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We hypothesized that organizational culture moderates the relationship between justice perceptions and leader-member exchange (LMX). In a sample of 516 teachers from 30 high schools in Turkey, we found that one dimension of culture from the Organizational Culture Profile, respect for people, strengthened the relationship between interactional justice and LMX, and another dimension, team orientation, weakened that relationship. Furthermore, aggressiveness strengthened, whereas team orientation weakened, the relationship between distributive justice and LMX. Finally, we found that in team-oriented schools, LMX was higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which assessed the research library service of the Knoxville Library of the University of Tennessee, which provides access to research library resources for high school students. Similarities among area high school libraries; National perspective on high school curriculum; Development of a library research model.

A bibliography is presented for all the articles included in the monograph issue that presented a comprehensive study of high school physical education teachers in the U.S. Some of the works consulted by the authors include "A sociological assessment of attitude toward physical activity in champion athletes," by R. Alderman; "Behavior analysis of tasks and accountability," by K. Alexander; and The sport education in physical education project (SEPEP): A proposed research agenda and an invitation to join a national research effort," by K. Alexander.

The article presents abstracts for articles related to research in physical education and training as of January, 1994. Topics of featured articles include ethics in physical education teaching, research on physical education teaching in secondary schools, the effectiveness of in-service teacher training in elementary schools, and the training of physical education teachers.

In this study I hypothesize a larger penalty of obesity on teacher-assessed academic performance for white girls in English, where femininity is privileged, than in math, where stereotypical femininity is perceived to be a detriment. This pattern of associations would be expected if obesity largely influences academic performance through social pathways, such as discrimination and stigma. In the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (age ~9) and the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997 (age ~18), I find obesity to be associated with a penalty on academic performance among white girls in English but not in math, while no association is found in either subject for white boys or for black students net of controls. Findings suggest that the relationship between obesity and academic performance may result largely from how educational institutions interact differently with bodies of different sizes rather than primarily via constraints on physical health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a literature review conducted to study the American high school administrators and the inclusion approach in the education. Method of how the research was conducted, which includes locating articles and required methodology by looking up the ERIC database, and summaries of different studies are discussed. Other topics addressed include the efforts to improve secondary education, the responsibilities of administrators, and the support to co-teaching.

A general consensus regarding universal schooling policies is that they have boosted enrollments while ignoring the quality of learning, although there is burgeoning research interest in the extent to which such policies have contributed to more equitable educational delivery. This paper analyzes household and school level effects of Uganda’s Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy, launched in 2007. We rely on data drawn from the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS) rounds in 2005 and 2009–11, which are included as part of the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS). We find that receipt of the USE capitation grant has increased substantially for most pupils, and is associated with a 60% reduction in household spending on education per child, at the lower secondary level. At the same time this relationship does not differ by wealth or by region. Further, we do not find evidence to suggest the policy boosted school attendance or retention, at the lower secondary level. Overall, our findings suggest a need for greater attention to the equity effects of universal education policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide further generalizability for the results garnered by two previous studies, the authors conducted a methodological replication. In addition to adding to the body of replication research done with gifted students, the purpose of this study was to examine perfectionism differences among gifted adolescents in regards to gender, birth order, and grade level. Gifted adolescents enrolled in a rural middle and high school (N = 96) responded to the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Results revealed differences in regard to birth order, gender, and grade level. These results suggest that more research needs to be conducted to determine the relationship between perfectionism and gender, birth order, and age/grade level. Implications for parents, practitioners, and counselors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to analyze the opinions of teachers working in High Schools on informal learning regarding if they had any informal learning in school environment, which informal learning activities took place, and if this learning had a contribution to their professional development. The research was a qualitative study with a multiple holistic case study design. Data were collected from interviews using semi-structured interview forms. At the end of the research, conclusions were classified under three main themes. The first main theme was that there were some informal learning activities which the teachers were engaged in. The second main theme was that most of the informal learning happened through talking and sharing resources and ideas with others. Especially teacher candidates experienced informal learning through observations of the practices of senior colleagues. The final theme indicated that