This unit, one of six which comprise the Fair Play program, examines male and female characteristics and behaviors in relation to genetics and environment. The Fair Play program is a series of student and teacher materials the purpose of which is to help students expand their female or male self-concepts, increase their decision-making skills, and…

One of the seven correlates of an effective school, as identified by the Effective Schools Research, is a positive school climate: a positive attitude on the part of the entire staff and student body exhibited through overt behavior that creates a warm, orderly learning environment. Development of such an environment depends upon: (1) strong…

The social climate of the early secondary school may be partially responsible for deteriorating parent-child communication and increasing misbehavior among early adolescents. Six hypotheses derived from this assertation were tested by surveying 501 parents and 661 students. The students, in grades 5 through 8, were enrolled in 10 schools that move…

A study was conducted to evaluate the Boston Public Schools Career Exploration Project. The project model contained assumptions regarding need for a significant amount of funding, a teacher training program, phased implementation with a concentration of effort in pilot schools, substantial amounts of materials, creation of positions of leadership,…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program to improve student motivation through the use of cooperative learning and multiple intelligences. The targeted population consisted of students in fourth, sixth, and tenth grade in a consolidated school district located in a rural area in the Midwest. The problems of low academic…

In a year-long study of classroom reform toward more constructivist teaching and learning practices, 125 rural seventh graders engaged in design-based inquiry and learned research and communication skills by designing hypermedia materials to teach peers. Data from one participating teacher illustrate the evolution of new instructional practices…

Reports on a study of instructional strategies and beliefs among 18 middle-school U.S. history teachers and 60 middle-school students. Finds the most widely used strategies involve active learning, group projects, and student participation. Includes a table of the 10 most used strategies and 4 recommendations for instructional design. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the effects of single-sex and mixed-sex schooling on personality characteristics among 2095 Belgian sixth-grade students. Finds that it is not the student gender composition but the gender composition of the teaching staff that exerts influence. (CFR)

Characteristics related to help-seeking (perceived competence, motivational orientation, attitudes and beliefs, and age) were examined for 177 children in grades 3, 5, and 7. By grade seven, positive and negative attitudes were influential. Developmental and individual difference factors are discussed in connection with help-seeking and academic…

The school lives of culturally diverse young adolescents identified as potential dropouts were studied ethnographically. Data collected across two years indicated that teachers who students considered most successful in helping them learn used practices based on knowledge about students' home cultures and knowledge about the impact of students'…

This study was designed to contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on the influence of gender in technology-rich collaborative learning environments. The study examined middle school students attitudes towards using computers and working in groups during scientific inquiry. Students attitudes towards technology and group work were…

Based on an ethnographic case study done in an all-white, rural middle school, this article examines the students' experience with and interpretation of an international education program implemented with a hope of providing more global/international contents to the curriculum. The study shows that these students interpreted other cultures…

Changes in students' (N=313) present and possible "good student" selves over the transition from elementary school to middle school are examined by this study. Findings indicate that both present and possible selves decline over the transition, and that the decline is greater for males than for females. Holding mastery goals is related to…

A federal program designed to reduce dropout rates in middle schools among limited-English-proficient (LEP) students is described. The program trains LEP middle school students at risk of dropping out as tutors for elementary school children. A demonstration project trained 101 Hispanic student tutors in two Texas school districts. Evaluation of…

This unit, one of six which comprise the Fair Play program, teaches students to use data analysis skills to examine sex differences in career choices, mathematics attitudes, and treatment in the labor force. The Fair Play program is a series of student and teacher materials the purpose of which is to help students expand their female or male…