Middle School Teachers Research Articles

Spousal education and frailty levels among Chinese older adults: A national longitudinal study

BackgroundPrior research has identified one's own education level as a risk factor for frailty. However, the association between spousal education and frailty in later life is uncertain. We aim to examine the longitudinal association between spousal education and frailty levels among Chinese older populations. Methods3856 participants aged 60 and older from the 2011–2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed. A 54-item deficit cumulative frailty index was developed to evaluate frailty levels at each follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the longitudinal association of spousal education with frailty levels, and whether this association varied by sex and own education level. ResultsHigher spouse education was associated with lower frailty levels, and this association decreased with age. Compared with older adults whose spouses had no formal education, older adults whose spouses had less than middle school education had an 8.82 lower level of frailty (95% CI: 15.05 to -2.58, P < 0.01); those with spouses with middle school education and above had a 23.44 lower level (95% CI: 31.43 to -15.44, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis showed that every additional year of spouse education was also associated with lower frailty levels in non-frail participants at baseline, but stronger among those already frail. The association between high spousal education and lower frailty did not vary by sex or own education. ConclusionThis study reveals a significant association between having a more educated spouse and lower later-life frailty levels for both older men and women, regardless of one's own educational background. It emphasizes the importance of leveraging educated spouses to prevent and manage frailty.

PENGARUH MOTIVASI DAN GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL TERHADAP KINERJA GURU MELALUI KEPUASAN KERJA GURU SMP NEGERI DI KECAMATAN PENAJAM PASER UTARA

The research aims to analyze the influence of motivation and transformational leadership style of school principals on teacher performance through job satisfaction of State Middle School teachers in North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan. This research method uses a quantitative research approach. The research population was 36 teachers, hereinafter referred to as research respondents. The research results show that teacher work motivation has a significant effect on teacher performance. Transformational leadership has a significant effect on teacher performance. Work motivation has a significant effect on job satisfaction. Transformational leadership has a significant effect on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction has a significant effect on teacher performance. There is an indirect relationship between work motivation variables and teacher performance through job satisfaction. There is an indirect influence between transformational leadership style variables on teacher performance through job satisfaction.

Desirable uncertainty in science teaching: Exploring teachers’ perceptions and practice of using student scientific uncertainty as a pedagogical resource

Science practice introduces inevitable uncertainties that are desirable for learning. Yet, navigating student scientific uncertainties can be a challenge for teachers. This qualitative study explored how teachers perceive and utilize uncertainty during science instruction. Analysis of interviews and classroom observations collected from 14 middle school teachers in the United States indicated limited awareness of uncertainty's use as a resource in science. Teachers perceived uncertainty as a way to induce curiosity and persist through struggle; however, they were quick to reduce students' scientific uncertainty throughout lessons. Findings suggest that teachers need support to understand how uncertainty navigation can benefit student learning.

KHÓ KHĂN TRONG HOẠT ĐỘNG SƯ PHẠM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ CÁC TỈNH TRUNG DU VÀ MIỀN NÚI PHÍA BẮC

The study aims to provide an understanding of the difficulties and difficulties in the pedagogical activities of middle school teachers by presenting the results of a survey of difficulties in the pedagogical activities of middle school teachers (secondary school) of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous provinces. The research used the main method of questionnaire survey from 409 subjects combined with several other methods (interviews, conversations, observations) to survey 15 manifestations of difficulties divided into four groups: Difficulties in implementing component activities of pedagogical activities; Difficulties coming from teachers themselves meeting the requirements of pedagogical activities; Difficulties related to the conditions for carrying out pedagogical activities; Difficulty in implementing the requirements of management levels and the demands of society. The results show that teachers have the most difficulties related to group 3, difficulties related to the conditions for performing pedagogical activities (average score 4.01), teachers with the least difficulties belong to group 2, the difficulty comes from teachers themselves meeting the requirements of pedagogical activities (average score 3.37). From those results, the study analyzes, evaluates, and explains the causes of the obtained results to help readers gain insight into the research problem

Influence Of Competency And Job Achievement Assessment On Teacher Performance Through Certification Incentives As An Intervening Variable In Medan Islamic Education Park

