Search

numerous stressors, such as test anxiety, imposter phenomenon, and perfectionism. The association between the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism is well-studied, but test anxiety as a mediator of this association is not examined. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of test anxiety on the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism among Pakistani high-achieving students. Additionally, we investigated gender and grade differences for junior and senior high school students. In the present cross-sectional survey study, participants (n = 250) aged 15–18 years responded to the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Westside Test Anxiety Scale. Findings showed that perfectionism increased by 39% with a one-unit increase in the imposter phenomenon. Test anxiety was a significant positive mediator of the association between imposter phenomenon and perfectionism. T -test showed girls had higher scores on the imposter phenomenon and test anxiety than boys. One-way ANOVA revealed significant educational grade differences with small effect sizes, and junior high school students scored higher than senior high school students on study variables. About 44% and 48% of 250 participants reported having moderate and frequent imposter symptoms, respectively. Almost 36.5% of high-achievers had low test anxiety, and 50% of high-achievers had normal test anxiety. The study presents a discussion of the merits and demerits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to explore the Chinese version of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale suitable for gifted junior high school students and to classify the types of perfectionism. The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale was translated into Chinese to evaluate the factor structure and typology of academically gifted students in Taiwan. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure with 31 items in a 212 junior high school student sample. The validation study included a total of 498 academically gifted students. Factor analyses produced three rather than the six previously predicted factors. With some modifications, confirmatory factor analysis and accepted composite reliability supported the same three-factor structure. The study used 18 items to validate the three-structure and discovered three types of perfectionists: healthy, unhealthy, and non-perfectionist. The study supported the tool's effectiveness in determining the state and typology of perfectionism in gifted students. Plain language summary: The aim of the study was to development the Chinese version of Frost muiltiple-dimension perfectionism scale for gifted students in junior high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on online language learning is extensive but mainly focused on higher education setting. However, secondary school learners' distance learning experiences and psychological profile have been largely neglected due to the fact that teenagers are rarely involved in distance learning. This situation has changed with schools moving their classrooms online in a time of crisis during COVID-19. To address this issue, this study adopts a mixed-methods research design to investigate Chinese EFL (English-as-a-foreign-language) learners' virtual experience in distance English learning, based on theories of positive psychology and technology acceptance model (TAM). Participants were 323 students from junior high schools and 398 students from senior high schools in China. Data were collected by both questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative results from independent samples t-tests and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate that, first, junior high school students reported a significantly more positive perception than senior sample in all six measured constructs. Second, the predictive effects of social presence and flow on technology acceptance were broadly confirmed in both groups. Qualitative analysis reveals that learners had complex and multifaceted perceptions, highlighting the two-sided nature of distance English learning: technology can be both facilitating and challenging. This study aims at exploring the factors influencing learners' acceptance of online English learning, providing ideas for optimizing the online learning environment, and maximizing the benefits and potential of online English learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addressed the issue of school alienation (SA) among high school students in Taiwan; SA is believed to contribute to dropout, violence, gangs, and deviant behavior. To measure SA, we propose a four-construct model in this study, comprising powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, and social isolation. Using two studies, an SA scale (SAS) was developed and validated. Study 1 developed and preliminarily validated the four constructs of SA using item and exploratory factor analyses with 227 junior high school students as participants. Study 2 validated the theoretical structure of SA using second-order confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 708 junior high school students. The cross-validation of Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that the proposed SAS is robust, valid, and effective for measuring the degree of SA among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of non-cognitive skills and the relationship between non-cognitive skills and cognitive skills have been studied using an interdisciplinary framework; however, this has not resulted in learning or teaching improvements. This study focused on teachers' observational assessment of non-cognitive skills specific to junior high school mathematics. Questionnaire surveys were used and a factor analysis was conducted. Three factors were identified to assess non-cognitive skills specific to junior high school mathematics based on teachers' observations: cooperation in mathematical problem-solving, spirit of inquiry in mathematical problem-solving, and composure in mathematical problem-solving. To analyze the relationship between each factor and the overall assessment of cognitive skills in junior high school mathematics, each factor's assessment was divided according to the stages of cognitive skills. A positive proportionality emerged between the assessment of the non-cognitive skills and cognitive skills. If these two assessments are treated independently, the findings suggest that teachers may have difficulty distinguishing between the assessments, both of which are specific to junior high school mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners' motivation to learn a second language (L2). However, little research has investigated how this motivational impact takes place. Additionally, despite the flexibility of mobile learning, most existing studies are conducted in classroom settings, with less attention paid to out-of-school technology usage. Design/Approach/Methods: To address these gaps, we present a model