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Purpose: Despite evidence regarding emotions' impact on learners, there remains a paucity of research examining the relationships between student emotions and achievement within contemporary instructional models. Grounded in the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, changes in middle school students' motivational beliefs, emotions, and learning outcomes across one hybrid Sport Education Tactical Model season were examined. Methods: Middle school students (N = 72) completed pre–post surveys regarding their control-value beliefs and emotions. They also completed physical and cognitive tests, and daily physical activity tracking. Repeated measures of multivariate covariance and regression were tested. Results: Students' perceived control improved, while their extrinsic value reduced. Emotions did not significantly change, while cognitive exam scores and game performance increased. Conclusion: Emotions varied and influenced intentions for play as opposed to learning and achievement. The study provides preliminary insights into the complexity of how student emotions connect to their motivation and learning within the hybrid Sport Education Tactical Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the influence of teacher support on student engagement in mathematics. A cross‐sectional survey was employed to recruit 632 students from grades 7 to 9 in junior middle schools across China. Participants completed various scales, including a teacher support scale, an academic self‐efficacy scale, and a student engagement scale. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 20.0 and Amos 24.0. Results showed that, first, emotional support and competence support had a significant positive effect on student engagement in mathematics. The contribution from competence support was the strongest. The contribution from autonomy support was the weakest; second, academic self‐efficacy mediated the relationship between autonomy support, emotional support, and competence support and student engagement in mathematics. These findings supplement and expand the understanding of the factors that affect student engagement and provide theoretical support and useful guidance for formulating effective education policies to improve student engagement in mathematics. Practitioner points: Teachers' emotional support and competence support had a significant positive effect on student engagement in mathematics.The contribution of teachers' competence support to student engagement in mathematics was the strongest, followed by emotional support, and autonomy support was the weakest.Academic self‐efficacy mediated the relationship between teachers' autonomy support, emotional support, and competence support and student engagement in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High engagement in physical education (PE) could effectively develop students' motor competence and promote physical activity, which was significantly important for students' physical and mental health. Researches had shown that motivation was an important factor in explaining students' learning engagement, and variety-support as the fourth independent psychological need was a potential factor influencing students' learning motivation. However, there was a lack of empirical research evidence on the effect of perceived variety-support on middle school students' learning engagement in PE and the influencing mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the direct effect of perceived variety-support on learning engagement in PE and the mediating effect of motivation in PE on the relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and 587 middle school students from Liaoning province filled the paper-and-pencil questionnaires adopting perceived variety-support in PE scale (PVSPES), utrecht work engagement scale-student (UWES-S), and perceived locus of causality in PE scale, which had been proved to have good reliability and validity (294 boys and 293 girls, Mage=13.47 ± 0.94). Results: The results showed three variables were significantly positively correlated with each other (r = 0.323-0.562 p < 0.01) and perceived varietysupport in PE could not only directly promote middle school students' learning engagement in PE but also indirectly through the mediating effect of motivation in PE. Discussion: Therefore, in order to better promote students' participation in PE class, we should pay more attention to satisfy students' varied PE learning needs and stimulate students' autonomous learning motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the effects of prosocial behavior, teacher's attitudes towards bullying, and classroom climate on peer victimization, we collected data from 1,221 students (Mage = 13.60, SD = 0.88) from 47 classrooms and their teachers from three middle schools in Beijing, China. The hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the effect of the classroom climate at both the individual and classroom levels, and the interactions between classroom climate and students' prosocial behavior, as well as student perceptions of teachers' attitudes towards bullying. Results showed that prosocial behaviors, teachers' negative attitudes towards bullying, and authoritative classroom climate (at both individual and classroom levels) predicted less peer victimization. We also found significant cross-level interactions (classroom climate * student perceptions of teachers' attitudes towards bullying and classroom climate * prosocial behavior) in predicting peer victimization. Specifically, student perceptions of teachers' attitudes predicted peer victimization only when the overall authoritative classroom climate was high, or when the classroom-level teacher support was high. Students' prosocial behavior only predicted peer victimization when there was less peer support in the classroom. These findings shed light on the intricate interplay between individual level and classroom level protective factors on peer victimization among Chinese middle school students. Impact Statement This is the first study examining classroom climate and its interaction with prosocial behavior and teachers' attitudes towards bullying to predict victimization among Chinese middle school students. Findings shed light on the intricate interplay between individual level and classroom level protective factors on peer victimization among Chinese middle school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Trakya Journal of Education is the property of Trakya Journal of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mathematical modeling is a cyclical process involving the competencies of understanding the problem, simplifying, mathematizing, working mathematically, interpreting, and validating. Mathematical modeling selfefficacy beliefs are essential to students' mathematical modeling performance. This study examined middle and high school students' mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The participants consisted of 1091 middle school students and 974 high school students. The data were collected through the "Mathematical Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale [MMSS]". T-tests and ANOVA test statistics were used to determine the effect of gender, school level, grade level and previous engagement in model-eliciting activities on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The results showed that the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students were significantly higher than those of high school students. Furthermore, middle school students' mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs did not differ significantly