The research conducted at the Taman Pendidikan Islam Medan was research that aimed to look at the phenomenon of decreasing teacher performance that occurred in elementary, middle and high school teachers due to low competence and teaching, as well as failure to assess work performance and delays in the distribution of certification incentives to teachers. This research uses a census technique where all members of the population of 74 teachers are used as research samples. Data analysis was carried out using the Structural Equation Model (SEM-PLS) Version 4.0. The research results show that competence has a positive and significant effect on certification incentives, work performance appraisal has a positive but not significant effect on certification incentives, competence has a positive and significant effect on teacher performance, work performance appraisal has a positive and significant effect on teacher performance, certification incentives have a positive and significant effect on teacher performance. significant effect on teacher performance, competency has a positive and significant effect on teacher performance through certification incentives, and work performance assessment has a positive but not significant effect on teacher performance through certification incentives.

Exploring the Perspectives of Middle School Teachers’ Towards Gamification in the EFL Context

The current paper looks at investigating middle school teachers’ perspectives towards gamification in the EFL context in Algeria. To this end, the study explores the potential of incorporating digital gamification in EFL teaching with a focus on teachers’ implementation of Gamification in the classroom context. In order to gain a clearer understanding of the phenomenon, the researcher adopted qualitative research using a semi-structured interview. The participants were a total of 11 EFL teachers from various middle schools in Mostaganem – Algeria. The interviewees were selected based on their use of digital technology and game-based teaching methods. The collected data was thematically analyzed using MAXQDA software, employing a descriptive analysis approach. After the analysis, the findings show that teachers frequently incorporate ICT-based and game-based lessons into their teaching practices. Additionally, in accord with their responses, teachers have a clear notion of gamified teaching and learning. However, they lack the necessary expertise to effectively implement gamification. Being a novelty in the arena of language teaching, teachers call for training programs to enable them to effectively incorporate gamification in the EFL classroom. As the study concludes, it provides a clear understanding of the teachers’ standpoint regarding gamification, their openness, and readiness to adopt modern teaching methods. It also offers valuable insights into state-of-the-art teaching methods and paves the way for further considerations in gamified lesson design.

Mutually beneficial? Middle school educators’ perceptions about the benefits and challenges of a school–university partnership

PurposeThe paper identifies and explores the perspectives of middle school educators regarding the benefits and challenges of an ongoing, emerging school–university partnership. Over five years, professors at one comprehensive, Midwestern university, formed a partnership with a local middle school. While progress has been made to develop the partnership, the authors recognized a lack of shared governance (Essential 7). In particular, they were unsure the partnership was mutually beneficial. The authors interviewed teachers, the principal, assistant principals, guidance counselors, the instructional coach and the youth service center director to gain their perspectives on the partnership.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used an intrinsic, evaluative case study to examine educators perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the partnership (Guba &amp; Lincoln, 1981; Patton, 2002). This approach was used because within this bounded system the authors have an interest in obtaining information to help improve the program and partnership.FindingsResults suggest the partnership was beneficial in a number of ways including hiring of and offering fresh ideas to teachers. Educators also felt there were many benefits for university candidates. Challenges included scheduling, technology access and candidate disposition. Implications are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsInherent within the research methodology, researchers’ inclusion in the data collection process may affect participants responses.Practical implicationsResearchers discuss the implications of this work, including the role of hiring candidates and clear articulation of a mission for the partnership.Originality/valueThis work adds to research on school site stakeholders’ perspectives on the value of school–university partnerships and includes teachers and the schools’ entire leadership team.

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).

The Use of Educational Games to Promote Learning in Geology: Conceptions of Middle and Secondary School Teachers

Studies highlight researchers’ concerns about how science should be taught today. It is recognised that teachers have difficulty involving and motivating students to learn about different complex topics, such as geology. Schools must promote skills development to develop citizens who can be active and informed in society. One way of undertaking this is to use active methodologies such as educational games, in which students play an essential role in developing activities. Games encourage changes in conceptions regarding the relevance of this scientific topic that is often undervalued by students. Games have gained space in recent years in several disciplines, and it is essential that this tool is thought out and planned within a consistent pedagogical proposal. This educational resource is used to increase motivation for learning, as well as enhance and strengthen the effects of learning. An intervention plan can be framed within game-based teaching. Teachers have been underrepresented in the game-based learning literature, with more emphasis on games’ effects. However, the pedagogical issue of games has been particularly relevant in recent decades. The current investigation used a survey given to geology teachers (n = 112) from public and private middle and secondary schools in Portugal. Its purpose was to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding game-based teaching and its potential to promote active learning. Our sample ages ranged from 24 to 64 years (average of 48.9 years old); 81.3% were women and 18.8% were men. The analysis of the results seems to confirm that although they do not always use games to promote learning in geology, most teachers still recognise their potential to motivate, enhance, and reinforce the learning of geological content, with digital games being the preferred option. They emphasise the importance of teacher training in this area and the inclusion of game applications in school textbooks to approach different geology-related themes. Our results seem to indicate some lack of consistency in teachers’ opinions on the impact of games on student learning.