based on self-determination theory and propose the idea of "motivational transfer" to explain the psychological mechanism underpinning the impact of technology. To examine the model, we conducted a case study with 20 Year 8 Chinese junior school students who used Duolingo to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) after school for 6 weeks. Findings: Questionnaire and group interview data support our hypothesized mechanism: learners' activity-specific intrinsic motivation (IM) for using Duolingo and their underlying psychological need for autonomy and competence can be transferred to a more general level, thereby enhancing learners' global IM for L2. Originality/Value: The proposed theoretical model expands our understanding of how digital technology stimulates learners' L2 motivation; it can help L2 educators design better technological affordances to promote learners' motivation both in and outside the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore both the relationship between parenting style and the pro-bullying behavior of junior high school students and the roles of peer relationship and deviant peer interaction in that relationship. The parenting style questionnaire, peer relationship questionnaire, deviant peer interaction questionnaire, and pro-bullying behavior questionnaire were used to survey 886 junior high school students in China. A SPSS statistical package (26.0) was used for data analysis. Parenting style, peer relationship, deviant peer interaction, and pro-bullying behavior were all significantly correlated. Peer relationship and deviant peer interaction played complete mediating roles respectively between parenting style and pro-bullying behavior. Peer relationship and deviant peer interaction played a chain-type mediating role between style and pro-bullying behavior. Parenting style is an important parenting factor in pro-bullying behavior, indirectly affecting junior high school students' pro-bullying behavior by influencing their peer relationship and deviant peer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the interactive effects of maternal and paternal warmth as well as behavioral control on adolescents' anxiety in Ghana and whether these linkages varied between adolescents in rural and urban contexts. Participants were 211 junior high school students (61% girls; 39% boys; Mage = 13.43; SDage = 2.03) who completed measures of parenting behaviors and experiences of anxiety. Results revealed significant two-way interaction effects such that higher levels of maternal warmth in conjunction with lower levels of paternal warmth were associated with higher levels of adolescents' anxiety. In addition, higher levels of paternal (but not maternal) warmth predicted lower anxiety in urban families, but not rural families. Moreover, higher maternal behavioral control combined with higher paternal behavioral control predicted lower anxiety, although this association was only observed for a small subset of the sample. Findings highlight the complementary roles of both mothers and fathers in influencing adolescents' anxiety and the importance of family context in shaping parenting influence. Interventions targeting positive parenting behaviors should focus on both mothers and fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between stressful life events (SLE) and school engagement and to determine if there are some likely mediating variables between them. A sample of 1517 Chinese junior high school students (51.5% female) completed the adolescent self-rating life events checklist (ASLEC), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-student (UWES-s), cognitive fusion questionnaire (CFQ), and positive psychological capital questionnaire (PPQ). The model was calculated using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The serial mediator model revealed a significant negative effect of SLE on school engagement through psychological flexibility and psychological capital (effect = −.08, 95% CI [−.10, −.06]). There was also a direct mediating effect through psychological capital (effect = −.17, 95% CI [−.21, −.13]). The results of the present study may help to clarify mechanisms that might explain the association between SLE and school engagement. Future research on improving school engagement should consider the critical roles of psychological flexibility and psychological capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School bullying occurs frequently in primary and secondary schools, which is a global problem and it often brings serious physical and mental harm to the victims. When school bullying occurs, there may be a large number of bystanders in addition to the bullies and victims. What actions bystanders take affects the progress of school bullying. Relevant studies indicate that social norms including how peers around them react (descriptive norms) and how important adults such as teachers and parents demand (injunctive norms) play important roles in bystanders’ action-taking, but limited studies have considered individual differences. Therefore, this study used a person-centered approach to explore the co-existence patterns of social norms and bystanders’ defending intention to further understand their relations. We surveyed 1,384 junior high school students in China by self-report questionnaires, and they were asked to assess their defending intention when witnessing school bullying events under different contexts of social norms. Through latent profiles analysis, five co-existing patterns were identified: no norms–no defending group (4.8%), parent norms–no defending group (3.6%), weak norms–low defending group (24.3%), teacher-peer norms–medium defending group (40.6%), teacher-peer norms–high defending group (26.7%). In four out of the five patterns, students’ levels of defending intention were highly consistent with the levels of peer and teacher norms, but largely contradicted parent norms. This suggests that descriptive norms from peers and injunctive norms from teachers, other than those from parents are crucial for promoting bystanders’ defending intention, which provides important enlightenment for school bullying prevention. These findings provide important enlightenment for the prevention and control of school bullying in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigmatization of overweight and obese individuals is common in interpersonal relationships. This study investigated longitudinal weight change patterns among Taiwanese adolescents and the relationship of weight change patterns with delayed romantic experience from late adolescence to young adulthood by using a representative panel survey. Individuals were divided into six weight change pattern categories according to changes in their body mass index. Two-stage stratified and clustered sampling was used to obtain a representative student sample, and 1,834 junior high school students were followed up over 7 years. Persistent obesity and a change from an underweight to a normal weight status over 7 