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Introduction: Prior research consistently provides evidence supporting potential relationships between epistemological beliefs and learning. The current study examines the relationship between epistemological beliefs, academic motivation, and self-regulated learning strategies among different ethnic groups of American adolescents. Method: This quantitative study utilized a correlational design to examine the relationship between epistemological beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies in adolescents attending middle school. A total of 364 middle school students (6th to 8th grade) from Southern California public middle schools participated in the study. A multiple group path model was employed to analyze the student data. Results: We found that certain knowledge, omniscient authority, and innate ability beliefs about the nature of knowledge predict positive relationships with self-efficacy and intrinsic value components of motivation. Quick learning and simple knowledge beliefs predict negative relationships with self-efficacy and intrinsic-value but positive relationship with test-anxiety. Similarly, in the aspect of self-regulatory learning strategies, those who believe in the absolute nature of knowledge and the authorities tend to use cognitive and self-regulatory learning strategies more often, while those who believe in the speed of knowledge acquisition tend to employ those strategies less. Discussion and Conclusion: Findings from this study inform educators of the need to advance adolescents' epistemological beliefs for each subject (e.g., science, language arts) as a method to facilitate their motivation and self-regulated learning. We recommend that future research should include assessments of the participants' cultural orientations or the domain specificity of the epistemological beliefs, which may vary the associations of the beliefs with self-regulated learning. Additionally, future research can further investigate other potential mediators of the relationship between epistemological beliefs and self-regulatory learning.

This study explored the perceptions of 430 P-12 urban teachers regarding the instruction of diverse students and their own ability to effectively implement culturally responsive teaching (CRT). Employing qualitative methodology, four open-ended sentence stems were used to capture teachers' thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. Results reveal teachers' strong commitment to CRT, an understanding of behaviors which constitute CRT, a strong sense of efficacy in teaching diverse students, and anticipation of positive outcomes through proactively addressing diverse students' needs. This research provides valuable information for school districts and schools of education as they develop culturally responsive teachers for today's diverse classrooms.

As a university professor who has taught at the teacher education, masters, and doctoral levels, the life of teaching has been an enduring interest, particularly teaching that occurs in K-12 settings. From the author's own work as a K-12 teacher and administrator to her earliest studies of effective teaching and in her own university teaching, she has been interested in the complex practice of teaching and in how to make the practice more effective for student learning and more satisfying and fulfilling for the teacher. Thus, she engaged in a yearlong action research project with a fifth-grade teacher who happened to be her daughter. Her objective was to better understand the action research process; she had not anticipated the multi-faceted results in terms of student benefits and her daughter's increased sense of self-efficacy and professionalism. This article describes the author's experience in working with two bilingual fifth grade teachers. The focus of the article is on the transformation of these experienced teachers and on factors in the process that the author believes contributed most strongly to their professional growth. Not only was there development in their mathematics instructional approaches, but even more noteworthy, in their attitudes toward their students, toward math as a content area, and toward themselves as teachers of mathematics.

This study explored perceptions of Latino paraprofessionals 10 years after completion of a program that provided financial, academic, and social support to help them complete their bachelor's degrees and teaching credentials. Findings indicated that they valued education for themselves and their children; they believed they were important role models for Latino children and families; they were proactive in mentoring Latino paraprofessionals to become credentialed teachers; and they viewed the program as critical in enabling them to become educators and leaders in their communities.

Introduction: Driven by an overarching conceptual framework adapted from Self-Determination Theory, this study tested the direct and indirect effects of perceived parental academia autonomy support vs. academic planning control on the interrelated variables of adolescents' self-esteem, academic motivation, and academic achievement, using multi-sample structural equation modeling. Method: A sample of 271 Asian American and 218 Latino American high school students were recruited in Southern California to respond to a questionnaire composed of a battery of adapted and self-constructed scales. Results: In the Asian American sample, perceived parental academic autonomy support had significant direct positive effects on academic achievement, self-esteem, academic motivation, and indirect effects on academic motivation mediated by self-esteem, while perceived parental academic planning control had direct negative effects on self-esteem and academic achievement. However, in the Latino American sample, perceived parental academic autonomy support had positive indirect effects on academic achievement mediated by academic motivation and self-esteem, and perceived academic planning control had negative direct effects on both self-esteem and academic motivation. Discussion and Conclusion: Plausible explanations for the different pathways in the two cultural groups were presented from the cultural perspectives. The potentiality of using parental autonomy support as a predictor for academic achievement was also discussed. (Contains 3 figures and 5 tables.)

This project investigated the impacts of family religious involvement and family religious affiliations on parenting practices and academic performance. This study utilized data from the base-year and first follow-up of the Education Longitudinal Study: 2002/2004 (ELS). A series of statistical techniques were incorporated to examine the nature of the overall associations. The results revealed that parents' religious involvement with their children is related to their parenting practices and their children's academic performance, but this link is mediated by the parents' religious affiliation. Significant associations among religious involvement, parenting practices for family socialization and academic performance suggest that a higher level of family religious participation indicates a level of social impact on education that leads to better academic performance. Implications for researchers and parents were discussed. (Contains 6 tables.)

On March 15, 1962, President John F. Kennedy presented a historic message to Congress devoted entirely to consumer interests. Among the four rights he specified for consumers was the right [...]

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the extent of individual plaintiff success in the trial stage of the small claims process and the impact of selected factors upon these favorable outcomes. Results of this study provide a basis for litigants and potential litigants to predict the outcome of the small claims trial. Of particular interest is the finding that litigant use of legal advice and representation in court is not a major factor in the outcome of a small claims court case. The results of this examination of the small claims court as it functions in Boone County, Missouri, suggest that, with the possible exception of plaintiff's gender, 'justice is blind.' (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

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This project investigated the impacts of family religious involvement and family religious affiliations on parenting practices and academic performance. This study utilized data from the base- year and first follow-up of the Education Longitudinal Study: 2002/2004 (ELS). A series of statistical techniques were incorporated to examine the nature of the overall associations. The results revealed that parents' religious involvement with their children is related to their parenting practices and their children's academic performance, but this link is mediated by the parents' religious affiliation. Significant associations among religious involvement, parenting practices for family socialization and academic performance suggest that a higher level of family religious participation indicates a level of social impact on education that leads to better academic performance. Implications for researchers and parents were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]