by gender, while at the high school level there was a significant difference in favor of males. Regarding grade levels, only a statistically significant difference was found between the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of seventh- and eighth-grade students. Moreover, middle and high school students who had previously engaged in model-eliciting activities had significantly higher mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs than those who had not. In the accessible literature, there is no study on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle and high school students. Therefore, we believe this study's results will contribute to the literature on mathematical modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study that examined the relationship between middle school students' digital game addiction and their attitudes and habits towards reading. The study found that as students' addiction to digital games increased, their attitudes and habits towards reading decreased. The study also found that male students had higher levels of game addiction and lower reading attitude levels compared to female students. The findings suggest that digital game addiction can have a negative impact on academic success and that parents and schools should regulate children's game playing. [Extracted from the article]

Cultural capital is vital for equitable educational development. This paper studies the effect of family cultural capital on the performance of middle school students with regard to gender, using a multiple linear regression model. Participants from four representative middle schools, totalling 1036 students, were selected during the online learning period. The study found that institutionalised and objectified cultural capital had a pronounced positive effect on students' school outcomes, but cultural capital that was embodied had both positive and negative effects. Significant differences in the effects of cultural capital on school success were found between male and female students. The educational level of a mother has a significant impact on the school attainment of female students in Chinese, English, math and overall achievement, whereas a father's education level has a significant effect on male students' English achievement and overall achievement. The results of the study showed that cultural capital contributed to the academic success of middle school students in different ways. The results presented above contribute to a better comprehension of the mechanisms of the influence of cultural capital on the school performance of middle school students, which has important implications for students' educational equity. This study recommends improving the mechanism of collaborative education among schools, families and society, by paying attention to vulnerable groups that lack cultural capital, improving the methods of educational evaluation and providing tailor-made education for all types of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving people's well-being is a key way to meet people's needs for a better life, and is of great importance in resolving the major contradictions in Chinese society. In this study, we evaluated peer relationships and self-actualization as potential mediators between physical exercise and subjective well-being in a sample of Chinese middle school students. A total of 1056 middle school students from six middle schools in Sichuan, China volunteered to complete questionnaires comprising the Physical Activity Rating Scale, Student Peer Relationship Scale, Short Index of Self-Actualization, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlation, and structural equation modeling were conducted using SPSS statistics 19.0. and AMOS 21.0 statistical software. The results showed that peer relationships and self-actualization partially mediate between physical exercise and subjective well-being. The mediation analysis revealed two paths: first, the single mediating path via peer relationships [indirect effect = 0.091, 95% CI: (0.053, 0.132)] and second, the serial mediating path via peer relationships and self-actualization [indirect effect = 0.015, 95% CI: (0.008, 0.024)]. The study confirmed for the first time the serial mediating role of peer relationships and self-actualization between physical exercise and subjective well-being of middle school students. It was suggested that middle school students could improve their peer relationships during physical exercise, thereby increasing the level of self-actualization, which results in better subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is a powerful resource to motivate girls to study STEM degrees and fulfill the growing demands for professionals in these fields. From their youth, positive attitudes toward mathematics are characteristic of girls and boys who study STEM degrees. This research aims to identify the association between gender stereotypes and attitudes toward mathematics. The 6° grade generation from a middle school in Monterrey, Mexico, first answered tests on attitudes toward mathematics and gender stereotypes in mathematics. Afterwards, a sample group underwent a 4-week intervention during which students saw videos of STEM professionals and answered a questionnaire on student's self-perception in STEM careers. Finally, the tests were reapplied with a questionnaire on the use and ease of mathematics. Quasi-statistical and discourse analysis were used to obtain the results. These are presented through a model that highlights the mediating role that the mathematical self-concept and the interest/enjoyment for mathematics have in the association between gender stereotypes and attitudes toward mathematics. The role of gender on female's lower mathematical self-concept is also exposed, suggesting subsequent lines of research on improving self-concept as an approach to equitably increase students' interests in STEM degrees from their youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and junior middle school student's online aggressive behavior. Methods In 2023, convenience sampling method was adopted. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 340 junior middle school students from 2 middle schools in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region with cumulative ecological risk scale, normative beliefs about aggression scale and online aggressive behavior scale, and the mediation effect was tested by non-parametric percentile Bootstrap method with bias correction. Results The cumulative ecological risk was positively correlated with online aggressive behavior and normative beliefs about aggression (r = 0.51, r = 0.53,P <0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between normative beliefs about aggression and online aggressive behavior (r = 0.73, P <0.01). Online aggressive behavior had significant positive regression on cumulative ecological risk and normative beliefs about aggression (β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.09-0.26, β = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.56-0.70, P < 0.001), and normative beliefs about aggression had significant positive regression on cumulative ecological risk (β = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.44-0.60, P <0.001). Normative beliefs about aggression played a partial mediating role between cumulative ecological risk and online aggressive behavior, and the mediating effect was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.27-0.40), accounting for 64.71% of the total effects. Conclusion Cumulative ecological risk can not only directly affect the online aggressive behavior, but also indirectly affect the online aggressive