoing internships with…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined young adolescents' motivational processes and use of strategies with expository text. Specifically, the study sought to determine how their attributes, self-efficacy, intrinsic value, anxiety, and goal orientation related to their use of cognitive and self-regulating strategies needed to…

This study examines how academic assertiveness in junior high school students affects conceptual change and the degree to which their assertiveness affects the conceptual change of partners paired with them for a series of activities using a computer simulation of the human cardiovascular system. The sample was a group of 90 eighth-grade students…

School documents, interviews, and observations were used to examine the development of middle school teachers' reflective thought. Highly reflective teachers showed greater a greater sense of efficacy in their work and ownership within classrooms and schools, always seeking innovation. Less reflective teachers emphasized classroom practice and…

An achievement goal theory framework was used to examine the relations among goals and a number of other motivational constructs in a sample of middle school students. Participants were 189 eighth graders from a public school in the south. In one session students completed the attitude measures and in another session they completed a mathematics…

This study investigated middle school organizational patterns and their impact on teachers' efficacy and perceptions of the working environment. Analysis of survey responses by 81 eighth grade teachers indicated that teachers on interdisciplinary teams with common planning time were significantly more positive than were teachers on…

Explains the relationship between middle school practices and teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. Studies the differences in science teacher efficacy and outcome expectancy, and compares teachers' self efficacy levels in middle and junior high schools. (Contains 57 references.) (YDS)

This study examined relationships between children's participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and their beliefs about physical activities and participation as well as perceptions of their parents' beliefs. Children's beliefs about their MVPA significantly predicted variance in self-reported MVPA. Children's perceptions of…

Adolescents are entering middle level schools today with more sophisticated skills and a broader range of positive experiences than ever before. However, middle-school students undergo major physical, emotional, social, and cognitive changes. This publication describes the role of educators and the school in helping middle-school students develop…

Bilingual Spanish-speaking middle school students (n=344) completed Spanish versions of three career assessment instruments; the reliability and validity of the translations were supported. Next, instruments were completed by 105 students (63 Hispanic). Self-efficacy and outcome expectations contributed to intention and goals for minority…