the informal learning in school environment had a positive effect on teachers' professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: This article summarizes an increasing trend of antideficit Black male research in mathematics and highlights opportunities to add to the research. A review of the literature shows that antideficit researchers often examine relationships between individual traits and persistence of high-achieving Black males in mathematics. However, opportunities for additional antideficit research include examining the relationship between organizational decisions and persistence of high-achieving Black males. Research Question: Which organizational practices predict persistence among Black males in 11th grade who have demonstrated high mathematics potential in ninth grade?. Population: Data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) were used in this study to identify a national sample of high-achieving Black males. Publicly-available data from the base year (2009-2010) and the first follow-up year (2011-2012) were used in this study to examine Black male persistence in high achievement categories from ninth to 11th grades. Sample inclusion criteria were limited to public school Black males with mathematics achievement scores in the top two national quintiles. More than 31,000 students (weighted estimates varied by analysis) met the study's requirements and were included in this study. Research Design: Using optimal resource theory (Anderson, in press), logistic and multiple regression was used to examine the relationships between school-based practices in ninth grade and student outcomes in 11th grade. Findings/Results: Of the Black males who demonstrated high potential in ninth grade and matriculated to precalculus in 11th grade, 61% earned mathematics scores in the top 20%, nationally. Contrarily, only 18% of the Black males who demonstrated high potential in ninth grade, but did not matriculate to pre-calculus in 11th grade earned mathematics scores in the top 20%, nationally. Additionally, of the extracurricular activities that were examined, findings show that partnerships with community colleges and universities, science and mathematics guest speakers, and science/math-related field trips were related to increased mathematics efficacy after two years. Teacher sorting practices and professional development activities that were examined in this study were not reliably predictive of student outcomes. Conclusions/Recommendations: This study uses national data to demonstrate that some common organizational practices are more beneficial to high-achieving Black males than others. In particular, this study highlights the importance of developing course progress monitoring and support plans to increase the likelihood of persistence-- future high achievement and beliefs about ability--for Black males who have demonstrated high potential in ninth grade. Opportunities for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: High school educational environments find Black males experience systemic racial microaggressions in the form of discipline policies, academic tracking and hegemonic curriculum (Allen, Scott, & Lewis, 2013). Black males in high school are more likely than their White male peers to have high school truancies and be viewed as intentionally sinister (Allen, 2010; Osyerman, Gant, & Ager, 1995). African American males are labeled by White teachers and administrators as deviant for issues like talking in class, dress code violations and being tardy (Skiba et al., 2011). Deficit perceptions about African American students as held by White teachers and administrators serve as racial microaggressions within K-12 context. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Racial microaggressions based on prejudicial White beliefs of teachers impedes the learning process of participants. Racial microaggressive acts are problematic due to being a symptom of the overarching campus racial climate, which is often indicative of the negative historic treatment of Black males by Whites (Smith, Hung, & Franklin, 2011). The cumulative impact of racial microaggressions on Black males negatively impacts self-image, academic performance, and social navigation skills (Solórzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000; Steele, 1997; Steele & Aronson, 1995). Examining how Black males responded to racial microaggressions by White teachers and administrators at culturally diverse high school settings was the impetus for this study. Research Design: To understand how African American male students responded to racial microaggressions qualitative research was used. Conducting a study that focuses on multiple individualistic lived experiences, I am mindful that "human actions cannot be understood unless the meaning that humans assign to them is understood" (Marshall & Rossman, 2011, p. 53). This comparative case study allowed for narrative expression, which informed the experiential meanings participants assigned to enduring racial microaggressions by gathering in-depth information through multiple sources to understand participants' real life meanings to situations (Flyvbjerg, 2006; Merriam, 1998). Conclusions/Recommendations: Participants' engaged in pro-active navigation strategies to minimize and counter racial microaggressions. Navigation strategies were influenced by in- and out-of-class interactions with White teachers and student peers. Analysis of the data gathered during interviews, focus groups, and observations confirmed the racial microaggressive lived experiences of participants. Three themes emerged: (1) monolithic targeting; (2) integrative fluidity; and (3) behavioral vacillation. Participants avoided monolithic targeted racial microaggression(s) by creating meaningful alliances within other racialized student populations by utilizing social and extracurricular relationships as protective barriers to lessen the adverse effects of racial microaggressive experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the level of autonomy of learners of higher secondary level education in Nepal regarding their gender, nature of institution, medium of instruction and stream. The subject of this study comprises 552 learners from 22 higher secondary school of academic session 2015/6 whom a questionnaire with a 5-point likert scale was administered. The data obtained