Middle School Teachers Research Articles

Relationships between Self-Efficacy and Teachers' Well-Being in Middle School English Teachers: The Mediating Role of Teaching Satisfaction and Resilience.

Teaching satisfaction and resilience play important roles in the education field, but most research focuses on higher education, with few scholars studying their impact on language teaching within the context of middle school education. In this sense, this study employs a mixed-methods research design, selecting 375 Chinese middle school English teachers to investigate the roles of teaching satisfaction and resilience in the relationship between self-efficacy and teachers' well-being. A structural equation modeling approach and NVivo were utilized to analyze quantitative data and qualitative data, respectively. Quantitative results reveal that both teaching satisfaction and resilience mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and teachers' well-being. Qualitative interviews reveal that teaching satisfaction primarily enhances job commitment, reduces job stress, improves student relationships, and increases professional growth. Meanwhile, resilience plays a crucial role in stress management, positive adaptation, and emotional regulation. This research offers insightful implications for improving teachers' well-being and contributes significantly to the broader discourse on foreign language teacher education.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Adolescents: Effect of Knowledge, Attitudes, Role Perceptions, and Barriers in Mental Health Care on Teachers' Responses.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) involves the deliberate harm of one's body without the intent to commit suicide and is particularly concerning among adolescents. Teachers play a critical role as gatekeepers in identifying and addressing self-harm, underscoring the importance of their knowledge and response strategies in this area. This study explored how teachers' knowledge, attitudes towards NSSI, perceived roles, and workplace barriers affect their responses to students exhibiting NSSI behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 203 middle and high school teachers in Israel. Data were collected during July and August 2023 using six validated questionnaires. Higher levels of teacher knowledge, positive attitudes, and strong role perceptions correlated with more effective responses to NSSI, whereas increased workplace barriers tended to diminish response efficacy. Positive correlations emerged between role perception and both knowledge and attitudes, whereas negative correlations emerged between workplace barriers, attitudes, and role perceptions. Teaching experience moderated the impact of role perception and workplace barriers on responses. Significant differences were observed between regular and special education settings, although no differences were noted in referral rates or years of seniority. These findings suggest that enhancing teacher knowledge and attitudes towards NSSI, while addressing workplace barriers, can improve response efficacy in educational settings.

The predictive effect of cultural orientation and perceived school climate on the formation of teachers’ growth mindsets

This study aimed to examine the predictive effect of cultural orientation and perceived school climate on the formation of teachers’ growth mindsets. A total of 811 middle school teachers (26.88% females; mean age = 29.77) from Shanghai City, mainland China, participated in the study. The growth mindset inventory, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and the school-level environment questionnaire were used to assess teachers’ growth mindset beliefs, cultural orientations, and perceptions of school climates, respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were applied to test the hypothesized roles of teachers’ cultural orientations and perceived school climates in predicting the formation of their growth mindsets. Two interesting findings were obtained. First, regarding the effect of cultural orientation, teachers’ growth mindset belief was positively predicted by the Confucian dimension of cultural value in relation to long-term orientation but negatively predicted by the dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Second, regarding the predictive effect of school climate, growth mindset was positively predicted by three school climate factors: school resources, decision-making, and instructional innovation. These findings provide empirical evidence for the perspectives of social cognitive theory and cultural and ecological psychology by highlighting the contextual sensitivity of growth mindset formation. These findings also have practical implications because they highlight the need to consider cultural and school climate factors in the promotion of teachers’ growth mindsets.

Rural Elementary Teachers’ Computational Thinking Self-Efficacy Through Community-Based Citizen Science

ABSTRACT While both citizen science engagements and computational thinking practices can mutually support student ownership in the science classroom, both face similar challenges to adoption in that they require teachers to openly position themselves as learners alongside their students. This dual role—as a teacher and as a learner—poses self-efficacy challenges that may preclude teachers from exploring these important pedagogical tools and perspectives in their classrooms. We present a cross-case analysis of three experienced teachers in rural elementary and middle schools as they integrate computational thinking in a year-long, student-led community-based citizen science project. Drawing from interview data, we illustrate how teachers’ capacity to embrace their role of co-learners alongside their students redefined “mastery experiences” of teaching self-efficacy. Specifically, the case teachers evaluated their successful use of computational thinking within the community-based citizen science program in ways that valued student curiosity and discovery over mastery of content. In this way, their self-efficacy for using computational thinking developed when they saw and shared these activities in themselves and their students. We further illustrate how contextual contributors of the professional development program and their rural schools and districts contributed to their comfort in experimenting with new instructional approaches, which helped them to build the mastery experiences that fueled further exploration of computational thinking within their classroom’s community-based citizen science investigations.

