Recent research on the scaffolding of instruction has widened the use of the term to include forms of support for learners provided by, amongst other things, artefacts and computer-based learning environments. This paper tackles the important and under-researched issue of how mathematics lessons in junior high schools can be designed to scaffold…

The common practice of annually age grouping children in education, likely done under the assumption of similarly aged children sharing similar abilities and learner characteristics, may actually undermine equity and fairness in student assessments. This strategy has received criticism for (dis) advantaging those older children born closer to the…

This dissertation examines the efficacy of a bottom-up comprehensive school reform (CSR) program by evaluating its impact on student achievement, attendance, and behavior outcomes through an explanatory mixed methods design. The CSR program (Gear Up) was implemented in an urban junior high school over the course of seven years allowing for…

The purpose of this study was to validate the Teacher's Assessment of Students' Aptitudes Form (TASAF), an instrument devised to guide teachers assessment of students' aptitudes through the observation of their classroom behaviors, i.e., to what extent were teachers able to detect levels of differential aptitudes in their students through guided…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), a longitudinal study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, provides trend data about transitions experienced as young people develop, attend school, and embark on careers. The study began with a national sample of about 26,000 eighth graders in 1988 and follows these…

Eighth grade science students were given inventories in a triad and a paired comparison format. From these, a ranking of science categories was made. Students tended to rank earth-space and biological sciences ahead of the physical sciences. Reasons for this included inventory bias, maturational development, and a teacher effect. (MA)

THE NONGRADED PLAN OF SCHOOL ORGANIZATION PUT INTO EFFECT AT SACRAMENTO'S WILL C. WOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN 1964 WAS EVALUATED AND COMPARED WITH GRADED PROGRAMS AT OTHER SCHOOLS BY MEANS OF STANDARDIZED TESTS AND TEACHER OPINIONS. THE POPULATION OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF THREE PUPIL GROUPS--(1) 212 PUPILS WHO WERE IN THE SEVENTH GRADE DURING THE…

A descriptive study examined the degree to which middle level teachers in grades 6-8 in three states accept the tenets of the middle school philosophy. The guiding questions were: (1) Does a cross difference in variables exist among teachers from different organizational settings or grade configurations in respect to the teacher's acceptance of…

This study looks at the relationship between athletic participation among middle grade African American students and academic achievement, particularly athletics, as an instrument through which students gain academic resilience and attachment to academic goals. The data for the analysis were drawn from the base year of the National Education…

The validity and reliability of two techniques of assessing writing proficiency were compared in a sample of 300 South African students (in Standard 8) for whom English was a second language. The objective, multiple choice method was compared with a subjective, essay method. Students completed a Standard English Second Language Item Bank Test and…

The evaluation report is one of seven produced for the Occupational Exploration Program (OEP), a series of simulated occupational experiences designed for junior high school students. Describing the pilot testing of the simulation dealing with education, the report contains sections describing the simulation context, evaluation procedures,…

The evaluation report is one of seven produced for the Occupational Exploration Program (OEP), a series of simulated occupational experiences designed for junior high school students. Describing the pilot testing of the simulation dealing with construction, the report contains sections describing the simulation context, evaluation procedures,…

The evaluation report is one of seven produced for the Occupational Exploration Program (OEP), a series of simulated occupational experiences designed for junior high school students. Describing the pilot testing of the simulation dealing with product services, the report contains sections describing the simulation context, evaluation procedures,…

The evaluation report is one of seven produced for the Occupational Exploration Program (OEP), a series of simulated occupational experiences designed for junior high school students. Describing the pilot testing of the simulation dealing with the insurance field, the report contains sections describing the simulation context, evaluation…

The evaluation report is one of seven produced for the Occupational Exploration Program (OEP), a series of simulated occupational experiences designed for junior high school students. Describing the pilot testing of the simulation dealing with manufacturing production, the report contains sections describing the simulation context, evaluation…