The Influence of Academic Supervision and Organizational Culture on the Professionalism of Public Middle School Teachers in Pemulutan District

Supervision in schools helps teachers and supervisors learn about daily tasks, providing better services to students and schools as effective learning communities. Teacher professionalism is the teacher’s ability to manage learning well. A teacher can manage learning if he masters the subject matter, manages the class well, understands various learning strategies and methods, and uses existing learning media and resources. The principal’s leadership and school organizational culture also play a role in increasing teacher professionalism. A conducive working atmosphere greatly influences the quality of teacher work. Organizational culture influences the performance and systems in schools, influencing school effectiveness. This quantitative research with a descriptive approach aims to reveal the influence of academic supervision and organizational culture on the professionalism of SMP Negeri teachers in the Pemulutan District. The research results show that academic supervision has a significant effect on teacher professionalism, while organizational culture has a significant effect.

Identification and Explanation of Organizational Health Dimensions and Components among Middle School Teachers in Tehran

Purpose: Organizational health within schools significantly influences teacher well-being, professional efficacy, and student outcomes. This study aimed to identify and explain the dimensions and components of organizational health among middle school teachers in Tehran, focusing on how individual, organizational, and environmental factors contribute to the overall health of educational institutions. Methodology: Adopting a qualitative research design, this study engaged 26 middle school teachers from Tehran through semi-structured interviews. The participants were selected purposively to ensure a diverse representation of experiences and viewpoints. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached, and thematic analysis was employed to identify and analyze the emerging themes related to organizational health. Findings: The study revealed that individual factors such as motivation, professional development, and job satisfaction; organizational factors including leadership, communication, and organizational culture; and environmental factors like policy influence and community engagement are critical to the organizational health of schools. These factors together create a comprehensive framework affecting the overall effectiveness and well-being of educational settings. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of addressing both the internal and external components of organizational health in schools. A holistic approach that considers individual, organizational, and environmental factors is essential for fostering a positive educational environment, supporting teacher well-being, and enhancing student achievement. The study provides valuable insights for educational leaders, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to improve the organizational health of schools.

New Era Primary and Secondary School Excellent Teacher Training Standard Evaluation

Education is the cornerstone of national revitalization and rejuvenation. The sustainable development of a country needs high-quality talents, and high-quality talents need high-quality excellent teachers. The construction of excellent teachers in primary and secondary schools has become a global consensus. On the basis of defining the connotation of excellent teachers, the paper analyzes the standard of excellent teachers in domestic and foreign middle and primary schools, and puts forward the standard of excellent teachers in Chinese middle and primary schools in a new era. First, we must have the heavy educational feelings and advanced educational ideas for education. Secondly, a high sense of professional responsibility. Thirdly, profound theory and profound knowledge as well as philosophical thinking. Finally, life-long learning and excellent teaching ability. The most important and core function of schools is to promote the all-round development of students and improve their comprehensive literacy.

“大思政”视域下中学英语教学的思政融入探索

“大思政”视域下中学英语教学的思政融入探索

A Practical Survey of Modern Prose Teaching in Middle Schools: On the Aesthetic Appreciation and Innovative Teaching of Autumn in the Old Capital

A Practical Survey of Modern Prose Teaching in Middle Schools: On the Aesthetic Appreciation and Innovative Teaching of Autumn in the Old Capital

Integrating Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture into English Teaching in Middle Schools

Integrating Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture into English Teaching in Middle Schools

Classroom Supports for Generalizing

Generalizing is a critical aspect of mathematics learning, with researchers and policy documents highlighting generalizing as a core mathematical practice. It can also be challenging to foster in class settings, and teachers need access to better resources to teach generalizing, including an understanding of effective forms of instruction. This article proposes Classroom Supports for Generalizing (CSGs), investigating how multiple elements—such as tasks, teacher moves, student interactions, and representations—interact to meaningfully foster student generalizing. Drawing on class video data from a middle school teacher and two high school teachers, we present the CSG Framework, which identifies three categories of supports: Interactions for Generalizing, Structures for Generalizing, and Routines for Generalizing.