behavior of junior middle school student through the normative belief about aggression. In the future, the level of online aggressive behavior can be regulated by intervening the normative belief about aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Sport & Exercise / Türk Spor ve Egzersiz Dergisi is the property of Turkish Journal of Sport & Exercise and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As a long-established model of schooling, the boarding system is commonly practiced in countries around the world. Numerous scholars have conducted a great deal of research on the relationship between the boarding school and student development, but the results of the research are quite divergent. In order to clarify the real effects of boarding school on students' development, this study used meta-analysis to quantify 49 (91 effect sizes) experimental or quasiexperimental studies on related topics at home and abroad. The results find that: (1) Overall, boarding school has no significant predictive effect on student development, with a combined effect size of 0.002 (p > 0.05); (2) Specifically, boarding school has a significant positive predictive effect on students' cognitive development (g = 0.248, p < 0.001), a significant negative predictive effect on students' affective and attitudinal development (g = -0.159, p < 0.05), and no significant predictive effect on students' behavioral development (g = -0.115, p > 0.05) and physical development (g = -0.038, p > 0.05); (3) The relationship between the two is moderated by the school stage and the type of boarding school, but not by the instruments; (4) Compared with primary school students, senior high school students and urban boarding students, the negative predictive effect of boarding system on junior middle school students and rural boarding students is more significant. In addition, there are some limitations in the study, such as the limited number of moderator variables included, the results of the study are easily affected by the quality of the included literature, and the dimensionality of the core variable "student development" is not comprehensive enough. In the future, further validation should be conducted through in-depth longitudinal or experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to develop science teaching materials based on marine aquaculture bioecology using floating net cage technology that is practical and effective in improving students' scientific literacy skills at Lombok coastal schools. This was development research based on the Thiagarajan 4D model, which consists of four stages: design, define, develop, and disseminate. The research subjects consisted of six junior high schools on the coast of Lombok, who were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The instrument used was a scientific literacy assessment of 16 reasoned multiple choice questions. Data were analyzed using normalized gain analysis. The results showed that science teaching materials based on marine aquaculture bioecology with floating net cage technology were effective in increasing the scientific literacy skills of students in the six sampled schools, obtaining an average N-gain value of 0.5 in the medium category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to explore the voices of high- and low-achieving middle school students around the function and utility of a student-engaged design learning how to learn intervention. The intervention was a year-long standard elective course in the curriculum in which all students enrolled during their time in middle school. Fifteen (N = 15) seventh- and eighth-grade students from a rural middle school participated in focus groups and provided information about their perceptions regarding the function and utility of this intervention. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that the intervention supported student motivation and self-regulatory skill development. In contrast to high-achieving students, low-achieving students expressed the need for additional support in setting and achieving their learning goals to maximize their experience of the intervention. Implications of these findings regarding future refinement and guidelines for implementation of student-engaged design interventions with respect to teacher training and practice in middle schools are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Totally 624 Chinese middle school students were participated in the present study, aiming to examine the correlations between teacher support, peer support, academic self-efficacy, positive emotions, and student engagement in physical education. Our findings demonstrated that student engagement was directly and significantly impacted by both teacher and peer support. Academic self-efficacy mediated the connection between teacher support, peer support, and student engagement, while positive emotions only mediated between teacher support and student engagement. Besides, teacher and peer support indirectly affected student engagement via the sequential mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and positive emotions, respectively. Academic self-efficacy exhibited a larger mediation impact between peer support and student engagement as compared to teacher support, while positive emotions had a relatively weaker mediating effect. These findings emphasize the value of peer and teacher support in encouraging student engagement in physical education. Moreover, enhancing students' academic self-efficacy and positive emotions in the classroom plays an essential role in building a positive cycle that encourages student participation in physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in teachers' moves to classroom discourse has started to increase since how teachers respond to students' thinking influences students' learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the moves used by one sixth grade mathematics teacher at a public middle school in Turkey to support student reasoning in mathematics instruction and their influence on classroom discourse. Six 80‐min lessons were analyzed with particular attention to how the teacher elicits, responds to, facilitates, and extends student reasoning. The results revealed that teacher moves mainly included low‐potential moves in all categories. The teacher mainly tried to elicit student answers in the lessons and aimed to facilitate their understanding through questioning. He also tended to confirm students' answers and re‐represent their thoughts to the class, occasionally adding further information. However, the results showed that the teacher had a dominant role in classroom interactions. Besides, from time to time, the teacher did not focus on student responses and postpone the student reactions. However, the teacher moves that limit student contribution, such as ignoring students' answers and insisting on their own points of view, reduce the depth of classroom interactions and student understanding. In general, the teacher's ability to support student reasoning and facilitate productive classroom discourse was not sufficient. Practitioner points: Teacher plays a prominent role in classroom interactions.Teacher moves tend to be in low potential as eliciting, responding, facilitating, and extending.The capacity of the teacher to promote meaningful classroom discourse and assist student reasoning is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of young students' prior attitude on source consideration when watching videos on controversial topics. Two hundred seventy-one seventh graders watched a series of videos in which two interviewees (one expert in the field, one layperson) expressed divergent