Knowledge and attitude of traumatic dental injuries in Mongolian schoolteachers

BackgroundTraumatic dental injury (TDI) is a growing public health concern worldwide, and children and adolescents are commonly affected. Because TDI often occurs at school, the response of teachers to these injuries is crucial. However, teachers in various countries have been shown to lack knowledge of effective TDI first-aid response and need an intervention to improve their knowledge. The aim of the study presented here was to ascertain and analyze teachers’ knowledge of and attitude about TDI in Mongolia.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study of full-time teachers in Mongolia was performed using an online questionnaire (compiled from relevant studies) from September 2022 to December 2022. The questionnaire consists of 47 items and among them 14 were used to assess the teacher’s knowledge, and 5 were for attitude towards TDI. The maximum possible score was 14 points and grouped as follows good, moderate, and poor. T-test, ANOVA test (post-hoc) and linear regression analysis were performed.ResultsThe online survey provided quantitative data from 2821 participants: 28% were elementary school teachers, 29% middle school teachers, and 42% high school teachers. Their mean age was 36.7 ± 9 years, and 2433 (86%) were female. The mean score of the TDI knowledge of the teachers was 5.3 ± 2.1 out of 14. The ANOVA test showed that older (p < 0.01) and more experienced teachers (p < 0.01) had higher scores. Teachers in the eastern (5.46 ± 2.2) and southern (5.49 ± 2.2) provinces had higher mean scores than in the other provinces (p < 0.02). Teachers majored in natural sciences (5.4 ± 2.2) had a higher score than those in the social sciences (5.2 ± 2.1) and difference were significant (p < 0.02). The multiple regression model statistically significantly predicted a one-year increase in experience, the TDI score increased 0.034 (95% CI 0.026, 0.043) unit.ConclusionsThe knowledge regarding TDI and effective first-aid response to such injury is low in teachers in Mongolia. However, the teachers’ attitude about TDI was positive and they wanted to learn and improve their knowledge. Therefore, further education and training programs are advised.

The role of professional calling and student cyberbullying on teachers’ presenteeism and productivity loss

The teaching profession has always been recognized as one that requires a greater vocational calling. However, education professionals have had to adapt to and manage phenomenons which have arisen due to more demanding work contexts that require them to participate in work, even when they are ill (presenteeism), and to a global-wide digital transformation. Such phenomenons include cyberbullying, which has proliferated in school environments. It is crucial to understand the impact this type of phenomenon can have on these professionals. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to identify the needs felt by teachers to deal effectively with incidents of cyberbullying and its potential impact on and reduce presenteeism. Two studies were developed, with the intention that the hypotheses posed by the quantitative study could be enriched with the inferences drawn from the qualitative study. A sample of 542 middle school teachers responded to questionnaires and 63 participated in interviews. The results showed that teachers’ professional calling led to a lower loss of productivity, due to a lower frequency of presenteeism. This effect was more pronounced in the presence of cyberbullying observation. This study provides a contribution to the calling and presenteeism literature since it focuses on the impact of observing cyberbullying on sickness presence. It is relevant because by knowing the demands that teachers feel and the resources they lack, it is possible to implement tailored intervention and prevention programs to help professionals deal with cyberbullying.

Factors influencing the overall satisfaction of teachers participating in a nationwide school-based smoking prevention program in Korea.

Numerous studies of school-based smoking prevention programs (SSPPs) exist; however, most have been conducted from the students' perspective, and insufficient research has explored teachers' perceptions. Our study aimed to identify factors affecting overall satisfaction and operational status from the perspective of teachers participating in the SSPP. This is a cross-sectional study analyzing data from a survey regarding the operation of an SSPP conducted by the Korea Health Promotion Institute in 2022. The study sample comprised 669 teachers involved in the SSPP: 215 from elementary schools, 212 from middle schools, and 242 from high schools. To identify factors influencing teachers' overall satisfaction, independent variables were categorized into three types of factors: personal, school, and teacher perceptions. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed for each factor to test the independent association. For elementary school teachers, as the necessity of smoking prevention and cessation education (β=0.292; 95% CI: 0.182-0.382) increased, the overall satisfaction with the operation of the SSPP significantly improved. Similarly, for middle school teachers, as the necessity of smoking prevention and cessation education (β=0.231; 95% CI: 0.104-0.336) increased, the overall satisfaction significantly improved. Conversely, for high school teachers, the effectiveness (β=0.347; 95% CI: 0.184-0.520) was the variable that significantly improved overall satisfaction with the SSPP operation. The variables affecting teacher satisfaction across all school levels were the necessity of smoking prevention and cessation education, the effectiveness of the SSPP, and its impact on smoking cessation among smoking students, all of which belonged to the teacher perceptions factor. Smoking education in schools requires teachers to play a crucial role. Among participating teachers, overall satisfaction with SSPP operations and the influencing factors differed according to school level, highlighting the importance of careful consideration to establish a more effective operational environment tailored to each school level.