were analyzed using mean, Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal Wallis H-test of non-parametric test. In the result, the learners' level of autonomy in learning English was found moderate (M =3.1078). Regarding the gender, the female students were found statistically significantly highly less autonomous than male students. However, there was not statistically significantly different in the level of autonomy of the government and private ELT students in learning English. But, Nepali medium ELT students were found statistically significantly highly less autonomous than English medium ELT students. Similarly, the result showed the significant different of ELT students' level of autonomy between the different streams, x² (3) = 11.476, p = .009) with a mean rank of 17.50 for science, 291.65 for management, 242.23 for humanities and 259.05 for education stream. Pedagogical implication was made while concluding the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization, rapid industrial development, and tremendous population growth have significantly increased the demand for energy. Sustaining the energy supply requires that society be energy literate. Existing studies on secondary school students' energy literacy suggest that effective teaching approaches can enhance energy literacy. This quasi-experimental study was designed to test the null hypotheses that project-based energy learning does not enhance knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and beliefs related to energy. For this purpose, two classes from a school were assigned to experimental and control groups. Following the intervention, an ANCOVA analysis with the pretest results as the covariate showed statistically significant differences in the four aspects that were researched. Additionally, interviews with randomly selected students from the experimental and control groups further support the findings. Implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of professional expertise is the process of continually transforming the repertoire of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to solve domain-specific problems which begins in late secondary education and continues during higher education and throughout professional life. One educational goal is to train students to think more like experts and approach the mastery of a subject as an expert would. Helping students to develop professional expertise and evaluating whether classrooms are conducive to the development of expertise is difficult and time-consuming. At present, there is no instrument that measures all the core classroom factors that influence specifically the development of professional expertise. This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument that measures the extent to which educators create a Supportive Learning Environment for Expertise Development, the SLEED-Q. A sample of 586 secondary school students (14-18 years-old) was used for validation. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. Examination of the fit indices indicated that the model seemed to fit the data well, with the goodness-of-fit coefficients being in recommended ranges. The SLEED-Q, consisting of seven factors with 30 items, the SLEED-Q has potential as an instrument for examining how conducive learning environments are to development of professional expertise in secondary school settings. The implications of the results and potential paths for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current negative impacts of implementation while also recommending proper applications to these new technological "applications." Design/methodology/approach - This literary analysis looks at a few of the negative results of technology implementation thus far and also provides ways to correct these impacts. Findings - Technology could significantly aide in the efficacy of instruction if used properly. Educators must not merely understand how to work the basic tools for the classroom; they must utilize those conveniences in such a way that sparks interest, critical thinking, and a desire to create. Originality/value - Throughout public education, technology implementation seems to be the topic on every educator's lips and listed on every school board's agenda. Considering the generous financial support, arduous research, and extensive professional development, the expectations for positive results are unbelievably high. As school districts competitively rush to obtain state of the art equipment and demand that administrators provide professional development for teachers, educators then inundate students with constant change. Teachers are learning how to flip classrooms, provide constant communication, and utilize visual aids via new media. Students have answers at their fingertips, research is instantaneous, and communication with the world beyond the classroom never ceases. However, educators are now obliged to step back and reflect on what impact these alterations are really having. Are schools really getting their anticipated results? What impact are all of these revolutionary ideas really having on the students as a whole? What can be done to make this inevitable turn of the tide flow in the favor of effective instruction? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary students are often challenged to make sense of conceptually complex content area texts. Text-based discussion has the potential to facilitate comprehension by engaging students in collaboratively constructing their understanding of important ideas and relationships among ideas while interacting with a demanding text. However, teachers often find it difficult to construct prompts for discussion that effectively facilitate deep thinking. This article describes a professional development process in which middle and high school teachers analyzed texts and prepared plans with prompts to facilitate thinking in the context of text-based discussion. Teacher responses to this experience included (a) implementing the planning process using strong disciplinary knowledge, demonstrating student learning; (b) striving to create a thoughtful discussion plan while balancing competing demands for instructional focus, (c) constrained by required, low-quality curricular materials; and (d) contesting the demands of the professional development experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is