Middle School Students Research Articles

Longitudinal Effects of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Physical Education Classes on Attention and Academic Achievement

Previous studies showed moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and aerobic fitness in adolescents are significant factors for cognitive and academic performance. Most previous studies have employed a cross-sectional design; consequently, the evidence on the longitudinal effect of physical education classes (PECs) on cognitive performance and academic achievement is limited. Therefore, the current study utilized a longitudinal design to examine the longstanding effect of MVPA during PECs on cognitive and academic performance across gender groups. Structural equation modeling analyses were employed to understand how MVPA influences youth academic achievement in a nationally representative sample (n = 2092). Study findings indicated that (a) MVPA exerted a direct effect on initial academic achievement as well as an indirect effect, which is mediated by middle school students’ attention in both gender groups; (b) MVPA had both long-term direct effects on academic achievement as well as indirect effects on attention, which ultimately affected the subsequent academic achievements of female middle school students.

Can changing schools help peer-victimized students escape their plight? A mixed-methods study

Changing schools tends to be more frequent among victimized students and is sometimes used as a means to put an end to persistent bullying. However, whether these changes benefit victimized students remains unclear, as bullying victimization often persists across different contexts. This mixed-methods study ( n = 58,799 and n = 68 for quantitative and qualitative data, respectively) conducted in Finland examines the role of victimization history in the association between newcomer status and victimization in the new school among elementary school students (fourth to sixth graders, that is, 10–12 years old) and middle school students (seventh to ninth graders, that is, 12–15 years old). The findings showed that elementary school newcomers with most frequent victimization history seemed to benefit from the school change compared to established students with similar victimization histories. A corresponding, albeit much weaker, effect was observed among middle schoolers. Previously victimized students had initially been more willing to change schools than non-victimized students. The qualitative content analysis showed a more complex reality—some of the previously victimized newcomers had strong aspirations for a better future, while others experienced fears and losses of established friendships. Eventually, the school change can bring both disappointments and rewards, depending on the newcomers’ ability to make new friends and escape bullying.

PlantGIFT: An Effective Teacher Workshop Model for Translating Experimental STEM Research into Hands-on Classroom Activities for Middle and High School Students

PlantGIFT: An Effective Teacher Workshop Model for Translating Experimental STEM Research into Hands-on Classroom Activities for Middle and High School Students

The effect of education given to secondary school students on hand hygiene behaviors: a Quasi experimental study.

This study aimed to examine the effect of the hand hygiene education on middle school students' behavioral scores related to hand hygiene practices. The research adheres to a quasi-experimental design suitable for the pre-test Posttest model with a control group. The population of the study consists of a total of 1159 students, comprising 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. During the first semester of the 2021-2022 academic year, face-to-face education was conducted at a middle school located in Ankara. Two face-to-face training sessions were conducted to increase awareness of hand hygiene. The groups indicate homogeneity in terms of demographic characteristics. The mean hand hygiene behavior score was 56.45 ± 8.03 before the education in the intervention group, which increased to 59.79 ± 7.62 after the education. In the control group, the mean score was 55.98 ± 7.89 before the education and 57.15 ± 7.63 after the education. It was found that after the educational program, there was a statistically significant increase in hand hygiene behavior scores of the groups. The research findings indicate a beneficial impact of hand hygiene education on students' average behavioral scores. To foster lasting behavioral changes from a young age, it is advisable to implement hygiene education in schools periodically, including targeted interventions for middle school students.

What are the Psychosocial Predictors of Peer Bullying Among Middle School Students?

What are the Psychosocial Predictors of Peer Bullying Among Middle School Students?