IMPLICIT STRATEGIES OF ELEMENTARY GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

General Education teachers don’t have exceedingly specialized capabilities in special education. We don’t have much encounters in an inclusive classroom. Not continuously, but regularly, it appears that teachers feel unequal to the errand of educating students with special needs. This study used a phenomenological approach, which explains how people interpret their lived experiences with a concept or phenomenon (Creswell, 2020). The objective of a phenomenological investigation is to understand and explain an event from the point of view of the participants. Many professionals in the literature express concerns about whether full inclusion is appropriate for all students with disabilities and emphasize the importance of maintaining a continuum of services. Supporters for a continuum of services for students with disabilities cite two main reasons. First, they believe there is an inadequate research base to advocate such a drastic change to the current educational system believes, the research evidence on the relative efficacy of one special education service delivery model over another is scarce, methodologically flawed, and inconclusive. A number of recommendations for future studies emerged from the data. This study was restricted to fifteen elementary general education classroom teachers from Davao City The first recommendation would be to expand this study’s sample size and the geographic area of the participants. Another recommendation would be to study the perspectives of participants not included in this study: middle and high school teachers, specials teachers, and special education teachers. KEYWORDS: Implicit Strategies, Elementary General Education Teachers, Inclusive Classrooms, A Phenomenological Study

Emotion regulation skills as a mediator of STEM teachers’ stress, well-being, and burnout

The teaching profession highly stressful, and teachers are often faced with challenging situations. This is particularly the case in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, which is a uniquely demanding and challenging field. This study examined the role of emotional regulation (ER) skills in STEM teachers’ stress, well-being, and burnout. The sample included 165 STEM teachers in middle and high schools who completed standard online questionnaires on ER, stress, well-being, and burnout. They were also asked to comment on three videos depicting authentic mathematical and pedagogical situations. The results indicated that contrary to popular belief, seniority was not linked with levels of stress, difficulties in ER, lower levels of well-being, or higher levels of burnout. A structural equation model and bootstrapping analysis showed teachers’ levels of stress predicted their well-being, and this link between stress and well-being was mediated by teachers’ level of difficulty in ER. The study highlights the importance of STEM teachers’ well-being and suggests the need to reduce stress and burnout by providing tools for teachers to regulate their emotions in the classroom.

More we or more me? How collaboration and autonomy connect with school climate, team innovativeness and school satisfaction among Korea’s teachers

ABSTRACT Prior large-scale research on teacher collaboration and autonomy has failed to distinguish effects within and between schools or among elementary and middle school teachers. This lack of research has implications for professional development in countries like Korea, where national policies have increasingly favoured teacher collaboration. We therefore employed multilevel structural equation modelling to analyse Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 responses from 5,601 Korean elementary and middle school teachers. Our findings revealed significant direct and indirect effects among the variables of teachers’ perceptions of teacher collaboration, teacher autonomy, school climate, team innovativeness and school satisfaction. At the teacher level, the main differences between elementary school and middle school teachers related to classroom autonomy and team innovativeness. Collaboration and autonomy significantly predicted school satisfaction among elementary school teachers but not middle school teachers. There were also key differences in effects from teacher collaboration and classroom autonomy at the teacher and school levels. The most notable finding was that school climate mediated the relationship between classroom autonomy and school satisfaction at the teacher level. As these factors relate to the uptake and implementation of professional development, we provide key recommendations for local and national policy-makers hoping to optimise learning opportunities for teachers.

Pre‐service middle school teachers' specialized content knowledge on sampling variability

AbstractThis study investigates a range of non‐normative ideas that pre‐service teachers (PSTs) employ in reasoning about sampling variability. This issue was studied in the context of a content course on statistics and probability for pre‐service middle grade teachers at a Midwestern American university. Analysis of seven PSTs' video and screen records of task‐based interviews has articulated fundamental facets of sampling variability that have not yet been fully explicated in the literature, especially with middle grade PSTs. With the content expectation of sampling variability for middle grade students as suggested by policy reports in the United States of America, this study is particularly fertile ground for designing curricula that can support middle grade PSTs' development of critical specialized content knowledge on sampling variability.

