Students' understanding of nature of science (NOS) has been largely examined primarily in written or verbal modes. The visual, verbal, and written modes are essential for students' meaning-making of NOS. However, research has sidelined the interaction among these three modes in understanding students' collaborative discourse of NOS. Informed by…

Grade retention is one of the most discussed and controversial educational measures, and yet, it is still widely applied in many countries. Research investigating the effects of grade retention on students' psychosocial variables presents mixed findings, partly due to the variables assessed, methodological issues, and the length of the studies.…

Research-based science curriculum has become a common means of supporting best practices in science teaching. In response to his middle school's transition from one such commercially available science curriculum to another, a seventh-grade science teacher elected to make certain changes to the newly adopted curriculum in its first year of use.…

Background and context: Historically underrepresented youth in computer science persistently experience barriers making it difficult to see themselves in the computer science field including computer science programs and curricula with consistent stereotypical references focused on competition, individualism, and male-associated topics…

Gifted students have unique social-emotional needs that are amplified through their heightened sensitivities or overexcitabilities. Common traits that gifted students exhibit in addition to their social-emotional needs are similar to those needed for the optimal level of citizenship, the justice-oriented citizen. This qualitative study asked a…

This project-based thesis aimed to facilitate the creation of a collaborative culture quilt that celebrates the diverse cultural backgrounds, heritage, and traditions of students and teachers. The curriculum focused on various artists from different cultures, expanding students' understanding of art and culture both inside and outside the…

An increasing amount of research has indicated that the effectiveness of growth mindset (GM) intervention is sensitive to population characteristics. However, few studies have investigated whether GM interventions can be leveraged to promote academic performance among non-westerners such as Chinese students. Attuning to the Chinese background, we…

Despite ample evidence for the benefits of parental autonomy support and the harms of parental psychological control to Chinese adolescents' well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents'…

Bullying behavior has problematic psychosocial ramifications for the bully, victim, and those who are both a bully and a victim. The Bully Prevention Challenge Course Curriculum utilizes a challenge ropes course to address bully behaviors in seventh-grade middle school classes. The program incorporates the use of challenge activities framed with…

Study examined how environmental and physical characteristics contribute to the emergence of adolescent girls' dating behavior. Subjects were girls who attend dance schools and girls who do not.

Examines self-consistency and self-enhancement motivation roles in adolescent cigarette smoking. Respondents were 1,971 fifth through eighth graders. They were asked to provide information about the number of cigarettes they had smoked in their lifetime and to rate themselves and most smokers on nine dimensions tapping coolness, sociability, and…

The Loudoun County, Virginia, middle school home economics curriculum has been designed to meet the unique needs of the early adolescent. It is based on three major concepts: (1) basic skills; (2) self-knowledge/understanding/decision making; and (3) independence/interdependence. This guide on teen living for seventh graders includes a curriculum…

This home economics curriculum for the middle school (grades 6-8) is designed to assist students in developing self-concept, making decisions, and developing basic skills. Written by a group of home economics teachers, this curriculum contains nine learning packages on the following topics: (1) consumer management; (2) decision management; (3)…

This curriculum guide for seventh-grade teachers contains values-based classroom lessons which are intended to assist students in the development of (1) a positive self-concept, (2) rational thinking processes, (3) inter- and intrapersonal skills necessary for individual and group effectiveness, and (4) a personal and societal value system.…

The 17 seventh grade social studies activities, designed for career education, focus on: personal development; self-analysis; awareness of occupational choices; career development over a lifetime; knowledge of useful skills for appropriate careers, future job opportunities; occupational clusters; the interrelationship between work, leisure, and…