years were independently associated with delayed romantic experience in both sexes. Moreover, females but not males who changed from an underweight or normal weight status to an overweight or obese status had increased odds of delayed romantic experience. Persistent obesity should be addressed early in life because it plays a crucial role in delayed romantic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although career construction theory has been utilized to understand how to construct the career process, it remains unclear how the various factors involved in this process interact comprehensively. In this study, we introduced the career construction network to explore the career development of junior high school students (N = 372) and senior high school students (N = 516) and its influencing factors, and investigated the adaptive readiness, adaptability resources, adapting responses, adaptation results and environmental factors within the network. The results showed that hope and proactive personality occupied influential positions in the network of junior high school students; hope exhibited the highest values of strength and closeness in the senior high school student sample; parental career-related behaviors, as the environmental factors, were located in the peripheral clusters of the two networks. In conclusion, this study provides insights and targeted intervention suggestions for adolescent career training methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little information on indoor risk factors for dermatitis in Japan. We studied associations between dermatitis in Japanese junior high school students in Hyogo prefecture and the home environment. A standardised questionnaire was sent to students in four schools (12–15 years old), 1048 (99%) participated. Data on the home environment was collected by the questionnaire. Associations were analysed by multilevel logistic regression in mutually adjusted models, calculating odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. A total of 15.2% reported current dermatitis, 8.8% cat allergy, 6.1% dog allergy, 6.0% mould allergy, 25.7% pollen allergy and 32.3% any allergy (a history of atopy). Female gender (OR 1.65), a history of atopy (OR 2.14), new building materials (indoor paint or floor materials) (OR 1.59), dampness or indoor mould (OR 1.51) and windowpane condensation in winter (OR 1.45) were associated with current dermatitis. The association between window pane condensation and dermatitis was stronger in students without a history of atopy (interaction p =0.02). In conclusion, dampness, indoor mould and window pane condensation in wintertime can be household risk factors for dermatitis in adolescents. Chemical emissions from new building materials, especially paint and floor materials, can be another risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we studied the influence of different programming approaches on the development of students' computational thinking (CT) skills, the programming experience and gender differences in CT development were also discussed. A total of 158 junior high school students and one teacher participated in the study over 5 months. The sample students were divided into four experimental groups in four single or combined programming approaches (i.e., plugged-in, unplugged, unplugged first, and plugged-in first) and one control group without programming. Data sources included the results of four CT tests, as well as interviews with the teacher and surveys with 24 representative participants. The results showed that the four programming approaches can effectively improve students' CT skills and can be retained after two months. Among them, the form of implementing unplugged activities before plugged-in can most effectively improve CT skills, and can better weaken the impact of previous programming experience. Finally, the qualitative analysis results provided insights into the process of programming and CT education. These findings will provide implications for the introduction of CT in junior high school, and help expand students' participation in computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine whether two types of teacher humor (Aggressive Humor and Affinity Humor) are predictors of students' mental health. A self-report scale was administered to 500 elementary and junior high school students in grades 4 to 9 (mean age 12.04, SD = 1.76) asking questions about perceived teacher humor, stress response, emotional well-being, and self-esteem. Aggressive humor was a significant positive predictor of stress response and a significant negative predictor of emotional well-being. Affinity humor was a significant positive predictor of emotional well-being and self-esteem. These results suggest that the teacher's humor is related to students' mental health. We conclude that teachers should refrain from using aggressive humor as much as possible in favor of affinity humor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing research has explored the effects of growth mindset intervention on individuals in Western culture. This study sought to determine whether growth mindset intervention has a positive impact on adolescents in economically disadvantaged areas of China. Participants in this study were 324 junior high school students who were randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group received six weeks of intervention classes designed to help students learn, internalize, and reinforce the concept of growth mindset. The aims of intervention were to build students' beliefs that the brain is plastic and that individuals can change by their efforts and help students acquire the strategies to cope with the difficulties. The control group was given six classes on mental health, including time management, habit formation, and memory strategies, which were unrelated to growth mindset. All participants' implicit theory of intelligence, fixed-trait attributions, grit, and state anxiety were assessed in the pre-test and post-test. The results showed that compared with the control group, the intervention group had a significant increase in growth mindset, the level of grit, and decrease in fixed-trait attributions. That is, for students in the intervention group, strengthening of growth mindset was accompanied by more frequent use of process-focused attribution styles, more perseverance, and greater efforts when faced with challenges and setbacks. Collectively, the results suggested that having a strong growth mindset of intelligence may help students adopt more proactive coping strategies and protect them from the deleterious effects of poverty on student development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching English in a classroom setting where EFL learners were usually sitting at desks and doing English learning tasks using paper and pencil is inefficient. It has considerable potential problems that could lead to students learning in a passive state. More specifically, the teaching materials are inconsistent