a profound social act through which the individual discovers his own personality, exhibits his social aspirations and ideals, toning and determining the evolution of social events. For the achievement of this desideratum it is necessary that all institutions involved in the individual's shaping and development at the social and existential level, have in view the same educational model, speak the same language, take a more responsible and realistic look at the importance of such a social act as education. In this context, it is essential that higher education develop in congruence with the evolution of the society and demands of its members, therefore it must be flexible, compliant and efficient. The aim of this work is to study the potential of higher education in the Southeast region. We started from the initial hypothesis that higher education in the Southeast region can and must become efficient if it is based more on its quality and prestige and less on the number of registered students. Hence, we find that education and the educational system throughout a lifetime (lifelong learning), have become more and more present these past years, having grown into a priority of the educational systems at a global level. The following indicators were scrutinized in the study: the population in high school, as the main source to sustain higher education; the factual number of students; universities in relation to forms of property; faculties and study programs; number of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a perspective on Drama as a separate subject within the UK secondary school curriculum from the point of view of a working Head of a Drama department. I explore the various concerns a teacher of this subject must consider when planning a curriculum within their school, including breadth and depth of content and assessment of the subject. I also discuss some of the current issues faced by working Drama teachers such as the lack of a National Curriculum for Drama, the impact on Arts subjects of government education policy and school progress measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives a short description of the scope and content of an educational project. The approach is to use historical navigational devices, such as sextants and cross staffs, to teach mathematics in secondary schools. By making collections of these devices available to teachers and bringing them into the class room a new approach to combine mathematics education, material culture and the history of navigation has been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is, within the framework of Teaching Model for Hot Conceptual Change, to investigate the effect of cognitive conflict based Compton Scattering teaching that was supported by motivational and metacognitive strategies on students' conceptual change. The sample of the study in which mixed method design was used consists of 40 students from two grade 11 classes at an Anatolian Teacher High School in Turkey. Data were collected with Modern Physics Concept Test (MPCT) and semi-structured interviews. MPCT was administered as pre, post and delayed post tests which were followed by semi-structured interviews with a total of 14 students, including seven students from each class. Data gathered from MPCT were analyzed by using content analysis and tabulated. Also, students' responses to interview questions were coded and personal development tables were created. The research findings show that students' views about Compton Scattering cannot be related with the scientific view before instruction. However, it has been found that the instruction based on TMHCC is considerably successful in helping students to change their conceptions after instruction. Also, students' insistent misconceptions after the instruction were identified and these misconceptions were associated with the stages of instruction to reveal the limitations of instruction in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part, we presented the concept of curriculum and analysed aspects related to the introduction of school-based curriculum in secondary education in Romania. The objective of this study was to analyse the curriculum of a Geoinformatics optional course, the "annual plan", the "learning unit plan", the learning activities included in the Geoinformatics optional course, the students' achievement in this course and their views on the subject matter. In order to identify the students' opinions about the course, we used the questionnaire as the survey method. We concluded that this optional course met the students' expectations and interests, being correlated to the prospects of evolution of the knowledge-based society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities lag behind peers without disabilities in most postsecondary outcome areas such as employment, postsecondary education, and independent living. Numerous initiatives aimed at supporting students as they transition from school to adult life have received attention over the last few decades. These initiatives include those that focus on preparing secondary special educators and transition personnel to be better equipped to facilitate these transitions. In this study, the authors examined the extent to which middle and high school educators (n = 280) and direct-service transition professionals (e.g., transition specialists, rehabilitation counselors; n = 203) reported level of knowledge and modes of access to this knowledge related to secondary transition evidence-based practices (EBPs). In addition, this study examined if there is a difference in educators and direct-service transition professionals in reported use of EBPs. Results indicate that few educators and direct-service transition professionals believe their professional development opportunities fully prepared them with the knowledge and skills to use secondary transition EBPs. Implications and future research directions are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One proactive approach to increasing student engagement in schools is implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) strategies. PBIS focuses on prevention and concentrates on quality-of-life issues that include improved academic achievement, enhanced social competence, and safe learning and teaching environments. This study is a replication of a study that investigated the combination of active supervision, precorrection, and explicit timing. The purpose of the study was to decrease student problem behavior, reduce transition time, and support maintenance of the intervention in the setting. Results show that active supervision, precorrection, and explicit timing decreased student problem behavior, decreased the duration of transitions in two instructional periods, and the intervention was maintained in the setting. