Middle School Learners Research Articles

Mindscapes of Learning: Gender, the Creative Imagery Ability, and the Embodied Nature of Academic Success

This particular study sets out to investigate thoroughly the intricate and fascinating relationship that exists between the abilities of creative imagery and the academic performance of the eighth graders; especially for the male and female learners and how they perform in relation to their imaginative abilities and academic achievement. The research was done among a total of 105 eighth-grade middle school learners which included 52 boys and 53 girls drawn from a public middle school situated in the moderate socio-cultural as well as the socio-economic context of Çanakkale, Turkey. The results of this particular study have revealed that overall, girls do much better than boys on Vividness and Transformation with significantly higher means in these two dimensions while for Originality, the findings indicate that there are no significant gender factors. As regards academic achievement, significant gender-based differences were also observed, as girls eclipsed boys in Turkish, Mathematics, and Science with overall better performance percentages. The study further showed that there is a positive relationship between the creativity capacities of male participants which implies that the high-performance levels of such students can be directly linked to their creative imagination abilities whereas this correlation was not observed in female participants.

Good Teaching Practices in Education and Support to Learning in Middle School

Contemporary education faces the challenge of innovating to improve the quality of learning, requiring teachers to adopt effective methodological strategies. This study examines teaching strategies and good practices in middle school education in Cuenca, Ecuador, with the objective of identifying effective approaches and areas for improvement. The methodology employed was mixed, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. A prospective and non-experimental design was used, which allowed observing educational phenomena without intervening in their development. The research included semi-structured interviews, focus groups and life stories to capture in-depth educational experiences. In addition, surveys were applied to a representative sample of teachers and students to obtain quantitative data on the perception and effectiveness of teaching practices. The main result of the study highlights that solid teacher training and the use of innovative technologies are crucial to improve educational quality and promote an inclusive and equitable environment.

Impact of Metaverse Technology on Academic Achievement and Motivation in Middle School Science

This study explores the effects of Metaverse technology on middle school learners’ academic performance and motivation in science subjects. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 33 students in the experimental group were exposed to the Metaverse for one semester, while 32 students in the control group continued with traditional teaching methods at School 148 in Riyadh. Data collection instruments included a validated science achievement test and a motivation scale. The results demonstrated that the nodes were statistically significantly improved in the experimental group, receiving an average post-test score of 73.1, as compared with the control group, receiving an average post-test score of 65.9 (t = 2.3, p < 0.05). The scores in motivation were also slightly higher in the experimental group, with a mean of 26.9, as compared with the control group, with a mean of 17.1 (t = 5.75, p < 0.05). For academic achievement and motivation, the effect sizes were quite high: fixed effect = 1.091; random effect equals 1.086. These results demonstrate the possibilities of Metaverse technology in revolutionizing the way students learn science. This technology could be a valuable tool for instruction in science classes to enhance performances and influence students’ attitudes positively towards enhanced learning environments in schools.

Анализ взаимосвязей предикторов академической успеваемости школьников методом сетевого моделирования

<p>The problem of studying the factors influencing students’ academic achievement does not lose its relevance in modern psychological and pedagogical science. Such interest arises due to current development of ideas about education as a way of developing human capital, increasing well-being and quality of life of people in modern society. The academic achievement of schoolchildren is largely determined by non-cognitive factors, including personality characteristics, motivational indicators and the development of self-regulation. The present work aims to analyze the relationships between non-cognitive predictors of academic achievement of middle and high school students using the network modeling method. Primary data was obtained using the following methods: V.I. Morosanova’s “The Self-Regulation Profile of Learning Activity Questionnaire (SRPLAQ)”, “Academic Motivation Scale - School (AMS-S)”, “Attitude towards learning in middle and high school”, “Big Five Questionnaire — Children version, BFQ-C”. The average score in Russian language and mathematics was used as an indicator of academic achievement. The sample consisted of 307 secondary school students (37.1% boys, age: 10-18 years). The statistical analysis included calculation of descriptive statistics for 28 indicators, and analyses of partial correlation networks, describing the relationships between regulatory and personality variables, as well as the academic achievement of students in grades 5-6, 7-9 and 10-11. The results revealed significant relationships between variables regardless of the period of education, and differences in the structure of partial correlation networks in grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-11. It was found that the nature of the relationships between non-cognitive predictors and academic achievement varies depending on the period of study. The result showed that the achievement of students in grades 5-6 is significantly and directly correlated to the indicator of openness to new experience, while in grades 7-9 a direct correlation is also found with the general level of attitude towards learning, and in grades 10-11 - with cognitive motivation, neuroticism and conscious self-regulation. The results confirm the known relationships, and also reveal new ones that were not previously discovered in existing research: for example, a negative relationship between academic performance and cognitive motivation. The article concludes with directions for further research of moderator-mediator interactions between non-cognitive variables in their impact on students’ academic achievement.</p>