MỐI QUAN HỆ GIỮA HÀNH VI GÂY HẤN VÀ KĨ NĂNG TỰ CHỦ CẢM XÚC Ở HỌC SINH TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ

The goal of this paper was to explore the relationship between aggressive behavior and emotional self-control skills in middle school students, along with examining the current status of reactive and proactive aggression and emotional self-control skills in students. A total of 1,235 students in grades 6, 7, and 8 in Hanoi, Nghe An, and Ho Chi Minh city participated in the study by answering a set of questions including the Proactive and Reactive Aggression Questionnaire (PRQ, Raine et al., 2006); Aggression Scale (AS - Aggression Scale, Orpinas and Frankowski, 2001); The Basic Empathy Scale (BES, Jolliffe et al., 2006) and emotional self-control skills scale. Research results from this quantitative research illustrated that middle school students demonstrate aggressive behavior at an average level, mainly occasionally performing this behavior but the proportion of secondary students regularly performing aggressive behavior was quite high. There was a negative correlation between aggressive behavior and emotional self-control skills in students; emotional self-control skills and empathy were predictors of aggressive behavior. The analysis, interpretation of results, as well as limitations of the current study, were also discussed in the discussion section of this paper.

A new conceptual and analytic framework for collective engagement in mathematics

This paper proposes a new social construct and conceptual-analytic framework for the study of group engagement in mathematics, which we call collective engagement structures. This new framework is offered to address research and practice-identified needs to better understand how individual student dispositions and preferences might interact with group processes to inform student engagement and learning. We demonstrate the collective engagement structures framework using a case study analysis of three middle school students working in a group on a complex mathematics problem. Our analysis details how three students’ individual engagement structures and positional influence interact to form two collective engagement structures: Follow The Leader and Let's Figure This Out. Our findings indicate that students’ collective engagement may present itself in identifiable and patterned ways, providing fresh theoretical and practical insight into how to better structure group-centered instruction.

Structural relationship among aggression, depression, smartphone dependency, and cyberbullying perpetration

This study aims to examine the structural relationship between aggression, depression, smartphone dependency, and cyberbullying perpetration in youth and explores gender differences in that relationship. We analyzed the 2nd wave data of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 for middle school students. Structural equation modeling results showed that smartphone dependency partially mediated the relationship between aggression and cyberbullying perpetration (β = 0.050, p < 0.01). In contrast, smartphone dependency fully mediated the relationship between depression and cyberbullying perpetration (β = 0.029, p < 0.01). Aggression, depression, and smartphone dependency are the main predictors of cyberbullying perpetration. The effects of aggression and depression on cyberbullying perpetration were different through the mediator variable of smartphone dependency. The positive effect of aggression on smartphone dependency was twice greater in girls (Boys, B = 0.222, p < 0.001; Girls, B = 0.497, p < 0.001), and that of depression on smartphone dependency was three times greater in boys (Boys, B = 0.308, p < 0.001; Girls, B = 0.097, p < 0.05). These results were interpreted as reflecting the boys’ emotional suppression. Adolescent boys tend to suppress depression more than to express it according to the process of masculine emotional socialization. Various educational interventions are needed, such as providing cognitive behavioral therapy to convert adolescents’ relational aggression into a sound coping method considering girls’ sensitivity to relationships. Based on the findings, we present field-oriented practical considerations for improving our understanding of cyberbullying and preventing cyberbullying perpetration.

The Effects of a Math Intervention Identified During a Brief Experimental Analysis for Middle-School Students

The Effects of a Math Intervention Identified During a Brief Experimental Analysis for Middle-School Students

Activation of Students' Cognitive Activity through Physical and Health-Improving Activities

The methodology for developing cognitive activity through physical and health-improving activities is thoroughly examined for primary school students. Regarding the methodology for developing cognitive activity through physical and health-improving activities for middle school students, there are practically few developments, and recommendations are often given in a general form. Thus, the issue of the impact of physical and health- improving activities on the cognitive activity of middle school students is still largely unexplored and has not yet received scientific substantiation. The article determines the influence of the level of physical working capacity on the cognitive activity of 6th-grade students. A method for activating cognitive activity through small forms of physical culture is presented. The study involved the analysis of literary sources and internet resources; analysis of students' academic performance; research on physical working capacity; speed of thinking; determination of the average academic score; mathematical statistics methods using the SPSS program: the Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test; Pearson correlation.

