Unpacking Middle School students’ perceptions regarding influences on academic success

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-64
Author(s):  
Tracy Worthington
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
First Year ◽  
School Students ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Community Influences ◽  
Sixth Grade Students

This single site case study examined influences on student success, as perceived by twelve selected sixth grade students (ages 11-12), at a mid-West U.S. middle school (grades 6-8). Using a strengths-based positivist approach, it examined how and why participants thought they had been academically successful during their first year of secondary school. Analysis of the resulting student-centered narrative applied elements of ecological systems theory to determine home, school, and community influences on academic success. This study reinforces the importance of listening to students, recognising the role student voice can have to improve the overall teaching and learning environment.

scholarly journals Unpacking middle school achievement: how students perceive the effect of home, school, and community influences on their academic success

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tracy A. Worthington
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Home School ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Community Influences ◽  
School And Community ◽  
And Coping

This transcendental phenomenological study set out to determine the nature and extent of influence on student success, as perceived by selected rising seventh-grade students at a particular mid-West middle school (grades 6-8), through analysis of a student-centered narrative. In particular, this study sought to ascertain how and why certain students believe they were successful, and how students perceive home, school, and community people and places to be positive and negative influences on their success in and outside of school. Analysis revealed that students see themselves ("self"), as well as individuals and places outside the home and school ("places and faces"), along with rewards and punishments (a "double-edged sword"), as combined influences on their success. Analysis of the student narrative also led to the development of an ecological footprint for the selected school, which revealed more influence from the macro-system than previously suggested by prior research. As such, it may be wise for schools, families, and community agencies, programs and individuals to develop mental health and coping strategies and programs to promote student success. Keywords: ecological systems theory, student voice, student success, middle school

Prevalence and Impact of Exposure to Interpersonal Violence Among Suburban and Urban Middle School Students

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Campbell ◽  
Donald F. Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
School Students ◽  
Urban Middle School ◽  
Sixth Grade Students

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of exposure to violence in preadolescent children in communities that vary by family income and to determine patterns of physical symptomatology and communication after exposure to a traumatic event. Methods. Two hundred twenty-eight sixth-grade students from a suburban middle school (school A) and 209 sixth-grade students from an urban middle school (school B) in the Philadelphia metropolitan area were surveyed by a group-administered anonymous questionnaire. Results. Two hundred two students (89%) from school A and 200 students (96%) from school B reported knowing someone who had been robbed, beaten, stabbed, shot, or murdered. One hundred twenty-nine students (57%) and 183 students (88%), respectively, witnessed a robbing, beating, stabbing, shooting, or murder. Ninety-one students (40%) and 141 students (67%) had been personally robbed, beaten up, stabbed, shot, or caught in gun cross fire. One hundred thirty-four (59%) and 152 (73%) reported hearing gunfire in their neighborhood. One hundred eighty-eight (82%) and 202 (97%) had at least one positive response in all three categories: knowing a victim, witnessing an event, and being a victim of violence. The proportion of positive responses from school B was significantly greater than the proportion from school A for all of these results. Many students reported symptoms associated with somatization syndromes, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder; the school B group had significantly more symptoms than the school A group. Both student groups had discussed episodes of witnessing an event or victimization with others, mostly family members and friends, and expressed feelings of fear, anger, sadness, and frustration about these episodes. A very low percentage of the students (from 1% to 8% in the different analyses) consulted a medical or mental health professional. Conclusions. These data support a substantial prevalence of exposure to violence for suburban and, even more dramatically, for urban middle school-aged children. The higher-prevalence group reported a higher incidence of symptoms sometimes seen after traumatic stress. Many students in both groups expressed multiple feelings about their exposure to violence, and most talked to someone about their exposure; rarely was this person a health professional.