with students' authentic experiences, which decreases the learning efficiency, learning motivation, and levels of interactivity. An annotatable multimedia E-reader (AME) was developed to address these problems. The provided various annotation tools to help students create dramas with authentic contexts. The study participants were 48 junior high school students and divided into the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). Results revealed that learning English through drama with AME assistance in authentic contexts significantly improved the participants' learning achievements. In other words, the learning achievements of the EG were superior to those of the CG. Moreover, the results indicated that different learning behaviors were significantly related to different learning achievements. Thus, the greater the diversity of learning behaviors practiced by the students in the drama activity in authentic contexts, the higher the students' learning scores on different dimensions. Finally, the results indicated that using the AME in authentic contexts was beneficial for English learning through drama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking has received tremendous attention from computer science educators and educational researchers in the last decade. However, most prior literature defines computational thinking as thinking outcomes rather than thinking processes. Based on Selby and Woodland's framework, this study developed and validated the Computational Thinking Scale (CTS) to assess all students' thought processes of computational thinking for both general and specific problem-solving contexts in five dimensions: abstraction, decomposition, algorithmic thinking, evaluation and generalization. A survey including 25 candidate items for CTS as well as demographic variables was administered to 388 junior high school students in Taiwan. An explorative factor analysis using the principal axis method with the oblimin rotation was used to validate the scale. Finally, 19 items were extracted successfully under the designed five dimensions, with a total explained variance of 64.03% and an overall reliability of 0.91. Results of the demographic comparisons showed that boys had a greater disposition than girls in decomposition thinking when solving problems using computer programming. In addition, programming learning experience, especially self-directed learning and after-school learning, had significant positive effects on all dimensions of CTS. Several future studies are suggested using this tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the role of design thinking in contemporary computer literacy education, this study aimed to examine the relationship between young students' design thinking disposition and their computer programming self-efficacy. To assess students' design thinking disposition, this study developed the Design Thinking Disposition Scale (DTDS) with a sample of 350 junior high school students who had computer programming experience in a STEAM course. A principle axis factor analysis with the promax rotation method was used to verify the DTDS's construct under the four dimensions: empathize, define, ideate and prototype. The Cronbach's alpha reliability was.90 for the overall scale. Correlation analyses results showed that all the four dimensions were significantly correlated with computer programming self-efficacy assessed by CPSES. A significant regression model was found in which the three factors, ideate, prototype and define, significantly predicted the overall computer programming self-efficacy. Meanwhile, except for the ideate subscale, no gender difference was found in the young students' design thinking dispositions. The students' self-directed programming learning experience was shown to benefit their design thinking disposition. The DTDS can be applied to design-thinking-embedded computer literacy curricula such as makers, STEAM, or robotics education. Several further studies are also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating science learning with game experience and physical manipulatives not only overcomes the rigidity of traditional teaching, but also makes the learning experience pleasant for students and improves their science inquiry ability. Today, with the popularization of mobile devices and technology, both the value and feasibility of gamified science learning have increased significantly. However, several studies showed that students might get lost or feel bored during science inquiry. To let students enjoy the science inquiry process and improve their science process skills, the researchers combined mobile technology, game design elements, and science inquiry and designed the gamified science inquiry activity "we are aircraft designers". Here, students designed and manipulated a smartphone-controlled paper airplane by mobile devices connected via Bluetooth. To investigate the effects of the gamified science inquiry activity, the flow state and science process skills of 71 students of a junior high school in China were explored. The proposed gamified science inquiry activity enhanced flow and science process skills of students with high and middle level flow. No differences were found on flow and science process skills between males and females. Based on these results, the guidelines for the design of a gamified science inquiry activity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico, by the end of compulsory education, half of the junior high school students attain the lowest level in international maths assessments. To reach a better understanding of how people learn mathematical skills and how to improve in teaching methods, researchers have looked at the intersection of cognitive psychology and maths education: the field of numerical cognition. However, there is a limited amount of research with Mexican students. This paper provides an overview of the studies published to date. This overview shows that research started with an interest in how to evaluate maths skills and identify children with maths difficulties; however, in the last five years, researchers have started to study younger and atypical populations using more diverse methods. The field of numerical cognition in Mexico is still emerging; however, in years to come, there should be additional informative and exciting research from laboratories in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants for adolescent participation in sports and to determine the impact of an alternate model of sport delivery (i.e., school intramural sports). More specifically, this study used the theory of planned behavior to highlight factors that might contribute to young people's decisions to play sports and to determine what impact an alternate model of sport delivery would have on intention to participate in sport. Three hundred and three students in grades seven and eight completed measures of their participation in intramural and extramural sports and items related to the theory of planned behavior. In