Enhancing Life Science Learning in Middle School

Enhancing Life Science Learning in Middle School

Relationship between Anxiety, Attitude, Test Motivation, and Exam Success Regarding Exam Question Type: An Investigation of Middle School Learners

The present study examined the relationship between anxiety about exam question types and students’ attitudes, test motivation, and exam success. The sample was 121 middle school pupils in Sakarya, Turkey, aged 11 to 15 years. Data obtained from scales on attitude, anxiety, and test motivation were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analyses. The findings indicate that anxiety about exam question type was significantly negatively related to attitude, test motivation, and exam success. Moreover, attitudes about question type were significantly positively related to test motivation and exam success, and test motivation was also significantly positively related to exam success. Regression analysis results showed that students' anxiety about exam question types was predicted by their attitudes and exam success but was not predicted by test motivation.

Developing Lexical Competence in Second-Year Middle School Learners

This article aims to highlight the usefulness of storytelling in vocabulary development for middle secondary school. The aim of this study is to improve the vocabulary skills of learner’s .In order to respond to the problem, an experiment is conducted in the classroom proposing a variety of stories .The results suggest that exposure to stories tailored to students’ reading levels can be beneficial in improving their lexical skills.

Refining the opportunity to learn construct through the Productive Disciplinary Engagement framework

ABSTRACT Opportunity to learn (OTL) is a ubiquitous measure of the likelihood of learning in educational research, which typically has been characterized by three dimensions: time, coverage of content, and quality of instruction. The last dimension has been defined in highly divergent ways, which gives it a double-edged nature. While it may be operationalized to better serve a specific problem or context, it also makes it harder to achieve consensus or derive broader implications across studies. Using the four design principles from the Productive Disciplinary Engagement (PDE) framework, we show how PDE can characterize the quality of instruction dimension in OTL that reflects contemporary understandings of the end-goals of science education i.e. learning science as practice. This revision is valuable for science educators and evaluators who rely on OTL measures for it helps them: i) evaluate the quality of instruction consistent with reformed science teaching in valid and reliable ways, and ii) address questions about the adequacy of content coverage in the subject. We exemplify analysis using this refined OTL model with a case study of middle-school learners in Singapore engaged in the challenging scientific practice of argumentation.

How Learners Perceive Inter-Disciplinary Dialogic Science Related Learning Experiences: A Mixed-Method Study

Well-designed, dialogic, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities in science related disciplines can promote many educational goals. The difficulty lies in providing these opportunities in schools. Can out-of-school focus days fill the void? Here, we performed a mixed methods study to discover how middle school learners perceive focus days that included dialogic, interdisciplinary activities in mathematics, science, and philosophy, all around socio-scientific dilemmas. We also sought to understand the experiences’ impact on learners’ self-perceived dialogic engagement in the school classroom. We focused on (1) learners’ perceptions and recollections of the dialogic climate during the focus days; (2) the perceived contribution of the three disciplines (mathematics, science and philosophy) to the interdisciplinary focus days; and (3) the focus days’ effects on the dialogic climate in the everyday school environment. Our findings suggest that (1) learners generally considered the focus days as enjoyable and different than their everyday school experience; (2) students did not consider each discipline equally relevant to the focus days’ main topics; and (3) the effects of the focus days were localized, that is, no impact was found on the dialogic climate at school. We discuss implications for promoting interdisciplinary, dialogic science related learning in secondary schools.

Meningkatkan Minat Belajar Siswa Dalam Menulis Teks Prosedur Melalui Media Pembelajaran Audio Visual Kelas VII-2 SMP Pahlawan Nasional Tahun Ajaran 2023/2024

This research aims to increase students' interest in learning in class VII-2 National Hero Middle School in Indonesian language subjects through the use of audio-visual learning media. This research is Classroom Action Research (PTK) which was carried out in two cycles. Data collection was carried out by observation, questionnaires, interviews and documentation. The research results show an increase in students' interest in learning based on the results of observations and questionnaires. At the pre-research stage, observation results showed that students' interest in learning was still low. After implementing audio-visual learning media, students' interest in learning increased. It can be concluded that the use of audio-visual learning media can increase interest in learning Indonesian for class VII-2 students at National Hero Middle School for the 2023/2024 academic year.