How Fast Do Trees Grow? Using Tables and Graphs to Explore Slope

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 260-265
Author(s):  
Elana Joram ◽  
Vicki Oleson
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Middle School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Education Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Sixth Grade Students ◽  
Definition Of

Slope is one of the most important mathematical concepts that students encounter in middle school and high school. The concept of slope “weaves its way through algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus” (Anderson and Nelson 1994, p. 27), yet research with high school students shows that they can often calculate slope but are unable to interpret its meaning (Newburgh 2001; Stump 2001). This is a familiar problem in mathematics education; students learn a formula for solving a particular type of problem without conceptually understanding the relevant mathematical ideas. One way to enhance students' understanding of slope is to introduce it conceptually in middle school (Beckmann and Rozanski 1999), with the understanding that this conceptual foundation will provide a basis for the formal definition of slope to be introduced later on. In this article, we describe two related lessons for sixth-grade students that were designed to accomplish this goal.

Examining Middle-School Students' Uses of Diigo Annotations to Engage in Collaborative Argumentative Writing

2014 ◽  
pp. 80-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Castek ◽  
Richard Beach ◽  
Heather Cotanch ◽  
John Scott
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
School Students ◽  
Social Bookmarking ◽  
Science Texts ◽  
Diverse Classroom ◽  
Sixth Grade Students ◽  
Collaborative Annotation

This chapter explores the ways sixth grade students from a linguistically and culturally diverse classroom used Diigo, an online social bookmarking site, to engage in annotation writing focused on the discussion of science ideas within a text. While the use of apps has rapidly increased in schools, there remains little research on the ways annotation writing can be used to support scientific argumentation. Findings from this study indicate that students used the annotation app to pose questions, formulate claims, and request evidence from peers to answer questions or support claims. These results suggest that the process of collaborative annotation encourages students' documentation, critique, and refinement of ideas, which can aid learners in close reading of science texts.

scholarly journals Middle School Students’ Perceptions of the Quality of School Life in Ankara

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Figen Eres ◽  
Pinar Bilasa
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
School Management ◽  
School Life ◽  
School Students ◽  
Quality Perception ◽  
Quality Of School Life

The aim of this research is to measure the perception of middle school students in Ankara regarding the quality of school life. According to the findings obtained, the students have moderate level perceptions about the quality of school life. Their perceptions about sub-dimensions vary. While the students have the highest perceptions about sub-dimension “status”, they have the lowest perceptions about “school management”. The students have moderate perceptions about sub-dimension “student” which includes mutual relations between students. Similarly, they have moderate perceptions about feelings towards the school which include items related with school image as perceived by the students. The school management, which is directly responsible for the school climate and image, has an impact on life quality perception. Analyzing school life quality of the students by their demographic features, it was found that female students and students in a class consisting of 10-20 students have higher school life quality perception. Although academic success of the students varies, their school life quality perception does not vary.

scholarly journals DISCIPLINE IN EDUCATION: CAUSES AND POSSIBLE STRATEGIES TO CURB EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Adzrolo ◽  
Kenneth Asamoah-Gyimah ◽  
Andrews Cobbinah ◽  
Ruth Annan-Brew
Keyword(s):  
High Schools ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Descriptive Survey

<p>This paper investigated the causes and possible strategies to minimize examination malpractices in Senior High Schools (SHSs) in Ghana. A descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach was used for the study. Proportional stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 335 respondents which comprised 302 students and 33 teachers. Frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data gathered. The findings revealed that the leading cause of examination malpractices was ‘insufficient students’ preparation for WASSCE and Public education on effects of examination malpractices has also emerged as the number one strategy to minimize the menace. It was concluded that in schools where a conducive environment and teaching/ learning materials are not provided for effective academic work, performance falls below what is expected, to achieve academic success, students and teachers engage in examination malpractices to raise the academic image of the school. It was recommended that school authorities provide a conducive teaching and learning environment to ensure effective academic work in schools to minimize the menace.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0896/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Moodle

2013 ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Marcato ◽  
Elisabetta Scala
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Technological Equipment ◽  
School Students

The Project “Moodle: A Platform for a School” started in February 2010 in the first year of a cl@sse 2.0 of the middle school I.C.9 of Bologna. Through the integrated use of the Interactive WB, of personal notebooks of the students and of the technological equipment of the school, students and teachers have had the opportunity to use Moodle for socialization, exploration, and learning. The project has encouraged inclusion and has developed the students’ autonomy, making learning experience creative and motivating.

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