addition to results that showed a relatively large number of students participating in school intramural sports, notable differences in the relative contributions of the predictor variables of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were found across different sport-participation subgroups. Suggestions for future research are made in the context of the limitations of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study constructed a situation-based career interest assessment (SCIA) that is suitable for applying to junior high school students. The assessment framework is based on Holland’s theory of vocational interest. The subjects for the pilot study and the formal test were 1,072 junior high school students and 1,136 junior high school students, respectively. The results of reliability tests produced correlation coefficients between .77 and .95, exploratory factor analysis produced factor loadings between .32 and .92 for six factors, and confirmatory factor analysis produced relative fit indices of .95 across the comparative fit index and nonnormed fit index, indicating a satisfactory goodness of fit. Convergent and discriminant validity analyses indicated that the SCIA has acceptable construct validity. Multidimensional scaling analysis, internal correlation, and randomization test showed that the interest structure of adolescents and the relationship among interest types are only partially consistent with Holland’s theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that female role models can improve women’s math performance, whereas male role models can lower it. In this field experiment, we examined the following research questions: (a) Does the explanation a role model gives for the role model’s success in math help girls perform as well as boys in math, regardless of the role model’s gender? And (b) what are the underlying mechanisms of the role models’ influence? Sixth graders were exposed to the description of a female or male role model before a difficult math test; they were informed about the reason for the role model’s math success (exerted effort vs. being gifted vs. no explanation). The results indicated that girls scored as well as boys on a difficult math test after exposure to a hardworking role model. They performed less well than boys after exposure to a role model whose success was not explained or was explained by the role model’s gift. Moreover, serial mediation analyses showed that both boys and girls identified more with the hardworking role model than with the other two role models, which increased the boys’ and girls’ perceived self-efficacy in math and in turn increased math performance. We discuss the contributions of this study to identifying relevant role models for girls in math. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined junior high school students’ knowledge about the process of argumentative writing and whether discourse knowledge predicted students’ writing performance. Participants were 26 ninth grade students (aged 13–15). Students wrote an argumentative text and responded to questions assessing their declarative knowledge about writing in general, and their declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge about argumentative writing in particular. Students’ responses describing the argumentative writing process were mainly centred on substantive and production procedures, on abilities associated with writing and on seeking assistance for text composing. Descriptions were mainly focused on opinion writing, omitting the importance of taking an argumentative position and of using evidence to support arguments and counterarguments. A reduced number of students considered the need to accommodate their writing to a potential reader. In addition, knowledge of substantive procedures and knowledge of reader’s fit were significantly correlated with writing quality and planning complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations between home environment factors and respiratory symptoms, and reported allergies among junior high school students in Kobe, Japan (N = 1048) were investigated in the present study. These were mutually adjusted for age, sex, type of school (private/local) and their significant exposures to the environment. Totally 13.4% of students reported to have doctor's diagnosed asthma, 9.9% had wheeze and 50.1% had attacks of daytime breathlessness during past 12 months, 25.7% of students reported that they had pollen allergy, 8.8% had cat allergy and 6.1% had dog allergy. Totally 29.4% of students were living in a wooden house and during past 12 months, 18% of students reported that their homes had signs of dampness, 38.2% of homes had window condensation in winter and 7.8% of homes had indoor painting. Window condensation was associated with wheeze (odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–2.34), daytime breathlessness (OR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.56–2.63), airway infection during past 12 months (OR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.17–2.37), cat allergy (OR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.05–2.54); mould allergy (OR = 1.84; 95%CI 1.08–3.12) and pollen allergy (OR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.15–2.06). Recent indoor painting was associated with daytime breathlessness (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.12–3.00), dog allergy (OR = 2.23; 95% CI 1.02–4.85) and mould allergy (OR = 2.43; 95% CI 1.14–5.17). Living in a wooden house was associated with dog allergy (OR = 2.17; 95% CI 1.18–4.00) and mould allergy (OR = 1.98; 95% CI 1.04–3.76). In conclusion, in Japanese homes, the window condensation in winter, recent indoor painting and living in a wooden house could contribute to the increased risk of respiratory symptoms and allergies for young Japanese school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS - We examined the effects of temperamental dispositions, friends using alcohol and parental monitoring on grade 7 students' alcohol use patterns. DESIGN - The analyses were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 3710 grade 7 students (mean age =12.53) that participated in a large Norwegian school-based intervention study. Alcohol user patterns were measured through combining self-reported lifetime alcohol experience, heavy episodic drinking and any alcohol involvement in the previous 30 days. Behavioural inhibition/activation sensitivity (BIS/BAS), parental monitoring and the number of friends using alcohol were measured through the adolescents' self-report. RESULTS - As many as 68.8% of boys and 83.3% of girls were non-users of alcohol, whereas 9.1% of boys and 3.9% of girls reported use of alcohol last month. Heavy episodic drinking last month was reported by 3.1% of the boys and by 0.8 % of the girls. A multinomial regression analysis revealed strong associations between the number of friends using alcohol and alcohol user patterns, moderate inverse associations between parental monitoring and