The eight studies contained in this volume complete the effort pursued by the National Middle School Association to provide practitioners with some of the research available from the recent past. Research briefs deal with such topics as teacher attitudes; the degree of middle school program implementation; gifted students' and educable mentally…

This publication reports on a project designed to increase the awareness and appreciation of educators, and through them the awareness of middle and high school students, of the advantages of preparing for careers in technology and science. These are fields in which Boston high school students generally, and minority students particularly, have…

Exercises and activities for incorporating career education into the junior high school curriculum (7-9) are contained in this teacher's manual. Activities are developed for language arts (78), mathematics (28) science (22), social studies (42), related arts/fine arts (56), and guidance (19). Teaching activities are written in a format which…

This longitudinal study explored (1) the power of the mother relative to affect achievement behaviors and achievement test outcomes in a sample of low-income black youth; (2) the potential role of teacher evaluation in these outcomes; and (3) the relationship between self-esteem and achievement orientation to a child's academic performance. From…

This resource guide deals with open education at the secondary level. It concentrates on open education schools and programs in the Boston area, as its intended audience is Massachusetts Educators. The "open" concept in education is discussed, and a scale designed to measure the extent to which a given program embodies the open school…

This study was designed to explore the ways in which preservice teachers' reflective judgment levels influenced their perceptions of and decisions about complex and ill-defined dilemmas they encountered in their field placement classrooms. Participants were ten traditional-aged juniors in a college teacher preparation program who were completing a…

As part of a cross-national research project on literature instruction in middle-grade classrooms in Great Britain and the United States this study explored the effects of external assessment on that instruction. The focus was on the literature selected, the class time allotted, and provisions made for students' choices. The study explored the…

The report details a study of ways in which classroom teachers can promote language minority students' academic linguistic competence in English, develop and implement social studies lessons that are sensitive to the cultural and educational backgrounds of language minority students, and help these students adapt to the school-based culture. The…

This book was written to fill the gap between educational theory and classroom reality which comes from the spectator learning experience in many teacher education programs. Chapters contain activities and readings to facilitate the action and reflection process. Part 1: "The Students," includes chapters entitled:(1) "Childhood into Adolescence";…

The goal of this book is to help students make sense of mathematics and become confident in their ability to do so. Section 1: "Foundations of Teaching Mathematics," includes chapters entitled: (1) "Teaching Mathematics: Reflections and Directions"; (2) "Exploring What It Means to Do Mathematics"; (3) "Developing Understanding in Mathematics"; (4)…

This case study reports on the experiences of teachers and student teachers during the process of developing and implementing professional development sites (PDSs) at one urban and two rural middle schools. The study examines the phases of development that teachers go through in the process of developing PDSs and how teachers' level of development…

The effectiveness of a preemployment program that was initiated at Robert E. Abbott Accelerated Middle School in Waukegan, Illinois, was examined through a follow-up survey of the program's graduates. The survey population consisted of all 176 individuals who had participated in the preemployment club since its inception in 1994 (28 individuals…

This evaluation progress report for the budget period October 1 1996-September 30, 1997 describes the Connections Project within the Seward, Nebraska, public schools. The project provided four major activities to help Nebraska middle and high school teachers, mentors, and community members enhance student learning through integrated curricula…

This annual report for budget year October 1, 1997-September 30, 1998 describes year 2 of the Connections Project within the Seward, Nebraska public schools. This project (a technology challenge grant) provided four major activities to help Nebraska middle and high school teachers, mentors, and community members enhance student learning through…

Examines a social studies methods course where preservice teachers explored ways to use a variety of materials and sources to engage middle and high school students in higher order thinking about social studies content, especially with regard to historical thinking. Discusses students' responses. (MJP)