Gamified simulations, integrating gameplay into education, cater to younger learners' digital preferences and align with Next Generation Science Standards. Current virtual modules focus on advanced high school classes, leaving a gap for middle school students. This study investigated the impact of substituting recitations in a 6th-grade ecology…

The primary objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a scientific modeling skill assessment for grade 6 students in Thailand. The assessment comprised three test components: a multiple-choice test, a matching test, and a written test, which underwent rigorous evaluation through three trial processes. A total of 370 participants were…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how vulnerable refugee children's education can be supported in the first asylum country during a long-term, complex crisis. More specifically, the authors examine the impact of a remedial education (RE) program on academically challenged Syrian refugees' sustained learning and well-being in Jordan…

Concepts and practices are widely used to assess students' development in computational thinking (CT). However, less is known about how the development of each construct relates to that of the other. With a sample of 997 grade 6 students (average age = 11.43 at the beginning of the school year) from 14 primary schools, we examined the…

Attending to emotion in science classrooms can expand the range of resources valued for science learning, and it can offer insights into students' investigations. However, research that characterizes emotion as a part of disciplinary science learning is relatively nascent. In response, we explore the dynamic relationships between feelings,…

The aim of this study is to present the implementation steps of an engineering design process-based activity. The activity was implemented with 6th-grade students; 21 students were involved. Various visuals were used to attract the students' attention during the introduction of the activity, and discussions were held about engineers and…

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions middle school students had about agriculture and gardening as part of the GrOW (Gardening and Overall Wellness) Program. This included multiple constructs, including students' gardening efficacy, perceptions of those who had already completed the GrOW Program, perceptions of those who had…

Background: Research has shown that mathematics anxiety negatively correlates with primary school mathematics performance, including fraction knowledge. However, recently no significant correlation was found between fraction arithmetic performance and state anxiety measured after the fraction task. One possible explanation is the natural number…

The general aim of the study was to improve students' awareness of gender equality. An instructional design was developed in which mathematics, science, information technologies and software (ITS) courses were integrated, with the theme of gender equality at the center. The method of the study was determined as a case study. The participants of…

Current research indicates the presence of highly skilled and motivated students with robust computational thinking backgrounds seeking opportunities to leverage their expertise in driving innovation and success in this era. These studies also reveal that students' computational thinking skills vary widely depending on educational resources,…

Science classroom assessment often requires multilingual learners to demonstrate ideas using only English-language resources. These assessments can provide an incomplete picture of students' knowledge and limit subsequent learning opportunities. Increasingly, science teachers are incorporating translanguaging pedagogies in their instructional…

The overall objective of this study was to investigate the longitudinal association between diffusion of responsibility and pro-aggressive bystander behavior across three time points in upper elementary education. This three-wave longitudinal study included 1905 Swedish students who completed a questionnaire in at least one of the three waves: the…

Grounded in the literature on peer social capital, this study examines middle school students' perspectives on COVID-19-related changes in their peer interactions and friendships. Qualitative analyses of 146 students' survey responses showed that a majority experienced changes in their peer interactions and friendships. These students reported:…

Cognitive activation is an approach to instruction associated with increased mathematical achievement and engagement. However, researchers have questioned its effectiveness for students with different learner characteristics. A Year 6 class participated in a lesson designed using cognitive activation practices. Interviews with ten case study…

Middle school offers an entryway onto the path of college readiness. However, many practitioners and researchers have focused their efforts on high school students. Remaining is a population of potential college-going students, whose opportunities to prepare for college at an earlier stage are overlooked because middle school is not viewed as the…