positions on a socioscientific issue ("Will organic farming be able to feed the entire world population by 2050?"). After watching the videos, students were asked to recall the identity and arguments of the interviewees and indicate how far they had perceived them to be credible and convincing. If no effect of students' prior attitude was found on source recall, students were prompt to judge the interviewee who provided arguments that were congruent with their prior attitude as more credible and convincing that the interviewee that provided incongruent arguments. These results suggest that young students' beliefs contribute to their assessment of the credibility of an information source when watching videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequities in exclusionary discipline result from a complex process involving students, families, and school personnel. However, little research has explored the topic from parent perspectives. This study used parent survey data from New York City to investigate the link between school-family relationships and students experiencing exclusionary discipline. Results indicate that stronger parental trust toward teachers is connected to a reduced probability that a student receives an office discipline referral, while greater trust in principals is associated with a lower chance of suspension. Several aspects of school-family relationships, such as parent-principal trust, parental involvement, and school outreach and communication, heterogeneously predict a lower likelihood of experiencing exclusionary discipline by student race and special education status. These findings demonstrate the interdependent role of families and school staff in child development and highlight the need to cultivate positive school-family relationships as a potential strategy for addressing exclusionary discipline disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has brought convenience to human lives, but its pervasive impact extends beyond individuals, affecting society as a whole. Consequently, the necessity for an AI ethics education program has become increasingly apparent. This study aims to investigate the influence of an experimental research study that developed and implemented an AI ethics education program for learners' ethical awareness and attitude towards AI. The research methodology involved validating a model of the AI ethics education program by applying it to a group of 10 domain experts. Additionally, pre-test and post-test designs were employed with 17 middle school students as the experimental group. The same assessment was administered before and after the implementation of the AI ethics education program, and the data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. The findings of this study are as follows: Firstly, an AI ethics education program model was developed, incorporating key competencies such as AI literacy, critical thinking skills in AI, and AI problem-solving skills, all within the context of AI ethics. The implementation of this model was effective in the educational setting. Secondly, significant improvements were observed in the ethical awareness of middle school students across all domains after participating in the program. Thirdly, the attitudes of middle school students towards AI exhibited significant enhancements across all domains. These findings contribute to the broader field of AI ethics education by highlighting the importance of ethical awareness in AI and fostering favorable attitudes towards AI. The implications of this study are significant for the field of AI education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on growth mindset has increased dramatically in recent years, and the school climate is critical to growth mindset of middle school students, yet the underlying mediating mechanism is rarely known. This study investigated the chain mediating effect of perceived social support, positive personality between school climate and growth mindset of middle school students. To be specific, 992 junior high school students were taken as the study sample, in which participants completed questionnaires on growth mindset, perceived social support, and positive personality. After controlling for age and socioeconomic status, this study found that there was no gender difference in growth mindset, and school climate was not directly correlated with growth mindset of junior high school students. Moreover, perceived social support and positive personality could mediate the chain between school climate and growth mindset of junior high school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether the use of the color wheel system (CWS) during physical education (PE) classes is associated with a significant decrease in disruptive behaviors among middle school students. Using a multiple‐baseline single‐case design, we investigated the effects of the CWS on disruptive behavior in nine middle school students with identified disruptive tendencies, aged 13.33 ± 1.1 years on average. Disruptive behaviors were tracked through observation using a 15‐s partial time sampling technique. The results, as indicated by time series graphs and Nonoverlap of All Pairs values ranging from 0.79 to 1.00, consistently demonstrated that the implementation of the CWS led to a reduction in disruptive behaviors across the three classrooms. The findings suggest that the CWS is an effective intervention for mitigating disruptive behaviors among school‐aged children during PE classes. However, it should be noted that the training procedures for implementing the CWS were relatively brief. To address potential limitations in future CWS implementations, it is recommended to address these shortcomings and carefully consider the implementation of the CWS as a behavioral intervention in PE. Practitioner points: The color wheel system (CWS) has shown promise in reducing disruptive behaviors in the physical education setting.It is crucial to provide sufficient training and support to teachers before implementing the CWS.The CWS is a preventative classroom management strategy to promote a positive learning environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many middle school students are depressed due to pressure from family, study, life, and communication. With the increasing depression of middle school students, professional psychological counseling institutions have also become more numerous. Therefore, students need to be guided to correctly recognize difficulties and seek professional psychological assistance.Aim: We aimed to investigate the depression status of middle school students in the city and analyze their attitude towards professional psychological help-seeking.Methods: A total of 2485 students from two classes of each grade from six middle schools in the city were randomly selected as the research objects. They were subjected to answer the general questionnaire and professional psychological help-seeking attitude questionnaire to analyze their depression status, psychological help-seeking status, and attitude towards professional psychological help-seeking.Results: 2485 questionnaires were distributed, and 2205 valid questionnaires were returned. A total of 791 (35.9%) of students had depressive symptoms. The detection rate and depression scores in girls were significantly higher than in boys, and the detection rate in junior high school students in the city was notably higher than in high school students and students from rural areas (P< 0.05). Only 31 (3.9%) middle school students with depressive symptoms have sought professional psychological help. The scores of self-cognition, stigma tolerance, interpersonal openness, and