Psychometric properties of the Range and Differentiation of Emotional Experience Scale among Chinese teachers

The Range and Differentiation of Emotional Experience Scale (RDEES) is a useful assessment of individual differences in emotional complexity. We recruited 721 Chinese primary and middle school teachers to examine the psychometric properties of the RDEES for use with this population. The results supported a two-factor model, comprising the range of emotional experience and the differentiation of emotional experience. The Chinese version of the RDEES showed a significant correlation with the Chinese version of the Emotional Intelligence Scale. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from .58–86 and test‐retest reliability ranged from .59â–“.66. Therefore, the Chinese version of the RDEES can be used for measuring emotional complexity in Chinese primary and middle school teachers.

Should Global Englishes be taught? Perceptions from Chinese English teachers in Middle school education

Should Global Englishes be taught? Perceptions from Chinese English teachers in Middle school education

An exploratory analysis of the association between coronavirus anxiety and teacher burnout

This study was an exploration of COVID-19 anxiety and its relationship with teacher burnout. The study was a cross-sectional survey research design with a convenience sample drawn from a population of K-12 public school teachers. A non-parametric statistical test, Kruskal-Wallis, showed a statistically significant difference in teacher burnout across the three grade levels: χ2 (2, N = 61) = 6.20, p = .045. Teacher burnout was lowest amongst elementary school teachers (M = 47.00) when compared to middle school (M = 74.00) and high school teachers (M = 71.00). Implications include a need for increased administrative support and decreased stress levels for teachers.

Pengaruh Efikasi Diri, Kepuasan Kerja, dan Komitmen Profesional terhadap Kesejahteraan Subjektif Guru SD-SMP Nasima Kota Semarang G

The research aims to analyze and explain the influence of teacher efficacy on subjective well-being, the influence of job satisfaction on subjective well-being, and how professional commitment influences the subjective well-being of Nasima Semarang Elementary and Middle School teachers. This research is a type of explanatory research. The sample for this research was 88 teachers from Nasima Elementary School and Middle School, Semarang City. The data collection method was a Google form questionnaire distributed to all respondents. Next, the data was processed using SPSS version 26. For data analysis, instrument testing was carried out by carrying out validity and reliability tests, Testing the model via the F test, determination test (R²), and hypothesis test (t-test). Research findings on teacher self-efficacy have a positive effect on subjective well-being; job satisfaction has a positive impact on subjective well-being; Professional commitment hurts subjective well-being. In conclusion, subjective well-being is influenced by self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Therefore, school leaders in policies related to teacher management must provide space for teachers to increase self-efficacy by sending teachers to attend higher levels of education and involving teachers in various workshops. To build self-efficacy and a sense of self-satisfaction for teachers through creating a conducive environment and school and school organization to create a sense of happiness for teachers. Keywords: Job Satisfaction, Professional Commitment Subjective Well-being, Teacher Self-Efficacy

수업에서의 생성형 AI 활용에 관한 초·중등교사의 인식 연구

Objectives The purposes of this study is to investigate the perceptions of elementary and secondary school teachers on the use of generative AI in the classes, identify the needs of elementary and secondary school teachers, and provide a basis for exploring ways to expand the use of generative AI in the classes in the future. Methods A questionnaire was developed, and a questionnaire survey was conducted on 645 elementary, middle, and high school teachers located in Chungcheongbuk-do. The survey results were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 program. Results 189 teachers had experience using Generative AI in the classes, accounting for 29.3% of the total, and 70 teachers answered that they use Generative AI more than once every two weeks, indicating that the percentage of teachers who still use it in class is still low. The Generative AI that is mainly used is interactive AI such as ChatGPT, and when using it, the motivation for students to participate in class was cited as the biggest advantage. Teachers who have no experience in using it chose the lack of knowledge of using Generative AI the most for that reason, and when the intention to use it in the future is expressed on a 5-point Likard scale, it was found that they are willing to use it with an average of 3.20 (SD=0.87). The percentage of foreign students or students who are not good at using language as Generative AI content available in class was the highest. Conclusions In order to expand the use of Generative AI in classes, teacher training should be conducted to improve teachers' ability to use Generative AI, and materials such as class cases should be provided. It is also necessary to prepare alternatives to misinformation provision, blocking and preventing abuse of harmful information, and plagiarism and copyright issues.