alcohol user patterns, and a weak association between BIS/BAS components and alcohol user patterns. CONCLUSION - The results demonstrate the importance of socio-environmental factors in a period in which alcohol use is predictive of later negative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bandura's self-efficacy source hypothesis was examined by testing whether success and a vicarious experience of success would enhance self-efficacy among 159 7th graders (81 boys, 78 girls). Unknown to themselves or their classmates, 20 students (Success condition) were presented with easier anagram tasks, allowing them to outperform their 60 classmates (Control condition). The Success and Control students had been paired with classmates (Cheerers; Vicarious condition) who were to cheer on their partners during the task. The participants rated their self-efficacy for the anagram task before and after the performance. The results showed that successful performance significantly promoted the self-efficacy of Success students. However, the cheerers of Success students did not have increased self-efficacy through the vicarious success experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve seventh- and eighth-grade students with emotional disturbance participated in a multiple probe, multiple baseline design two-phase intervention study to improve persuasive writing skills. The first phase after baseline taught students to plan and write persuasive essays including counterarguments. In the second phase, students were taught to plan and write fluently in 10 min. Students were assessed on their essay writing, the Woodcock–Johnson Fluency subtest, writing probes, and were interviewed post instruction. Findings revealed that all students mastered the components of effective persuasive essay writing, included counterarguments, and improved from baseline to postinstruction and postfluency phases in length and essay quality. Although students’ performance decreased slightly on surprise maintenance and generalization measures, results remained substantially higher than baseline. Strategy reports revealed all students enjoyed using and seeing the benefits of instruction. Findings are discussed for future research and practice for students with emotional disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We explored changes in self-management skills and substance use from 7th to 11th grade in a multiwave study of predominantly minority adolescents (N = 1,756). Using latent growth curve analysis, we found that substance use significantly increased, whereas self-management skills significantly decreased. In a parallel process model, we found that participants who reported higher self-management skills in the 7th grade had smaller increases in substance use. Participants who had larger decreases in self-management skills tended to have greater increases in substance use. We also explored the influence of grades and gender and found that (a) participants with higher grades at baseline had lower initial substance use, higher initial self-management skills, and smaller increases in substance use, and (b) male participants had greater increases in substance use. These results suggest that the provision of self-management skills may be an effective strategy for preventing substance-use initiation and escalation during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longitudinal change in the average Z scores for four groups of pupils sorted by quartiles was examined for its stability over three years. The data, collected from 1998 to 2009, was obtained from nine cohorts of Japanese junior high school pupils totaling 1,962 subjects. It showed illusionary declines among the mid-range pupils but improvements among those in the low-range group. These illusionary declines and improvements were found to stem from the fact that left-skewed distributions for the first term examination scores became less skewed for later exams. Such illusionary declines, dubbed the 'leading group effect', may undermine the motivation of middle-range pupils. This illusionary statistical phenomenon should be appropriately explained to teachers and pupils of junior high schools so they won't be discouraged by illusionary declines in the Z scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is not comprehensive. It aims at encouraging all teachers of mathematics ‘to look behind the subject matter’ and to probe what educational values it contains. More examples can easily be found. Suffice it to say that when Pythagoras proved his famous theorem, mankind ‘discovered’ that the square root of 2 is an irrational number. The fact that you cannot write its exact value as a decimal fraction gave people at that time the feeling that they had ‘lost control of their fate’. ‘Friendly’ and ‘perfect’ numbers were created at that time to ward off the doom. Similar feelings of despair followed the recognition that the Earth is not the center of the universe and the use of the atom bomb. All three events in the history of science even led to mass suicides. The examples given above call upon all educators to use the subject matter to enrich social understanding and to help youngsters to build a healthier society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors evaluated how a group-based career intervention affected career network ties among Finnish adolescents as they made educational choices and prepared for their transition to secondary education. They examined the career-related network ties of 868 students during their last year in comprehensive school (junior high school) in a randomized field experimental study. The results indicated that immediately after the intervention, the group method lowered the density of participants' career networks, that is, the participants' network ties were less interconnected. The results further showed that about 6 months after the intervention, the program had increased the number of school counselors named as network ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions regarding school improvement are based on observations of adults. A more accurate picture of institutional assets and limitations emerges when observations of students are also considered. This presentation shows how student polling can help principals enhance conditions of learning and safety. Implications of Cyberbully Poll results at one junior high are summarized so that stakeholders can understand local severity, motivation for abuse, and need for greater parent orientation to this danger. The leadership role of principles is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Twenty-four junior high school students with academic achievement in the 26-50 percentiles were given easier anagram tasks while their 183 classmates were given more difficult ones by means of a presentation trick using polarizing filters. The two series of anagram tasks were projected simultaneously on the same screen, but each of two groups of students with polarizing sunglasses observed only one series, unaware