trust scores of middle school students with depressive symptoms in help-seeking attitude were significantly lower than those of normal students, while self-stigma scores were significantly higher in those with depressive symptoms (P< 0.001).Conclusion: Middle school students in the city with depression have a poor attitude towards professional psychological help-seeking. Educators should positively and correctly guide depressed middle school students to seek professional psychological assistance when they need help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine if attending a single-sex, STEM-focused school was related to science and mathematics achievement among a sample of African American and Latina eighth-grade girls in one school district. A nonequivalent group, post-test only design was utilized in the study to mitigate the effects of selection bias. We analyzed secondary data using multiple regression, controlling for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and prior mathematics achievement. The results suggest that students who attended the single-sex middle school scored significantly higher than students who attended the co-educational middle schools in mathematics and science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document contains summaries of various articles and symposiums related to women's leadership institutes, singlehood, satisfaction with singlehood, competition, social cognition, online media platforms, peer relationships during the middle school transition, gender microaggressions, gender clichés, attitudes towards ostracism, attitudes towards mental illness, resource control strategies, resource allocation decisions in children, and the impact of online social networking on life satisfaction. The summaries provide an overview of the topics discussed in each article or presentation, highlighting key findings and implications. These summaries can be useful for library patrons conducting research on these specific topics, as they provide a concise and culturally sensitive overview of the content presented in the articles and symposiums. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using 5E integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) based activities on 6th grades students’ attitudes towards science, their science anxiety and their perceptions of STEM fields. Mixed research method was used for this purpose. The study was conducted with 28 6th grade students who live in Gaziantep city of Turkey. “Matter and Heat” science topic was taught using the 5E integrated STEM based activities. Questionnaires to test students’ attitudes towards science, their science anxiety, and their perceptions of STEM fields were used as pre and post-tests before and after the implementation of the activities. While effect size difference (r score) and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for the quantitative data analyses, the qualitative data from the semi-constructed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Before the implementation of the activities, female students’ attitude levels were higher and their anxiety levels were lower than males. The results showed that the 5E integrated STEM-based activities had a positive effect on increasing students’ attitudes towards science while decreasing their science anxiety. Although the effect on students’ perceptions of individual STEM fields was relatively small, these activities positively increased their perceptions of each STEM field. The participants also found the activities very enjoyable, fun and like doing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educaniora: Journal of Education & Humanities is the property of Educaniora: Journal of Education & Humanities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the 3-year trajectory of students' interest in learning physical activity (PA) knowledge during middle school and the effects of gender and prior knowledge on the trajectory. Methods: Using a repeated-measures design, a cohort of 447 sixth-grade students' interest in learning PA knowledge was measured eight times from the beginning of sixth grade to the end of eighth grade. Students' prior PA knowledge was measured at the beginning of sixth grade. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that students' interest in PA knowledge in general declined over time. Girls' interest declined faster than that of the boys before eighth grade, but their decline slowed during the eighth-grade year. Prior knowledge did not influence the trajectories. Discussion: These findings provide insights regarding students' interest in learning PA knowledge and indicate that prior knowledge may not be a central component that contributes to interest development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Guided by the declarative−procedural knowledge framework, the study attempts to identify middle school students' declarative (knowing what) and procedural (knowing how) fitness knowledge and the relationship between the two. Methods: A sample of students (n = 291, age 11–14 years) from 24 middle schools took a grade-relevant standardized knowledge test on declarative fitness knowledge and received a semistructured interview designed to clarify their declarative and procedural knowledge. Results: Most students were lacking in procedural knowledge to conduct fitness-enhancing physical activities. A few students who had mastered declarative fitness knowledge demonstrated a high level of procedural knowledge consistent with personal fitness goals. Discussion: The findings suggest that incapability to engage in fitness-enhancing physical activities could be a result of lacking procedural fitness knowledge. Future school-based interventions may prioritize procedural knowledge learning for actual physical activity participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the implementation and effectiveness of a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP)-informed, 15-week physical education secondary methods course, adapted from its previous in-person format to be completely online for fall 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 15 preservice physical education teachers (PPETs) and three course instructors. Each PPET taught six virtual physical education lessons to middle and high school students learning at home. Multiple data sources including focus groups, individual interviews, and course artifacts were analyzed to address research questions centered on the fidelity of course delivery, adaptations made to the course during implementation, and the PPETs' approach to lesson planning and teaching. The findings showed a high level of implementation fidelity, and few adaptations were made to the course. Three themes were identified with respect to the PPETs' pedagogical approach: personalization, inquiry-based instruction, and resilience. This study provides a case example of trying to prepare PPETs for professional roles in the COVID era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a 2 (prior knowledge: low vs. high) × 4 (instructional approach: unitary vs. unitary‐pictorial vs. equation vs. equation‐pictorial) ANOVA to examine the relationship between instructional approach, student prior knowledge, and personal belief of best practice for learning of the find‐whole percentage problems, which pose a challenge for many middle school students. The unit percentage concept is central to both the unitary approach and the unitary‐pictorial approach, where the latter has a diagram to scaffold the unit percentage concept. Both the equation approach and the equation‐pictorial approach, in contrast, are algebra approaches that integrate relevant