The nine studies contained in this volume represent efforts to better understand and develop improved programs for middle school students. Research briefs deal with such topics as the attitudes of students, teachers, and principals; middle school characteristics; the degree of middle school program implementation; a guidance program model;…

This is one of four studies which review the state of the art of globalized curriculum development. This new view requires teachers and children to have an ability to deal with tremendous complexity, see situations in new ways - outside past experience - and to perceive system dynamics instead of structural statics. It is a much broader…

A unit of study--"Attitudes and the Disabled: A Values Education Approach"--developed to help Canadian students develop positive attitudes toward the disabled is described and evaluated. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders who studies the unit developed significantly more positive attitudes than other students. (RM)

A study investigated the effects of having a classroom book collection on the reading comprehension, reading attitudes, and reading habits (quantity and type of books read) of 54 students of English as a second language in two middle school classes in southern California, grades 5 and 6. Approximately half of each class had access to a collection…

Despite increases in the number of middle school using interdisciplinary team teaching, many are struggling to articulate a clear defense of their teaming work in light of confounding and conflicting public demands. This compilation examines teaming in middle schools--its characteristics, knowledge base, current concerns and future adaptations.…

This action research project sought to increase motivation in fifth-grade social studies students. Observations and measures of student attitudes and achievement indicated a lack of student interest in learning activities. Two categories of intervention were implemented: (1) instruction in the use of learning strategies, including graphic…

Examined relationship between the cognitive demands of instruction and student motivation in fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade mathematics classrooms. Found through observation and survey data that sixth- and seventh-grade math lessons were characterized by significantly fewer elements of higher-order thinking than fifth-grade math lessons, and…

Addresses decision-making skills as one approach to increasing adolescents' ability to manage interpersonal violence. Data from Healthy Transitions, a pilot violence prevention study in Baltimore (Maryland), illustrate ways adolescents think about situations of social conflict and highlight the need to understand adolescents' viewpoints when…

Researchers consistently underestimate the enormous potential of children to participate in the construction of their own learning environments and as research partners in examining learning. The paper chronicles one 6-year collaborative project with students on research in literacy learning and highlights students' perspectives on what the…

Five boys and five girls each in grades one through six (n=60 students) asked controversial questions in interviews, recognized the lack of social consensus on the controversial topics and made subtle distinctions between controversial and noncontroversial topics. Implications for discussion of controversial issues in the classroom are discussed.…

Examines relationships between television viewing and sex-role attitudes and behaviors for 530 fourth and fifth graders from the perspective of cultivation theory. Correlation and regression analyses reveal that television viewing is positively related to children's attitudes toward sex-stereotyped chores. Those who watched more television…

Describes three programs funded by the Toyota Appreciation Program for Excellence to Science Teachers Reaching Youth (TAPESTRY) program: (1) High School Hawk Watch promotes wildlife awareness student research; (2) Science without Bounds makes science accessible to at-risk and minority students; and (3) Kansas Environmental Monitoring Network…

Surveys of Native-American students in grades six through eight examined their attitudes toward and knowledge of fetal-alcohol-syndrome risk factors and prevention strategies. Results revealed that there were limited prevention programs in middle schools, though students considered it an important topic. Families and peers were the most important…

A middle school teacher asked her students how they felt they learned best and how they felt a teacher could assess what they learned. Students perceived a large gap between their learning and what tests reflected they had learned. They provided suggestions for a more effective tool for measuring learning. (SM)

The unit which this teacher's guide and student notebook are designed to implement is intended for use with students in grades 4-6 in the Northwest Territories (Canada). The unit aims to develop in students an understanding of the concepts related to rules and laws; the need to deal with rules and laws in a constructive manner; and an appreciation…