of the other series. The target students given easier tasks performed significantly better than their classmates who served as the control group. Although it was contrived, the successful performance and subsequent social approval in class significantly promoted their self-efficacy for the anagram tasks. The elevated self-efficacy persisted as long as one year after the anagram task success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence to support the notion that contact with nature is helpful for emotional states, attention, mental fatigue, behavior, and personal health. This study adopts a quasi-experimental approach to investigate the effects of limitedly visible indoor plants on students' psychology, physiology, and behavior and uses a control-series design covering one semester. Two classes of sophomores at a Taiwanese junior high school (eighth grade, N = 76), of which one served as the experimental group and the other as control, were surveyed once every 2 weeks. After six plants were placed at the back of the classroom, the experimental group had immediately and significantly stronger feelings of preference, comfort, and friendliness as compared to the control group. Also, the experimental group had significantly fewer hours of sick leave and punishment records due to misbehavior than the control group. In addition to the visual and psychological mechanisms that contributed to restoration, there may have been other factors at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High group cohesion is considered to be beneficial and lead to better performance. This qualitative case study describes a case in which high social cohesion led to a deterioration in a team's performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between performance in a team sport and social psychological group phenomena such as cohesion, conformity, groupthink, and group polarization. The participants were members of a junior-league ice-hockey team, consisting of three adult coaches and 22 players aged 15 to 16 years. The data were derived from an interview with the main coach, continuous observation by the principal researcher, and a diary based on observations during one ice-hockey season. The Group Environment Questionnaire was used to assess group cohesion quantitatively. The qualitative data were analyzed by identifying themes that illuminated the research problem. In this study, the team did not perform as expected, and their performance deteriorated during the autumn. Social cohesion was high. In addition, the need to evaluate performance declined because of increased pressure to conform. Pressure to conform, groupthink, and group polarization increased owing to the high level of social cohesion which in turn was associated with the deterioration in the group's performance. Based on the findings it appears that high group cohesion may not always be beneficial to the team and does not necessarily lead to better performance in all situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in goal orientations and self-concept in Greek language and physical education classes during the first months of junior high school in Greece were studied. Participants, 572 students in their first year of junior high school, responded to questionnaires assessing (a) goal orientations and satisfaction in physical education and Greek language classes, (b) multidimensional self-concept, (c) attitudes toward school and teachers, and (d) life satisfaction. The measures were collected in three sessions: at the beginning of the school year, 6 wk. later, and 14 wk. later. The third measurement followed the students' grades for the first term. Students showed significant decreases in mastery and social-approval goal orientations in both physical education and Greek language classes. They also showed negative attitudes toward teachers, perceptions of physical ability, and relationships with parents. Most differences emerged between Weeks 6 and 14. The learning environment and the assessment system in Greek junior high school seem to play an important role in the decrease of students' motivation and perceived competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we examine the importance of sensation seeking and pragmatism in the steroids and sports supplements behavior and attitudes of high school and junior high school students on Long Island, New York. Steroid use is much less acceptable than sports supplement use, although the reasons for use are similar. Respondents use supplements more than steroids, have a greater variety of attitudes toward their use, and have a high acceptance of their "energy" potential. There is a significant effect of current sports supplements use on future steroid use. Independent of measurement format (fixed choice questions and hypothetical situations), the steroids-sports supplement connection seems to exist within a pragmatic approach to cosmetic fitness, where the goal is improving physical ability and appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether gifted and nongifted students' preferences for different types of reward were affected by differential locus of control. In total, 181 gifted and 107 nongifted junior high school students in Taiwan participated. The Nowicki-Strickland locus of Control Scale was used as a measure of locus of control. A survey of reward preference was designed to look at students' evaluations of the reward systems. The results showed that the gifted students tended to evaluate competition rewards significantly higher when compared to the nongifted students; the nongifted students tended to evaluate chance rewards significantly higher than the gifted students. However, there was no significant difference between the gifted students and nongifted students in their evaluation of performance rewards. An interaction effect between ability and locus of control for chance rewards indicated that the nongifted/moderate and nongifted/external students preferred chance rewards more than the other groups. Irrespective of ability level, however, the findings indicated that the higher the internality, the higher were the students' preferences for the contingent (competition and performance) rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a strategy to increase learning disabled students' participation in classroom discussion. The authors describe their use of the Book Club literacy curriculum with learning disabled (LD) junior high school students, noting that the Book Club curriculum focuses on student discussion as part of a literature-based program to develop literacy and thinking skills. They explain that the semester-long program was part of an action research study by prospective LD teachers who used the data collected to analyze aspects including comparison of lesson design to implementation, amount and nature of student participation, and new learning resulting from the activity. They describe the resource room setting, strategies employed, and components of the Book Club curriculum.