information to form an equation, allowing learners to solve for an unknown (e.g., x). Furthermore, the equation‐pictorial approach relies on the proportional concept, scaffolded by a diagram to form an equation. A student's best practice, reflected by what is known as the 'actual – optimal bests dichotomy', details her belief in capability to perform task complexity (i.e., simple task vs. complex task). The concept of element interactivity within cognitive load theory framework predicts differential instructional efficiency: equation‐pictorial > equation approach > unitary‐pictorial > unitary. Our findings (N = 218 secondary students) showed that performance outcomes favored high prior knowledge students for complex problems and, to a lesser extent, practice problems and simple problems. Low prior knowledge students benefitted most from the equation‐pictorial approach, and they invested higher mental effort than high prior knowledge students across three approaches (unitary, unitary‐pictorial, equation) but not the equation‐pictorial approach. Importantly, cognitive load imposition, by proxy of students' mental effort, was unrelated to students' belief in optimal best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement and the mediating role played by positive emotions and learning engagement in a sample of 497 middle school students from three middle schools in eastern China. Participants' ages ranged from 12 to 15 years old, with a mean of 13.19 (SD = 0.688). The results show that: (1) positive emotions mediate the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement; (2) learning engagement also mediates the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement; and (3) positive emotions and learning engagement show a chain-mediating effect in the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement. The findings not only reveal the mediating role of positive emotions and learning engagement between perceived teacher support and academic achievement but are also important for Chinese teachers to help students improve their academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic, the United States' racial reckoning, and nationwide educational "anti-woke" legislation—along with long-standing accountability policies—acutely constrained teachers' experiences and have solidified public portrayals of educators as mistrustful and docile. Yet research suggests that, in the face of school and societal constraints, Black women educators develop and enact beliefs about teaching that challenge prevailing opinion to provide equitable and just learning experiences for their students. The 2020–2021 school year, an extraordinary moment in the United States, provided an important context to understand Black women educators' developing beliefs about teaching secondary literacy, a politicized and contested subject. Purpose: This study builds off of historical and contemporary research on Black women educators to understand how two teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy in a middle school with a diverse student population during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Drawing on Black feminist theory and asset-based pedagogies, it also sought to understand what individual and collective meaning they made out of their teaching experience. Research Design: The qualitative study centered on two Black women educators who taught seventh-grade English language arts and history during the 2020–2021 school year. The two teachers worked at a suburban middle school serving a racially diverse student population. The study involved three interviews with each participant and seven group discussions with both participants throughout the year. I employed grounded theory methodology to analyze the data and to develop themes about how the teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy. Findings: During an extraordinary moment in the United States—characterized by the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid instruction, and a countrywide racial reckoning—the participants felt empowered to call out the deficit ideologies that their colleagues voiced. Calling out deficit ideologies informed three beliefs about teaching literacy: upholding students' humanity, elevating classroom discussion, and teaching a complex narrative of people of Color. These findings affirm the mutuality between action and beliefs and emphasize a more socially and politically oriented conceptualization of literacy pedagogy. Recommendations: This study informs how educational leaders can support Black women educators with professional learning that positions culturally affirming school expectations and critical self-reflection as a precedent to the empowering literacy instruction teachers could enact in classrooms. Future research can examine school-level and social factors shaping teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dirasat: Educational Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the research is to examine the effects of informatics production workshops conducted together with nature workshops on the scientific attitudes of the participants, their beliefs in science and their attitudes towards STEM. Sequential explanatory design, which is one of the mixed research methods in which quantitative and qualitative approaches are used together, was used in the research. Secondary school students participating in the research went through a 70-hour training process. At the end of this process, it was seen that there was no significant change in the scientific attitudes and scientific views of the participants as a result of the measurements made with the measurement tools, but there was a positive increase in their attitudes towards STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of gamification activities conducted through the Wordwall.net platform on student achievement and attitudes in middle school mathematics classes. A pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental research design was employed to achieve this goal. The experimental and control groups were randomly selected from two different fifth-grade classes taught by the same teacher. The experimental group consisted of 16 students, while the control group consisted of 14 students. In the experimental group, activities containing relevant math concepts were implemented through the Wordwall.net platform, while the control group continued with regular math lessons following the Ministry of National Education (MEB) curriculum. Data was collected using an academic achievement test and a mathematics attitude scale. According to the results obtained from the four-week experimental application, gamification activities significantly contributed to students' academic achievement and attitudes towards mathematics. However, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups regarding the sub-dimensions of the mathematics attitude scale, including interest, anxiety, effort, and necessity. The research findings indicate that digital gamification tools like Wordwall.net have the potential to enhance academic achievement and attitudes among middle school students. The benefits of such gamification tools outweigh their disadvantages. These gamification tools can increase student engagement and enhance their learning experiences. Additionally, they can improve students' attitudes towards learning, cater to different abilities and needs, and prepare students for the digital world. Therefore, educators using such digital gamification tools effectively in mathematics classes can make the learning experience more positive and impactful for students. However, further research is needed to confirm these results with larger student groups and across different subject matters. It is also essential to conduct further studies to better understand the limitations of digital gamification in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into the importance of university undergraduate early childhood teacher preparation programs in equipping teacher candidates with practical experiences in theory and evidence-based practices. It also discusses the incorporation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) disciplines into curriculum and the need for professional development for pre-kindergarten teachers to effectively implement STEAM in their classrooms.