Comparative Corpus-based Study of Evaluative it Patterns in Middle School Learners’ Writing

Evaluative it patterns, as an important device for writers to express attitudinal and evaluative meaning, have increasingly been one of the topics of Corpus Linguistics. By adopting the corpus-based approach, this paper explores the frequencies, types , and functions of the it is ADJ that subpattern in evaluative it patterns. Results show that: in terms of frequency, the use of it is ADJ that occurs significantly more frequently in native learners' texts than in Chinese learners' texts. In terms of types, there are obvious differences between the two. The types used by native learners are more diverse, while Chinese learners are more single. The function of it is ADJ that is mainly reflected in its adjective use, and the semantic preferences of the patterns of two are significantly different. Native learners make greater use of the patterns to assess likelihood of propositions whereas Chinese middle school learners use them more often to imply certainty. The results of this study shed light on the teaching of English teaching practice of this structure.

IINVENT pathways and practices: prizing the process over the product

Rural communities need skilled innovators who engage as community members, support economic opportunities, and develop novel ways to solve local problems. Through innovation, Invention Education (IvE) is one way to promote the creativity and problem-solving needed to restore economic vitality to regions of the rural US. IvE pathways support a skilled workforce that communities can draw upon to solve complex problems. Introductory IvE experiences can begin to bolster rural recovery and open prime grounds for innovative solutions. The Office of Precollege Programs at Oregon State University established the iINVENT Program for upper elementary, middle, and high school learners to engage in IvE and act as inventors. In this study, we describe the iINVENT pathways resulting from 8 years of curriculum design and iteration guided by engaged scholarship practices and robust evaluation. Program data from 2019–2023 was collected via learner, educator, community partner, and parent surveys, as well as through observations conducted by program staff and partner instructors. Results from qualitative content and thematic analysis demonstrate the value of introducing learners to IvE and how iINVENT practices support invention educators in impacting youth learners. The findings demonstrate essential practices, successes, and challenges that have shaped the iINVENT pathways and IvE curriculum delivered. Based on these findings and current discourse unfolding throughout the IvE professional community, the authors suggest that a process-oriented invention framework focused on inventiveness and the ways learners can act as inventors is pivotal to broaden access and participation in IvE, providing learners with a more applicable and relatable learning experience to cultivate inventiveness mindsets and skills transferable to all parts of life.

How Constructivist Learning Impacts Secondary Girls’ STEM Career Interests

This is a quantitative study that examines how constructivist learning in a summer camp impacted middle school and high school girls’ STEM knowledge, self-efficacy, and ultimately, their interests in future STEM learning and growth. An online survey was used to collect information from thirty-one girls at the end of a five-week summer camp. The results are mostly confirmative of past studies that used student-centered project-based authentic STEM learning with significant gains in students’ understanding of STEM, self-efficacy, and interests in STEM for future development. The unique contribution of the study, though, is the finding that, when given the opportunity to engage in active learning and problem-solving, girls’ interest in STEM subjects could be substantially boosted; the constructivist learning environment along with their gains in STEM knowledge can compensate any insufficiency in self-efficacy in this regard. This study provides insight about the importance of instructional approach in STEM education.

Examining the Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Integration in Chinese Middle School Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Examining the Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Integration in Chinese Middle School Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Incidental Vocabulary Learning through Captioned Videos: An Experimental Study among Moroccan EFL Middle School Learners

The current experimental study aims to investigate the impact of watching captioned videos on incidental learning of the written form and meaning aspects of vocabulary knowledge among Moroccan EFL middle school learners. The study adopted a pretest-posttest experimental design. 60 middle school EFL learners were randomly assigned to the experimental group (N30), who watched captioned videos, and the control group (N30), who watched uncaptioned videos. The Paired Samples T-Tests results showed a statistically significant improvement in both word written form recognition and meaning recognition within the experimental group. In contrast, no statistically significant improvement was found within the control group. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare the differences in vocabulary gains between the control group and the experimental group and the results indicated a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in word form recognition. However, no statistically significant difference was found in word meaning recognition. These findings provided empirical evidence for the effectiveness of captioned videos in enhancing incidental vocabulary learning.