Development and Validation of the Defending Behavior Scale of Cyberbullying for Adolescents.

In the context of cyberbullying, bystanders engage in a diverse array of defending behaviors, employing a range of strategies tailored to the specific forms of bullying they encounter. These defending behaviors have been demonstrated to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of cyberbullying on victims. This study involved the development of the defending behavior scale of cyberbullying for adolescents and a subsequent assessment of the scale's reliability and validity. Firstly, the structure of defending behavior was explored based on the results of in-depth interviews and previous studies in the literature. The defending behavior scale of cyberbullying for adolescents was then developed, and 550 middle school students were selected for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Secondly, 526 middle school students were selected for a series of reliability and validity analyses, including tests of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and structural validity, to assess the reliability and validity of the scale. The final version of the scale comprises 24 items distributed across four dimensions: emotional support, reporting authority, aggressive defending, and problem-solving. The four factors collectively account for 66.26% of the total variance. The internal consistency coefficient α of the scale was 0.92, with the internal consistency coefficients α of the dimensions being 0.88, 0.92, 0.92, 0.92, and 0.87, respectively. The scale demonstrated good convergent validity, discriminant validity, structural validity, and criterion validity. Finally, the scale has measurement equivalence across genders. The defending behavior scale of cyberbullying for adolescents was demonstrated to possess good reliability and validity, to meet the requirements of psychometrics, and to be suitable for use in measuring defending behavior in adolescent cyberbullying.

Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024.

Use of tobacco products in any form is unsafe, and nearly all tobacco product use begins during adolescence. CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey to determine tobacco product use among U.S. middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students. In 2024, current (previous 30-day) use of any tobacco product was reported by 10.1% of high school students (representing 1.58 million students) and 5.4% of middle school students (representing 640,000 students). Among all students, e-cigarettes were the most commonly reported tobacco product currently used (5.9%), followed by nicotine pouches (1.8%), cigarettes (1.4%), cigars (1.2%), smokeless tobacco (1.2%), other oral nicotine products (1.2%), heated tobacco products (0.8%), hookahs (0.7%), and pipe tobacco (0.5%). During 2023-2024, among all students, the estimated number who reported current use of any tobacco product decreased from 2.80 to 2.25 million students; e-cigarette use decreased (from 2.13 to 1.63 million students); and hookah use decreased (from 290,000 to 190,000 students). Among high school students, current use of any tobacco product decreased from 12.6% to 10.1% of students, and e-cigarette use decreased from 10.0% to 7.8%. Among middle school students, no statistically significant changes occurred. Evidence-based strategies can help prevent initiation and promote cessation of tobacco product use among U.S. youths.

Identification of comorbid conditions among middle school students: A cross-sectional study of Jammu province

Using a multistage sampling technique, the students completed the self-constructed Identification Battery on Comorbid Conditions (IBCC), which assesses 10 disorders, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysphasia, dyspraxia, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), obsessive‒compulsive disorder (OCD), autism, and tic disorder. The results revealed that 20.66% of the students exhibited comorbid conditions, with dyscalculia being the most prevalent, followed by dyslexia and others. Comorbid conditions varied, with some students having different combinations of disorders. The Jammu district had the highest prevalence. This study emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, highlighting the need for increased stakeholder awareness to address these issues effectively