This study aimed to find out the direction of reinforcing the subject special description as English records. The study analyzed the English subject description data published in 2017 and 2020 by the Ministry of Education. Focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 18 teachers, 6 each for elementary, middle, and high school. Analysis results of the 2017 data showed that the elementary data had a weak link with the curriculum, middle school data focused on functional areas rather than knowledge or attitudes, and high school data only presented examples of students with high achievement levels. On the other hand, the 2020 data includes not only subject special description but also teachers' content of teaching and evaluation materials according to achievement standards. Based on the results, the introduction of Likert scales and the creation of vocabulary groups by achievement standards are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Institute / Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Bingol University / Rectorate and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Given the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the education sector has been actively striving to instill AI-related competencies in students. In a notable development in 2022, South Korea took a pioneering step by overhauling its curriculum with a primary focus on enhancing students' AI skills. However, despite these efforts, a persistent challenge remains: many students continue to harbor unfavorable perceptions and attitudes toward AI. The existing educational methods have proven insufficient in addressing this issue. Consequently, this study embarked on a quest to identify effective strategies for cultivating a more positive outlook on AI among middle school students. To tackle this challenge head-on, an experiential learning-based AI education program was meticulously designed and implemented for middle school students in Korea. The study rigorously evaluated the program's impact on students' attitudes toward AI. The results unveiled a significant improvement in students' perceptions of AI following the intervention, providing solid empirical evidence of the efficacy of the experiential learning-based AI education program in reshaping middle school students' attitudes toward AI. This research underscores the paramount importance of practical, hands-on experiences in education as a potent means to bridge the gap between knowledge and perception. It offers invaluable insights that can guide the development of AI education curricula worldwide, emphasizing the indispensable role of experiential learning approaches in nurturing positive attitudes and beliefs about AI among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study purpose was to examine performance differences in physical education among learners from two middle schools from two different states. Methods: Performance in physical education was represented by attitude toward physical education, knowledge of physical activity and fitness, and active living behaviors (i.e., physical activity and sedentary behavior). The sixth, seventh, and eighth graders of a midwestern state school (n = 397) and a deep southern state school (n = 350) completed the surveys (N = 747). Results: The authors observed statistically significant school differences in physical activity and fitness knowledge and physical activity behavior (favoring the deep southern state school), and in attitude and sedentary behavior (favoring the midwestern state school). The authors also found stronger associations between attitude and physical activity (but weaker associations between attitude and sedentary behavior) among the deep southern state school students than the midwestern state school students. Conclusion: These observed performance differences and their pedagogical ramifications are discussed in relation to sociodemographic and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Existing research suggests that students' attitudes toward physical education are positive through Grade 5, but become less positive as grade levels increase; this research is, however, missing student voice. The purpose of this study was to further understand why students' attitudes have been shown to decrease. Methods: Twenty-six focus group interviews (students N = 65) were conducted over 2 years to discover what was influencing attitudes from fifth to eighth grade. Results: Three themes emerged: (a) curriculum leads to decreases in student attitudes (subthemes repetitive and boring, an overemphasis on competition, and fitness testing activities—what's the purpose and why am I on display?), (b) social factors impact attitude: sweating and changing, and (c) physical education assumptions, the easy "A" (subthemes: perceptions of physical education teachers and the easy "A"). Conclusion: Allowing students to explain the reasons for decreases in attitudes contributes to improving the teaching and learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the extent to which a concept-based physical education curriculum, specifically the Science of Healthful Living (SHL) curriculum, influenced middle school students' knowledge, motivation for physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA), and out-of-school PA. Methods: A static group comparison design was adopted to analyze the differences on fitness knowledge, autonomous motivation for PE and PA, and out-of-school PA between eighth-grade students who studied the SHL curriculum (the experimental condition, n = 168) and their peers who studied a multiactivity PE (the control condition, n = 226) 1 year earlier. Results: The students who studied the SHL curriculum demonstrated significantly higher levels of knowledge (p <.05, Cohen d = 0.81), autonomous motivation toward PA (p <.05, Cohen d = 0.20), and out-of-school PA (p <.05, Mann–Whitney U effect size = 0.01) than students who had experienced the multiactivity PE. The students in both conditions were equally motivated in their respective PE courses. Conclusion: The SHL curriculum is effective in promoting students' PA behavior outside of the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to capture students' essential knowledge and behaviors concerning active living. Methods: Students (N = 1,079) from elementary, middle, and high schools in the United States reported their knowledge of physical activity and fitness (PAF knowledge), and physical activity and sedentary behavior using grade-specific PE Metrics tests and Youth Activity Profile, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to address the research purposes. Results: The total PAF knowledge scores and scores in subareas varied by gender and school level. A declining trend for physical activity and an increasing trend for sedentary behavior were observed. PAF knowledge positively predicted physical activity in elementary school boys and middle school girls and negatively predicted sedentary behavior in middle school students and high