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes how to teach fraction and percentage word problems using a model-drawing strategy. This cognitive strategy places emphasis on explicitly teaching students how to draw a schematic diagram to represent the qualitative relations described in the problem, and how to formulate the solution based on the schematic diagram. The step-by-step procedures for using the model-drawing strategy are described. In addition, the results of an action research study applying the model-drawing strategy with high school students who have learning disabilities are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper is a part of a three-year study, ‘Internationalisation and reform of secondary schooling in Kazakhstan’, jointly conducted by an international team of UK- and Kazakhstan-based researchers in 2012–2014. The study was conceived as a mechanism to support education reform in the country. This was achieved through reconstructing the education policy narrative of the last two decades and understanding the effects of the newly established Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools and the Centres of Excellence in-service professional development programme on the larger system. While the focus of the study was on Kazakhstan’s educational present, the references to the previous system of education, which was often referred to asSoviet,traditional, but alsosuccessful, fundamentalandthe best in the world, were numerous. These continuous references to the past prompted the authors of this paper to address the questions:What memories and practices of Soviet education are still dominant in the field of education in Kazakhstan? How do these beliefs continue to shape educational debate in the country?In support of its argument, the paper draws on the literature on Soviet schooling and contemporary education reform, interview data with national and international teachers in Kazakhstan, and field observations. The resultant narrative, which brings together the analysis of educational change and changes in teachers’ beliefs, may appeal to many involved in the construction of the contemporary reform agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines an educational experiment with a unique combination of 3 elements: homework, the use of information and communication technology and a large degree of freedom of choice (student autonomy). More particularly, we study the effectiveness of a web-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that a school offers to its students as optional homework, in a sample of 355 first-year secondary students, using an experimental design. The results show that whether students make this noncompulsory homework in the web-based ITS is dependent on their prior achievement and their teacher, and if they practice, they tend to choose easier modules. Students thus do not seem to optimize learning gains, but rather balance their perceived value of practicing and their "expectancy," as found previously for regular (compulsory, non-ITS) homework. Regarding the value of choice, findings suggest that students may be poor judges of their most beneficial exercises pattern. Differentiation in ITS does not guarantee learning, unless scaffolding is tightly linked to it. In line with previous research, this research shows that practice does matter, though at varying intensities. Yet it also clarifies that motivation to make an effort is required, which adds to the lessons learned from homework research; both the perceived value and expectancy are at play and can be enhanced, for example, by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines a study which investigated the views of eight looked after children on what it means to be successful in school. The participants were aged 12-14 and lived and attended school in rural south west Scotland. The study adopted semi-structured interviews which were analysed using Framework Analysis. The analysis identified three arenas for success: Learn, Achieve and Live as well two types of success: Success-as-development and Success-as-goal. The impact of teachers on each of these arenas was evident and was considered most influential in the Learning and Achieving arenas. Factors affecting all arenas, such as the role of the classroom secondary teacher on provision for looked after children are discussed as well as implications of the research on future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a multi-site and multi-method doctoral dissertation study of English-medium instruction (EMI) in the Swedish context, focusing on perspectives and practices in two upper secondary schools. The research explores the status of EMI, reasons schools offer EMI, beliefs about EMI, and implementation of EMI in classrooms. The educational context is studied from an ecological perspective using methods based in linguistic ethnography. The results indicate that the few Swedish schools teaching content through another language tend to offer EMI -- not content and language integrated learning (CLIL). Neither language learning nor 100% English instruction are the main goals of the schools. Translanguaging is abundant, affording both pedagogic and non-pedagogic functions. The study concludes that a development of definitions and practices of both EMI and CLIL in Sweden is needed, especially in relation to language policy and language hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the dissertation "English-Medium Instruction in Sweden: Perspectives and Practices in Two Upper Secondary Schools" by BethAnne Yoxsimer Paulsrud. The dissertation is recognized for presenting interesting results about the use of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as an educational approach in Sweden. The dissertation also addressed issues concerning the implementation of different educational programmes and the linguistic component of a programme.