한반도 주변 해역 표층 수온 그래프를 해석하는 과정에서 중학생들이 인식하는 인지적 부담에 대한 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify the cognitive load that middle school students perceive in interpreting of sea surface temperature around the Korean Peninsula according to the type of graph, and to help middle school teachers develop teaching and learning materials by providing information related to cognitive load. Methods For This, we collected and analyzed data on the fixation duration and pupil diameter of middle school students(N=32) while interpreting of sea surface temperature around the Korean Peninsula using the eye tracker(Tobii Pro Glass 2 model). And we conducted an independent sample t-test using the Exel on two eye tracking data to confirm the cognitive load between the two groups. Results The results were as follows. First, the fixation duration rate was higher in the data area than in the legend area when middle school students read the sea surface temperature at the contoured graph. However, it was the opposite when they read the sea surface temperature at the colored graph. They depended on the legend area when reading the colored graph rather than when reading the contoured graph. Second, In all the processes of middle school students interpreting the graph, their pupil diameter was expanded compared to the standard pupil diameter. Their pupil diameter expanded more and more as they progressed to Step 1(the activity of reading temperature), Step 2(the activities to compare temperature gradients), and Step 3(the activities to find cause of the same temperature). The middle school students’ pupil diameter was further expanded when interpreting the colored graph rather than when interpreting the contoured graph. Conclusions Middle school students had more cognitive load when interpreting the colored graph rather than when interpreting the contoured graph. And they had more cognitive load in high-level activities than in low-level activities in the process of interpreting graphs. Therefore, it is necessary to reconstruct the graph of sea surface temperature around the Korean Peninsula to relieve the middle school students’ cognitive load.

머신러닝과 HLM을 적용한 중학생의 자기조절 학습전략 중 행동조절에 대한 학생/부모와 교사/학교 수준의 영향요인 검증

Objectives This study focuses on behavioral regulation, the most effectively teachable aspect of self-regulated learning strategies, with the aim of exploratively identifying the factors that influence behavioral regulation in first-year middle school students. Specifically, using multilevel analysis, the study examines not only individual characteristics and parental factors but also teacher and school characteristics, in order to explore potential intervention points at different levels within the home and school environments. Methods Using data from the first year of the Seoul Educational Longitudinal Study of Students 2020, excluding missing values, a total of 4,615 middle school students from 98 schools were analyzed, along with 206 student/parent-level and 188 teacher/school-level explanatory variables selected through data pre-processing. Machine learning techniques, capable of handling multiple variables simultaneously in the model, were employed to identify algorithms with excellent performance in predicting self-regulated learning attitudes at the student/parent level (Level 1) and the teacher/school level (Level 2). The key variables for predicting self-regulated learning attitudes identified at each level were then verified using a two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Results First, based on the top three algorithms at each level, 10 key variables were derived at the student/parent level and 5 key variables at the teacher/school level. Second, the application of the two-level HLM revealed that learning methods and efforts, growth mindset, goal orientation, human rights, support from academic and career programs, and cognitive empathy at the student/parent level, and the proportion of multicultural students at the teacher/school level, significantly influenced self-regulated learning strategies. Conclusions Based on these results, specific strategies to enhance self-regulated learning attitudes among middle school students were discussed.

An ouroboros of oppression: The self-perpetuating, inequitable high school outcomes of middle school tracking

This study investigated the impact middle school tracking has on outcomes in high school and the factors associated with those outcomes. Utilizing data from a large, diverse school district, this quantitative study investigated the relationships between middle school and high school English course enrollment among 4,503 middle school students. The conceptual framework of the Ouroboros, combining the theories of Lucas’s effectively maintained inequality (EMI) and Merton’s self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP), was used to examine and challenge the status quo of educational tracking systems. We identified three major findings from the study. First, chi-square analysis indicated a statistically significant difference between enrollment rates in accelerated or AP English courses between students who came from tracked and detracked middle school English programs. Second, logistic regression models indicated socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, GATE-identification, gender, and eighth-grade English course enrollment were significant predictors of student enrollment in an accelerated or AP English class in high school. Third, chi-square analysis indicated that there was a significant association between a student’s eighth-grade English course label and their high school English course enrollment choices. Findings of this study suggest that detracking English classes at the middle school level represents an important stride forward in closing gaps in education.