This issue of the I Journal of Research in Music Education i will arrive during a period of great concern and uncertainty for most in the music education profession. Although the setbacks and dangers stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic remain, my faith in the ability of music educators and music education scholars to continue to shape our field for the better has never been stronger. Edelman surveyed music teachers who have served as cooperating mentors for student teachers to investigate which traits, behaviors, and skills might be most important for student teachers to develop. [Extracted from the article]

This study was designed to compare thinking styles of gifted and nongifted Iranian students and to examine the appropriateness in a nonwestern context of the Thinking Styles Inventory. 200 students in junior high school, including 109 nongifted students (55 girls and 54 boys) and 91 gifted students (46 girls and 45 boys), whose mean age was 12.4 yr. (SD =.69), responded to the short version of the Thinking Styles Inventory. Analysis indicated that gifted students scored significantly higher than nongifted students on Type 1 and Type 3 thinking styles, while the nongifted students had statistically significant higher scores on the Type 2 thinking styles. These results are discussed in terms of the previous research and thinking styles model proposed by Sternberg in 1997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to compare the inter-ethnic and co-ethnic friendships of 390 junior high school students in multi-ethnic neighborhoods of Montreal and Toronto. Friendship dyads were identified on the basis of reciprocal nomination as close friends. The quality of the friendships was measured by questionnaires completed by both members of each friendship dyad. Co-ethnic friendships were characterized by greater closeness and more conflict than interethnic friendships. Co-ethnic friendships were more likely than inter-ethnic friendships to survive during a 6-month interval. Inter-ethnic friendships that survived after 6 months tended to increase in conflict. Regardless of sex composition, friendships characterized by conflict and lacking in overall positive quality were more likely than others to dissolve later in the school year. Male friends who enjoyed competing with each other in nonhostile ways tended to maintain their relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) on the academic skill performance of three junior high school students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The academic skills taught were aligned to the district general curriculum, and extended benchmarks were individually determined. The students were instructed to engage in a self-regulated problem-solving strategy, as well as to use one or more additional student-directed learning strategies. The results suggested that all students were able to acquire and maintain target academic skills to mastery levels. Also, all stakeholders had positive perceptions about the value of such instruction. The implications of these findings relative to the general curriculum initiative are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a re-analysis of published data on psychological support for 609 junior high school students (317 boys, 292 girls, mean age=14.1, SD=0.8) based on the self-report, Psychological Support Scale, to evaluate sibling order as eldest or youngest and sex. In an earlier study, the questionnaire had been modified to be applicable to junior high school students. The study re-examined the data by extracting samples for categories of eldest and youngest siblings, for re-analysis of self-reported psychological support by sibling order and sex. Eldest children reported receiving more psychological support from both mother and father than youngest. Also, eldest boys received significantly greater psychological support from both the parents than the youngest boys or girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of anger feelings (rated by the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory) and witnessing family violence on anxiety and depression (rated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were examined in 457 junior high school students. Anxiety and depression scores were correlated with frequencies of witnessing family violence. In a regression analysis, however, after controlling for the demographic variables and depression score, the anxiety score was predicted by State Anger, Anger-Out, and Anger-Control; the depression score was predicted, after controlling for the demographic and anxiety score, by State Anger, Anger-In positively, and by Anger-Out and Anger-Control negatively. Witnessing family violence failed to add significant contribution in predicting anxiety or depression. These results were generally supported by structural equation modeling. The effects of witnessing family violence on dysphoric mood may be mediated by anger feelings. The style of dysphoric mood may be predicted by the style of anger expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication between parents and adolescents about adolescents' sexual behavior has been studied. However, the types of issues on which adolescents are willing to communicate with their parents have been scarcely discussed. A survey was conducted among a random sample of 1,204 junior high school students in Taipei. The survey probed into adolescents' communication with their parents as related to sex, including physical development, sexuality, choice of partner, frequency of dating, whom to date, and intimacy during dating. Analysis showed that physical development was the topic most often discussed. Talking about dating was discussed less than the other three topics. Moreover; girls were more likely to communicate with their parents than boys about all six issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a study on junior high school students' perceptions of incidents of violence, victimization, substance abuse and injury from traffic accidents both in school and to and from school in Israel. Use of quantitative analysis method to produce a general and comprehensive picture of the scale of the mentioned categories of crime in schools; Frequency of such incidents at school or to and from school; Level of response of teachers and staff to such events occurring on school premises.

Although bullying among Japanese youth is a current major concern, psychosocial influences on bullying are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychosocial factors associated with physical, verbal, and indirect bullying among Japanese adolescents. Junior high school students between seventh and ninth grade (N = 2,923) completed a self-reported questionnaire. Involvement in bullying and psychosocial factors were investigated. Deviant peer influence, less serious attitude in school, poor self-control of aggressiveness and impulsiveness, poor self-assertive efficacy against bullying, and euphemistic thinking were commonly associated with physical, verbal, and indirect bullying. Experiences of victimization by physical and verbal bullying were associated with both physical and verbal bullying, whereas experiences of victimization by indirect bullying were associated with indirect bullying. Psychosocial factors associated with different types of bullying substantially overlapped. Therefore, interventions focused on these modifiable common factors could be effective in the prevention of adolescent bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]