This paper aims at investigating the factors which influence instructors of primary and secondary education into using Web 2.0 based teaching techniques in their teaching now and in the future. Two hundred and fifty three teachers participated in a survey conducted with a quantitative research method followed by short interviews for clarification purposes in the research area. The results showed that both gender and teaching experience are factors that influence this attitude, whereas the type of school seems to have no influence on educators' decision to employ such tools in their teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study on Estonian secondary school students was to obtain an overview of the gender-related views and experiences of the everyday school life by students, and to analyse the school-related factors in the development of gender roles and gender-related expectations. We view gender equality as a central condition for social sustainability. In the article, we focus on the perceptions and interpretations of the so-called normal boy and girl and the advantages of both genders at school. We analyse the experiences and the views of young people regarding their gender positioning in everyday school life vis-à-vis their views on gender equality. The survey used in the study consisted of 50 questions, mainly open-ended. It was conducted in 10 basic and secondary schools in grades 7, 9, 10 and 12, with a total number of 649 respondents. The open answers were analysed by applying the method of thematic qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal that the perceived advantages of both genders at school and the behaviour considered as normal at school are strongly related to traditional gender stereotypes. At the same time, students claim that they are primarily people with equal opportunities. We conclude that the belief in the ideology of gender equality outweighs personal gender-related experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate secondary school teachers' perspectives on ICT usage in secondary schools in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach -- A total of 376 teachers from 24 public and private schools from four regions in Ghana participated in this study. Survey and focus group interviews were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used to analyze the findings. Findings - The result indicated that teachers' perceived ICT usage, perceived access to ICT, perceived ICT training and perceived ICT competence were low. Furthermore, the analysis showed that male teachers' perceived confidence in the use of ICT was higher than female teachers. On the other hand, the perceived administrative support for female teachers was more than that for male teachers. Finally, this study discovered that there was no significant difference in public and private school teachers' access to ICT, administrative support, self-efficacy, competencies and training. Originality/value - This contributes to the literature on the perceptions and use of teachers' ICT in secondary schools. The results provide insights into factors that teachers perceived as obstacles to integration of ICT into their teaching, particularly in developing nations. The study shows that teachers' perceived ICT competencies and ICT training do not depend on the type of school the teacher is employed to teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key tool in multitiered systems of support is the use of curriculum-based measures to predict which students are at risk for academic failure. However, there are few studies that examine which measures are most suitable for students in middle school. The authors examine the reliability of predicting outcomes on state assessments for 3 commonly used curriculum-based measures at the middle school level. Data were collected from a middle school in the Midwest that regularly administers 3 different curriculum-based measures. Reading Curriculum-Based Measure (R-CBM), Maze, and Multiple-Choice Reading Comprehension (MCRC) were given to students in Grades 7 (n = 238) and 8 (n = 256). Logistic regression was used to examine each measure in predicting outcomes on the Michigan Education Assessment Program Reading assessment. Results indicated that MCRC more accurately predicted outcomes than R-CBM or maze (Grade 7 eβ = 1.75, Grade 8 eβ = 1.68). Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/ Context: High schools are under increasing pressure to move beyond just graduating students, and many high schools today continue to have low rates of student retention and learning, particularly for students from traditionally low-performing subgroups. Differential dropout rates, wherein low-income students, minorities, and English language learners leave school at higher rates than other students, only compound the problem. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: In this study, we examine differences in instructional quality between two higher and two loiver value-added high schools, as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System - Secondary (CLASS-S). It explores (1) differences in levels of instructional quality, (2) differences in the proportions of students taking advanced courses, and (3) differences in the way teachers think and talk about their classroom challenges. Research Design: This is a mixed methods study that combines data from classroom observation protocols with teacher interview data. We use multilevel statistical models to address the first two research questions and emergent, inductive coding to determine commonalities ivithin schools in how teachers implement higher-quality instructional practices. Findings/Results: We fin d that the average difference in instructional quality, as measured by the CLASS-S, was not very wide across our four case study schools and that the biggest differences were between the two higher value-added high schools. Our interview data