This study seeks to share teachers' and principals' voices from middle schools in the Southeastern United States who are attempting to help their students achieve academic success. Obtaining a snapshot of middle schools in the Southeastern United States provides opportunities to recognize trends and identify challenges about the current…

School connectedness is associated with a broad range of positive academic and mental health outcomes. A dimension of school connectedness, student-teacher connectedness, is related to improved academic progress and may be an important protective factor against risk-taking behaviors, particularly for low-income students and for those with limited…

This study investigated what 12 prospective mathematics teachers (PTs) in a middle school mathematics method course reported during a video-stimulated recall interview about their experiences when they were engaged in a doing math task that yielded an Opportunity for Productive Struggle (OPS). We investigated their reported feelings during the…

Family-school partnership interventions can effectively address behavioral concerns in students (Smith et al., 2020). However, little is known about factors impacting successful delivery of behavioral strategies by parents and teachers in the context of such interventions, particularly for adolescent populations. This study used a mixed methods…

The impact of COVID-19 on education involved an abrupt switch from face-to-face instruction toward emergency remote teaching/learning. In public schools, teachers and students were required to undertake language education using virtual learning platforms. This shift created certain problems for both teachers and students. This qualitative research…

This study addresses teacher retention in Title 1 urban middle schools, focusing on why veteran teachers remain despite the challenges. Anchored in self-determination theory, the study explores how fulfilling the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness impacts teachers' decisions to stay. Employing a qualitative descriptive…

Critical thinking skills are thinking processes with rational decision-making based on the principle of truth. This study aims to determine the teacher's perception in applying the necessary thinking skills of junior and senior high school students in learning mathematics. This research is qualitative research with a phenomenological type of…

The main goal in this study was to explore the impact of a professional learning community (PLC) on social studies (SS) teachers' professional development (PD) and student academic achievement. With this in mind, the study was carried out using a design-based research approach with an overarching ADDIE design model. The participants of the study…

High-quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education provides unique opportunities for students' futures. STEM education requires integrating multiple disciplines and promotes students' problem-solving skills when engaging with real-world problems like engineers. Teachers have prominent roles in helping students develop…

Mathematics achievement levels in the middle school grades have reportedly been below proficiency for students in the United States. The math workshop model has been identified as a possible approach to increase student achievement in mathematics. The purpose of this generic qualitative study, guided by Mezirow's transformative learning theory,…

This report describes initial findings from a study of middle school science curriculum materials that were designed to promote learning as called for by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). WestEd led an independent randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the NGSS-designed Amplify Science Middle School (ASMS) curriculum.…

Differentiated instruction, an inclusive teaching strategy incorporating essential skills while individualizing curriculum at current instructional levels, has little inquiry into its effect on standards-based grading system within the middle grades setting. This qualitative study was designed to better understand teacher perceptions of…

The purpose of the study was to understand the virtual teacher's knowledge and perception of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their middle school students with regard to cultural difference and gender difference. ADHD is the most common behavioral disorder in students aged 3-17, with almost 10% of students in the United States…

The purpose of "practical work" in chemistry lessons as perceived by teachers varies and does not always correspond with an emphasis on procedural learning. Teachers project various objectives in them. These activities have various characteristics and potential. The goal of this study is to find out the set of characteristics of…

This study seeks to illuminate and describe the experience of students engaging in mathematical portfolios. In particular, this study reveals key insights into how students demonstrate their mathematical identity and metacognition. Portfolio assessment has been described as an intentional collection of evidence that captures student…