Development and validation of a Japanese version of the Teachers Acceptance and Action Questionnaire

Experiential avoidance related to teachers or teaching can be assessed using the Teachers Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (TAAQ); however, no Japanese version of the TAAQ has thus far been presented. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the TAAQ and examine its reliability and validity. The participants were 300 elementary or middle school teachers in Japan (201 men, 99 women; mean age = 45.37, SD = 10.42). A one-factor structure was identified using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using item-total correlation coefficients and Cronbach’s alpha, while test-retest reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients. The results demonstrated sufficient reliability. Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients—with scales that measure burnout, experiential avoidance (EA) in general, teachers’ occupational stressors, work engagement, and worry—were calculated to examine concurrent validity and showed a small-to-large significant correlation. Mediation analyses—with occupational stressors as the independent variable, the three factors of burnout as the dependent variables, and teaching-related EA as the mediation variable—were also conducted to examine construct validity, which showed significant mediation models. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine incremental validity; it showed that once the Japanese version of the TAAQ was added, the effect on burnout improved. Although our Japanese version of the TAAQ has some limitations, it showed sufficient reliability and validity; therefore, its use as a scale in future research is acceptable.

Role of Co-Teachers and Supervisors of Learning Tools Development toward the Success of Field Practice Students of Professional Teachers at the Middle and High School Level

This study aims to identify the role of co-teachers and supervisors of learning tools development toward the success of field practice students of professional education teachers at the middle and high school levels. The population in this study were all students of the Middle and High School Level of Professional Education Teacher Class of 2022, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Mataram. The sample used was students of Professional Education Teachers at the Middle and High School level, including English, Mathematics, and Civics majors, which were taken using a proportional random sampling technique. The variables consisted of the independent variables, which are the effectiveness of assistant teachers (X1) and supervisors (X2) in the development of learning tools, as well as the dependent variable, which is the success of the Field Practice of Middle and High School Teacher Professional Education Students (Y). Thus, the results show that the role of the development of learning tools by assistant teachers and supervisors in the success of Field Experience Practice for Middle School Teacher Professional Education students proved to be effective, with 51.7% for the English Department, 48.7% for the Mathematics Department, and 53.9% for the Civics Department.

The Smoking Status and The Perspective on Law No. 4207 of Cafe, Coffee-House, and Restaurant Owners on The Busy Streets of Central District of Kars

Aim: Making indoor environments 100% smoke-free is the only proven way to protect people from passive smoking. This study aimed to evaluate the smoking status of café, coffeehouse, and restaurant owners and their views on Law No. 4207, which prohibits tobacco use in indoor public spaces, considering sociodemographic variables and the COVID-19 pandemic period. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study population comprised 131 café, coffeehouse, and restaurant owners located on busy streets in the central district of Kars. Results: 72 restaurants, 45 cafés, and 14 coffeehouses owners participated to the study. Among the employers don’t allow smoking in the indoor areas of their businesses is 82.4%. Among the 85 smokers, 65.9% did not feel compelled to smoke in prohibited areas, and 57.0% viewed the indoor smoking ban positively. Of the 125 business owners who reported financial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, 61.6% cited the country's economic situation as the primary reason. In the logistic regression analysis showed that a positive view of the law was 2.69 times higher among employers with high school education or above compared to those with middle school education or lower (95% CI: 1.01-7.2, p=0.049), 3,96 times higher those who did not allow smoking indoors at their workplace compared to those who did (95% CI: 1.28-12.23, p=0.017), and 10.98 times higher among those who stated that the law did not cause financial loss compared to those who stated it did (95% CI: 3.34-36.07, p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Most smoking business owners view Law No. 4207 positively, this indicating that the law is also embraced by smoking employers. The business owners’s identification of the country's economic situation as the main reason for financial loss during COVID-19 suggest that this factor could diminish the gains of Law No. 4207 and indicate the need for a more comprehensive tobacco control strategy.