suggest that teachers in the two higher value-added schools are more proactive about providing emotional support and preventing behavioral problems, and intentional about attending to content and engaging students in higher-order thinking. Conclusions/Recommendations: The lack of variation in classroom instructional practice across schools also suggests the need to attend to the ways that schools support academic learning outside of the classroom. Qualitative findings signal that the quality of classroom instruction is not the only critical input to students' learning gains when trying to identify what leads schools to place highly in value-added rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching in secondary visual arts classrooms is complex and challenging work. While it is implicated in much research, the complexity of the lived experience of secondary visual arts teaching has rarely been the subject of sustained and synthesized research. In this paper, the potential of practice as a concept to examine and represent secondary visual arts teaching is investigated. A range of practice theories are first examined to identify common themes and principles. From this conceptual foundation, four theoretical principles are developed as a framework to consider the classroom-based complexities of secondary visual arts teaching. A methodological design is then derived from this conceptual foundation. In conclusion, the potential of applying this practice-based framework to the study of secondary visual arts classrooms is considered in relation to empirical research undertaken with teachers as co-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores African American educators' ideas about school completion in the 1920s and 1930s as a way to begin to understand their contributions to the historical discourse on school completion. Using publications from African American professional teaching organizations, the author elevates and examines how African American educators both discussed and engaged in rhetoric around high school completion. The study finds that African American educators primarily advocated for institutional adjustments when discussing ways to increase high school completion. Specifically, African American educators overwhelmingly encouraged schools and teachers to adjust the school day, differentiate the curriculum, and restructure guidance programs to address high school completion concerns. However, the author finds that high school completion did not exist as an isolated educational concern. Instead, the data indicate that African American educators viewed high school completion as part of a long-term strategy for racial uplift and economic advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Written expression is a key component of the secondary curriculum, but many students struggle to produce effective written expression passages. However, written expression can be supported through prewriting strategies such as concept mapping. Using a counterbalanced group design, 19 secondary students alternated between using paper- or computer-based concept mapping to write compare-and-contrast essays. Students' written expression was significantly supported by concept mapping, regardless of the method. Essays were more cohesive, included relevant ideas and structure, and had an overall higher quality. Although no statistical differences existed on essay scores between each method, students expressed an overwhelming preference for computer-based concept mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study is the effect of secondary and post-secondary collaboration on student success in college. The research questions were used to address the evidence of statistical significance in the number of passing semester one courses and the absence thereof in the enrollment number of higher-level courses for secondary students participating and not participating in collaborative programs such as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). Implications for future research include providing data that collaborative efforts are supportive of successful student achievement and college-readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined an early field experience model supported by instructional coaching that was implemented within an undergraduate educator preparation program for secondary language arts and social sciences candidates. A mixed methods design examined candidates' stages of concern based on the Fuller (1969) stages of concern theory in relationship to Marzano's (2003) teacher-level factors of effective schools. While teacher candidates were able to demonstrate each component of effective classroom pedagogy, their level of success varied. At the beginning of the experience, self-concerns were high and characterized by candidates' identities as students and ego-driven considerations. As the experience progressed, candidates focused more on task concerns and the compliant engagement of students. Evidence of impact concerns was limited. Sustained time and university faculty supervision were key elements in a successful early field experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents with disabilities who identify as a sexual or gender minority are at high risk for negative school experiences and poor outcomes, including peer rejection, bullying, and dropping out. Using an intersectionality framework, this study examined how multiple marginalized identities influence sense of self and school experience for this population. Findings reveal a complex picture of lived experiences and support the need for important changes in school practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article offers insights on how students experienced and made sense of their learning in a trimester-long high school Gay and Lesbian Literature course. Drawing on questionnaires and interviews that the students completed as part of a larger ethnographic