school boys. Certain PAF knowledge subareas (e.g., elementary school PD#3: knowledge about the characteristics of health-enhancing physical activity; middle school PD#1: knowledge of physical activity participation as part of a healthful lifestyle; high school PD#4: monitoring and adjusting physical activity to meet fitness needs) also significantly predicted behaviors. Conclusion: The findings may guide teachers' curricular and instructional actions to enhance students' PAF knowledge through physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objectives of this study were to (a) identify Turkish middle-school physical education teachers' self-reported use and perceptions of spectrum teaching styles, (b) determine the spectrum teaching styles the teachers use when teaching, and (c) examine whether gender and teaching experience were differentiating factors. Method: A convenience sample of 58 female and 62 male teachers working in 86 different middle schools located in Adana (Turkey) were recruited into the study. The data were collected using two validated instruments: the Physical Education Teachers' Use of Teaching Styles and Perceptions of Styles Questionnaire, and the Instrument for Identifying Teaching Styles. Results: The findings based on the teachers' reported perceptions (questionnaire data) revealed that the teachers employed the full spectrum of teaching styles in their classes, ranging from teacher centered to student centered, regardless of their gender or level of teaching experience. However, the data based on actual observations of teaching styles yielded less evidence that the self-reported styles were used in actual teaching settings. The teachers' perceptions and their actual use of teaching styles did not vary according to the gender and/or teaching experience of the teacher. Conclusion: There is a discrepancy between teachers' self-reported teaching styles and the actual use of the styles in their teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: Ongoing tensions surrounding equity and diversity work, particularly around race and gender, in independent schools have led to various responses. Many independent schools have made statements and pledges, and have crafted strategic plans to address systemic racism after receiving internal and external pressure to take action following the murder of George Floyd. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study examines how young adolescent cisgender Black and Latinx students, specifically cisgender boys at two independent middle schools, navigate the often-contradictory forces of gender, race, and class. Research Design: Drawing on one year of participant observation and 33 semi-structured interviews, I examine how these students contend with the simultaneity of color-blind and race-conscious realities in the United States. Conclusions/Recommendations: This study finds that as teachers, administrators, and boards engage in subsequent equity and diversity efforts, they must pause and reconsider our students' lived experiences that are part and parcel of ongoing calls for action. Moreover, educators should center the interrogation of what it means to be human in independent schools—in our missions, policies, culture, curriculum, traditions, admissions, and hiring—as one of the most urgent institutional tasks needed to activate the most liberating possibilities of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of E-International Journal of Educational Research is the property of E-International Journal of Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Relational developmental systems (RDS) theory and ample evidence suggests that parent involvement in schools enhances middle-school age students' social development, including increased prosocial behaviors and reduced problem behaviors. However, the mechanism of the relationships is unclear, especially in Chinese context. The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of positive coping in the relationship of parent involvement in school and prosocial behaviors, problem behaviors among Chinese middle school students. Moreover, this study explored the correlations between prosocial and problem behaviors. A total of 1062 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 11.73, 41% boys; 59% girls) completed the Parent Involvement in Schools Scale of Chinese Version (PISS-C), the Coping Style Scale of the Chinese Version (CSS-C), the Prosocial Behaviors Questionnaire of the Chinese Version (PBQ-C), and the Youth Self-Report Chinese Version (YSR-C). The results showed that positive coping mediated relationships between parent involvement in schools and prosocial behaviors, problem behaviors. Specifically, parent involvement in schools was positively related to positive coping. In turn, positive coping was positively associated with prosocial behaviors and negatively related to problem behaviors. Another finding revealed that prosocial behaviors was negatively correlated with problem behaviors. Limitations, future directions, and implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power and value of technology in the information age has been effective in the spread of technology and its use at younger ages. Adolescents are in the risk group in terms of the negative consequences of technology. Today, bullying that has moved to the virtual environment has brought cyber victimization. In order to examine the relationship between the parental internet attitudes of secondary school students and their cyber victimization, 684 secondary school students studying in the city center of Konya (Türkiye) participated in the research in the 2020- 2021 academic year. "Cyber Victimization" and "Parental Internet Attitude" questionnaires and "Demographic Information Form" were used to collect the data. It was seen that the most perceived parental internet attitude was the authoritative one and the perceived parental internet attitude of the students who experienced the most victimization was the laissez-faire attitude. According to the participating middle school students, parental internet attitudes differ respecting gender, grade level, education level of parents and school type. It was observed that there was no difference as regards the grade point average. It was also determined that students' cyber victimization is at a low level, and cyber victimization differs according to class level and education level of mother and father. It was found out that there was no difference according to gender, grade point average and school type. In addition, it was observed that parental internet attitude has different effects on the level of cyber victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the vocabulary acquisition of 143 middle school students from an East Malaysian school, examining its correlation with gender, attitudes, and perceived problems faced in vocabulary learning. Using the Contextualised Word Family (CONTEXTUALISED WORD FAMILY) model, the study tested the effectiveness of explicit vocabulary instruction over 30 sessions. The study utilised a one-group pretest-posttest design, measuring the learners' vocabulary size through the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (PVLT) and a questionnaire. The results showed an increase in vocabulary size with no significant difference based on gender, a very weak negative correlation with attitudes towards vocabulary learning, and mostly weak positive but significant relationships with three of the learners' perceived problems faced in vocabulary learning. This study provides some important pedagogical implications for teacher practice and recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]