Exploring the Role of Mind Mapping Tools in Scaffolding Narrative Writing in English for Middle-School EFL Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of scaffolded English writing instruction using mind mapping tools on English narrative writing proficiency among Chinese middle-school EFL students. Specifically, we examined its effects on four subcomponents of narrative writing compositions: lexical complexity, grammatical complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Non-equivalent group pre-test–post-test design was employed in this study. The participants were 55 eighth-grade students in an English class. The data were collected through two writing tests administered before and after a two-month intervention. The results showed that students’ writing demonstrated significant improvements in lexical complexity, grammatical complexity, accuracy, and fluency. These findings suggest that scaffolded writing instruction with mind mapping can effectively enhance multiple dimensions of writing skills in adolescent EFL learners. This study provides insights into the application of using mind mapping to scaffold EFL learners’ narrative writing proficiency.

Innovative Strategies for English Language Learning in Ecuador: A Focus on Playful Learning

Education is a universal right that extends beyond core subjects to include cross-curricular content essential for preparing students for a competitive global landscape. In this context, English serves as a critical tool, recognized as both the first official language for 370 million users and a second language for 978 million (Eberhard et al., 2021). Despite its global importance, Ecuador faces challenges in English language proficiency, ranking low in Latin America due to inadequate methodologies and a lack of qualified teachers (Education First, 2021; Banegas &amp; Sanchez, 2024). This project aims to implement a playful program tailored to middle school students (5th to 7th grades) at Eugenio Espejo Basic Education School, addressing their unique educational needs through the development of didactic materials and training for non-specialized teachers. A descriptive quantitative approach will guide the methodology, focusing on communicative competence through structured tutoring sessions that utilize reusable educational resources. The study will assess students' prior knowledge through a pre-test, which will inform the creation of a tailored curriculum designed to enhance vocabulary and overall language skills. This initiative not only seeks to improve English proficiency among students but also aims to equip teachers with effective pedagogical strategies, fostering a more conducive learning environment in Ecuadorian classrooms.

The impact of “kidfluencers” on the cultural identity of Kuwaiti middle school students: A parental perspective

In the digital age, “kidfluencers,” or child influencers, have emerged as significant figures in shaping the online experiences of children. This study explores their impact on the cultural identity of Kuwaiti middle school students, as perceived by their parents. Employing a quantitative research design, the researchers collected data via questionnaire from a random sample of 383 parents. The findings reveal the substantial perceived impact which kidfluencers have on various aspects of cultural identity for Kuwaiti middle school students. Notably, they have a significant effect on language acquisition, leading students to adopt non-Kuwaiti vocabulary and slang prevalent in online kidfluencer content. Additionally, kidfluencers affect moderate influences over cultural values, moral beliefs, national identity, and traditions amongst students. This study underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted powers which kidfluencers can wield, thus helping inform educational strategies and parental guidance for the online era.

L2 learner experiences in a playful constructivist metaverse space

Abstract This study creates a virtual space for language learning using a user-customizable metaverse platform and explores its potential for EFL learning. To this end, a virtual learning space, grounded in constructivist learning principles – contextualized learning, active learning, and collaborative learning – was created on a 2D metaverse platform. The metaverse was designed as a simulated deserted island for enjoyable and playful learning, allowing the students to actively explore, discover, and interact as they look for clues to escape the island. For educational application, 29 Korean middle school students participated in a two-hour activity. Data included screen recordings of student activities, student surveys, and interviews with the students and teachers. The findings showed that, as an EFL learning space of playful constructivism, the metaverse had great potential to embed contextualized learning and served as a medium for active learning that positively affected student interest and motivation. The results confirmed that the team-based approach combined with a game-like metaverse fostered student collaboration. Overall, the study showcased how language instructors can make use of a customizable metaverse for L2 learning and how a virtual space may serve as an arena for learner-centered instruction.