study of this class, the author shows how a queer-themed literature curriculum is relevant for both LGBTQ-identifying and straight–identifying students and contributes to a better school climate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Teachers need knowledge and skills to make effective use of the growing variety of media and technology texts and tools available for use in elementary and secondary education. For this reason, pedagogical media competencies are highly relevant for teachers’ professional development. The theory of media pedagogical competencies is first defined and then located in the context of the relevant scholarly literature from both Germany and the United States. We conducted a comparative analysis of German and U.S. pedagogical media competency models and report data on a survey of teacher education programs in Germany and the United States to identify the proportion of programs of study that include courses in media didactics, media and school reform, and media education. We consider the implications of the missing connections between the theoretical framework of pedagogical media competencies and the current practice of media pedagogical teacher training, revealing implications for further work needed to improve the integration of media in various school-related contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The move towards a national curriculum in Australia has created a new urgency to consider the extent to which teachers can claim agency within their profession. Drawing on data from interview transcripts of a small scale participant centred research project involving secondary English teachers in a school in Melbourne, Australia, this paper explores an apparent contradiction in teachers' perceptions of their role in curriculum decision-making. The focus of the project was to investigate teachers' attitudes to the teaching of poetry in an attempt to explain why this genre of literature is now almost entirely absent from the senior secondary 'taught' curriculum in the Australian state of Victoria. On one hand, the teachers in this study express frustration that the looming introduction of a national curriculum - combined with an increased emphasis on standardised testing - seems set to reduce their agency; on the other, they entertain the possibility that children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and communities might be better served by a centrally set curriculum than has previously been recognised. We draw on Bernstein's theories to argue that an analysis of this apparent contradiction may lead to the development of more socially just pedagogical practices within the teaching profession and among teacher educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators and parents alike often wonder what secondary students remember from a class after the semester is over. This study examined that question by looking at test data for participants who retook their semester final 77 days after they originally took it. Students were retested in World Geography, Algebra II and Physical Science. The findings from the study raise questions about both how well high school students retain course information and the effects that various teaching strategies have on students' understanding of the concepts and skills on which they are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to explore the perceptions of secondary education teachers in Greece about their students’ information literacy skills and to investigate whether teachers have incorporated some form of information literacy instruction into their teaching to help students familiarize themselves with the research process. Qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used, as the study sought to illuminate individuals’ opinions and understanding of the meanings and values of information literacy, not quantification of responses. The primary method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The transcripts were analysed thematically using the Atlas.ti software package. The study revealed that information literacy skills are developed in the school context chiefly by the assignment of school work or research projects. Almost all teachers were very critical of students’ information skills, but they were not fully aware of how to teach information skills, and the most common way of teaching information literacy was giving advice about specific sources. They appreciated the need to prepare information literate students but they reported various problems in their effort to apply research-based teaching. The paper provides an empirically based, enhanced understanding of students’ information literacy competencies from the teachers’ point of view. It also raises the issues of the content, structure and organization of information literacy experiences offered in the context of secondary education, from the teachers’ perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study will try to find out the gender issues in access of children to secondary education, the performance and academic achievement motivation of girls and boys and the underlying self esteem. Gender equality in education is the basic human right. Human capital is defined as the stock of knowledge and personal abilities an individual possesses, and is perceived as a factor of production that can be improved through education, training and experience. A normative survey method was used. Stratified random sample of school going children were part of the study (N=104). 52 boys and 52 girls were part of the study. Rosenberg self esteem scale and Sharma academic achievement motivation test (AAMT) were used as measuring instruments. The data obtained was analysed statistically. The results indicated that gender plays a significant role in access of enrolment of girls in secondary education but there is no significant difference inhuman capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]