Reflections of Chinese Middle School English Instructors and Learners on Efficiency of English Education

This article sheds light on a survey study on the reflection of English teaching and learning by teachers and students in high schools in China. Forty-Two English teachers and 156 students from four high schools in Hunan Province participated in the study. They responded to questions through an online survey about their English learning and teaching experience. The survey also asked the participants to share their comments and opinions on how to make improvement and changes to make English education more effective and efficient. The data were discussed and analyzed in comparing with English learning experience and process of native speakers of English in the United States. Findings of this study suggest that more exposure to authentic English, extensive reading, and daily oral communication be enhanced to improve the learners’ proficiency. This study indicates that the current learning process and instructional sequence are not effective and efficient. Some fundamental issues related to learning sequence, learning efficiency, curriculum policy and design are addressed, and suggestions are made for future research and English education reform.

Teachers’ Perceptions Towards Assessing Learners’ Intercultural Communicative Competence in the EFL Classroom in Algeria

This research seeks to highlight the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Algeria regarding the assessment of learners’ ICC. In the classroom. Additionally, this research proposes some suggestions on how to teach and assess middle school learners to be interculturally competent. To achieve this objective, a qualitative research design is employed to gain data. The data source of this study was eleven English middle school teachers from different middle schools in Algeria. The study applied an interview utilizing open-ended questions to see their responses about their perceptions and attitudes toward the assessment of their learners. The data collected was thematically analyzed to identify recurring patterns, challenges, and emerging themes related to the assessment of ICC in the EFL classroom. The results show teachers need training on developing communicative tasks for teaching culture that can help them assess their students’ intercultural communicative competence. So, the lack of continuing professional development in pre-service and in-service makes them wander when teaching their learners about the target language and its culture. In addition to this, data show that teachers assess their learners in terms of grammar, pronunciation, general knowledge about the target culture, and vocabulary, but they do not assess their ICC. The implications of this study extended to both pedagogical practices and educational policy in Algeria. By understanding teachers’ perceptions, this research contributes valuable information to the ongoing discourse on fostering intercultural competence in language education. The findings may guide curriculum development, teacher training programs, and assessment practices, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of EFL instruction in Algeria.

Corpus-based tool: A digital science collocation list for multilingual middle school learners

Collocational competence is essential for all learners, particularly for multilingual learners. This corpus-driven study assembled a 474-collocation list from a digital science corpus compiled from several thousand middle school science resources. Using a corpus of more than 2.7 million tokens and more than 400 node words, the collocation list was extracted by combining two approaches: frequency-based and expert-judged. The Digital Science Collocations List (DSCL) provides middle school learners and teachers with an unprecedented resource covering Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. This list may be especially useful to multilingual learners as most of the collocations in this list are composed of patterns that they struggle with (e.g., adjective + noun and verb + noun).

“We didn’t know we were doing science”: Engaging with science and mathematics in an archaeology afterschool program

An extensive number of empirical research studies support the engagement of young children and youth in out-of-school science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics learning experiences. In this case study, we add to this knowledge base through examining how rural middle school learners engage with science and math concepts and practices through an afterschool program that emphasized the development of STEM content, skills, and practices using the field of archaeology, as well as Indigenous knowledges, as mediums. Results highlighted how various syncretic approaches within the afterschool program afforded 61 middle school aged learners’ opportunities to engage with math and science concepts common to archaeologists and Indigenous peoples. We illustrate this through five “doings.” For example, learners engaged in similar science practices to Indigenous peoples through considering how local landscapes and the natural environment informed decisions regarding settlements. This study concludes with recommendations for professional archaeologists and educators to adapt and/or develop a similar afterschool program to support students’ participation as ARCH + STEM learners.

Fostering Environmental Autonomy Support in an English Course for Middle School Learners in Western México

The scope of this study is to observe features of environmental autonomy support and to identify aspects of autonomy. To this end, a case study was designed and implemented in a state school in the western region of Mexico, with the participation of twelve secondary school pupils, ages 12 to 14, who attended a non-required 40-hour course using the autonomous learning approach. A research journal was kept tracking the whole process, gaining knowledge of autonomous learning and examining the phenomenon in a real-life context. The journals were analyzed with the help of Atlas.ti software, and the researcher made inferences from the resulting data, including environmental autonomy support as well as the reactions of the pupils to the autonomous learning process. The analysis of data reveals the language-learning context and its tendency to foster an autonomy-supportive atmosphere. Data seems to cast light on two major issues: the importance of fostering an environment that encourages autonomous learning-related behavior, and the necessity of providing appropriate scaffolding strategies to assist students in their development of autonomous learning. The study provides valuable insights into autonomy support and autonomous learning in education, but its limitations include a small sample size and potential challenges in generalizing findings to broader contexts.