Peningkatan literasi dan numerasi dengan pendekatan interaktif dan komunikatif melalui program kampus mengajar di SD Negeri 15 Kota Bengkulu

The Teaching Campus Program is a program from the Ministry of Education and Culture that provides students with the opportunity to study outside campus and experience teaching at assigned schools. The background to this program is the low level of literacy and numeracy in Indonesia, which encourages interventions to improve the quality of elementary, middle school and vocational school education (excluding SMK PK). One of the targets of this program is SD Negeri 15 Bengkulu City. Technology adaptation is an important focus considering the rapid development of technology and the needs of students in the era of society 5.0. This program aims to increase student literacy and numeracy, introduce and utilize technology in the teaching and learning process, and enrich the learning environment through various work program initiatives. The methods used include planning, implementation and ongoing evaluation according to student abilities. The results of this program are expected to significantly improve students' literacy and numeracy skills, increase technology awareness and skills and create a more interactive and enjoyable learning environment. The implication of this program is to provide valuable practical experience for students, improve professional abilities and contribute directly to improving the quality of education in the program's target schools.

Hubungan Kepemimpinan Pembelajaran Kepala Sekolah Lingkungan Kerja dan Iklim Sekolah Dengan Sikap Profesional Guru di SMP Negeri Kecamatan Pelaihari Kabupaten Tanah Laut

This research analyzes the direct and indirect relationship between Principal Learning Leadership, Work Environment, School Climate, and Professional Attitudes of Public Middle School Teachers in Pelaihari District, Tanah Laut Regency. This type of research is quantitative with an explanatory method using a path analysis model to analyze relationship patterns between variables. The research population was 140 teachers from 8 State Middle Schools in Pelaihari District, Tanah Laut Regency, and 104 respondents were taken as research samples using the Probability Simple Random Sampling technique. Data collection uses questionnaire instruments, and data analysis uses descriptive analysis, classical assumption testing, hypothesis testing, and path analysis. The results of the study of the regression coefficient values ​​for the Principal Learning Leadership and Teacher Professional Attitude variables were 0.423, the Work Environment and Teacher Professional Attitude variables were 0.279, the School Climate and Teacher Professional Attitude variables were 0.232, the Principal Leadership and School Climate variables were 0.430, the Work Environment variable and School Climate of 0.515, the Principal Learning Leadership variable through School Climate with Teachers' Professional Attitudes of 0.778 and the Work Environment variable through School Climate with Teachers' Professional Attitudes of 0.805. In conclusion, a partial direct relationship exists between Principal Learning Leadership, Work Environment, and Teacher Professional Attitudes in Public Middle Schools in Pelaihari District, Tanah Laut Regency. There is an indirect relationship between the Principal's Learning Leadership through School Climate and Teachers' Professional Attitudes and the Work Environment through School Climate and Teachers' Professional Attitudes in Public Middle Schools in Pelaihari District, Tanah Laut Regency. Keywords: Principal Learning Leadership, Work Environment, School Climate, Teacher Professional Attitude

Middle school teachers’ views and recommendations about using translation exercises in L2 reading comprehension classes

Reintroducing translation exercises in EFL classes has been advocated by theorists and scholars in the field. They highlighted the facilitative role of translation and called for paying attention to its position in FL teaching, especially with regard to the four skills (Deller and Riuvolucri, 2002; Atkinson, 1993, 1987; Auerbach, 1993). However, it is noted that little attention has been paid to suggesting practical pedagogical and methodological recommendations of a possible use of translation exercises in EFL teaching. In the present paper, we aim at exploring teachers’ views and recommendations towards using translation exercises in the teaching of reading comprehension to beginners in Moroccan middle schools. To do this, the study employed a qualitative method of research. Despite Covid-19 discouraging conditions and the difficulty of finding teachers who have been teaching English in middle schools continuously, ten teachers who use the same textbook with the same level of learners were interviewed. Analysis revealed that the interviewees are positive about using translation in beginners’ reading comprehension classes on condition that the activities are short and well-controlled, should come in the initial and the final stages of the lesson, particularly with culture-based reading material.

Revision and Multiple Validity Verification of Self-Presentation Skills Assessment for Middle School Students

The main objective of this study is to revise and validate the assessment of self-presentation skills of middle school students. The assessment is based on existing self-assessment scales and adaptively modified for a more accurate assessment of middle school students' self-presentation skills. Considering the characteristics of middle school students and teachers' assessment, we have reconstructed and adjusted the dimensions of the original assessment. This paper includes background research, scale design and innovation, scale testing, and scale reliability and multiple validity verification. In order to further verify the effectiveness and reliability of the tool, this study added the application of content validity and factor analysis on the basis of previous studies. The results of this study are intended to compensate for the limitations of current teacher assessment for middle school students' self-presentation. At the same time, this study also provides a basis for the development of middle school students' self-presentation skills integrated training programs.