Young Adolescent Students Research Articles

A Culturally Responsive, Transnational Middle Grades Teacher Education Program in American Samoa

Educators in American Samoa learn about teaching young adolescents through a transnational master's degree program.This article describes the development and implementation of a transnational middle level teacher education program, specifically based on the educative needs of young adolescent students and their teachers in American Samoa. For more than 30 years, the University of Hawai'i has partnered with the American Samoa Department of Education to provide undergraduate degrees in elementary education to a total of 647 graduates. While elementary education in American Samoa encompasses kindergarten through eighth grade, professional development needs specific to middle grades teachers have not been adequately addressed through these programs. In 2009, the University of Hawai'i Manoa pioneered a graduatelevel middle level teacher education program in American Samoa, the first program of its kind to focus on young adolescents' learning needs in this Pacific island territory. The 2011 Middle Level Master of Education degree (MLMED) cohort was the first group of inservice teachers ever to receive specialized middle grades teacher training in American Samoa.ContextAmerican Samoa is the center of Polynesia and is home to 65,000 people. Although modern ways have influenced the culture, the traditional Samoan way of life, centered on family and religion, is still predominant in the islands. On Flag Day, April 17, 2011, American Samoa celebrated 111 years of association with the United States. American Samoa has a unique political status as an unorganized and unincorporated United States Territory. As U.S. nationals, American Samoans cannot vote in national elections in the United States and have no representation in the final approval of legislation by Congress (United States General Accounting Office, 1997, p. 9). American Samoan nationals enjoy the privilege of non-restrictive travel to and from the United States and receive the following protections under the law:It shall be the policy of the Government of American Samoa to protect persons of Samoan ancestry against alienation of their lands and the destruction of the Samoans' way of life and language, contrary to their best interests. Such legislation as may be necessary may be enacted to protect the lands, customs, culture, and traditional Samoan family organization of persons of Samoan ancestry. (Government of American Samoa, 1966, Article 1, Sec. 3)The American Samoan education system has been influenced by the United States and tied to an American philosophy of education for more than 100 years. While missionaries began working in American Samoa in 1830, the first public school was established there in 1904, with U.S. Naval wives and officers serving as teachers (Sutherland, 1941). The first students to attend the American public schools were of the Navy officers and part-Samoan children (Allen, 1962, p. 176). The school system in American Samoa evolved through the 20th century and was influenced over the years by the U.S. Navy, the Barstow Foundation for American Samoa, and the U.S. Department of the Interior (see, e.g., Allen, 1962; Pirie, 1976; Reid, 1986; Schramm, Nelson, & Betham, 1981; Sutherland, 1941).American Samoa's young adolescents riskYoung adolescents in American Samoa can be labeled at in terms of academic performance in school and risk behaviors. On the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 87% of American Samoan eighth graders in public schools scored or below a level in reading (Jerry & Lutkus, 2003), and assessments of American Samoan eighth graders in mathematics and science indicated that 93% and 95% of these students, respectively, lacked basic skills in these subjects (Hunkin-Finau, 2006). To put these results in perspective, 26% of 8th graders nationwide scored or below level in reading. Moreover, American Samoa had the largest percentage of eighth graders or below a basic level in reading, followed by the District of Colombia (52%), the U. …

Bullying/victimization from a family perspective: a qualitative study of secondary school students’ views

The present paper uses a qualitative method in order to study the ways in which bullying is discursively organized among young adolescent students in relation to the family factors related to it. Only a few studies have linked aspects of parenting and family functioning to bullying through the use of students’ discourses despite the fact that family views and policies have a significant impact on bullying and the role the adolescent takes in relation to it, as well as the phenomenon. In the present study, 5 schools with a total number of 90 students in 14 focus groups participated through semistructured interviews. The analysis was facilitated by QSR NVivo, and three themes emerged under the heading of family-related factors of bullying: (a) difficult home environment with many conflicts between the spouses or between the parents and the young adolescents, (b) parenting styles such as parental overprotection, lack of supervision, or excessive control, and (c) domestic abuse. The findings of this study confirm patterns of bullying and its relation to familial factors in the international literature. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of intervention, as well as prevention.

Examining Original Political Cartoon Methodology: Concept Maps and Substitution Lists

Previous research on classroom uses for political cartoons identified two negative trends: creative stagnation (as teachers utilized them solely for interpretation) and age limitation (as researchers suggested they fit best with gifted and older students). Recent scholarship has addressed both trends by enabling young adolescent students to creatively express newly generated understandings through construction of original political cartoons. During such authentic assessment activities, students demonstrated high levels of criticality by using effective and efficient technologies to create original political cartoons, which then elicited constructive whole class interpretative discussions. This prior research did not detail specific methodological steps that positively influenced students’ original political cartoons. This paper compares students’ original political cartoons generated from two methodological approaches that differ in two small, yet consequential steps. One teacher required students to utilize concept maps and substitution lists prior to original political cartoon construction while the other did not. Based on the collected data, these two steps enabled the former teacher’s students to more effectively incorporate intricate and complex encoded messages through the use of abstract symbolism and complementary textual statements. The findings prove meaningful for teachers and researchers interested in enabling students’ creative and critical expressions of historical thinking.

Supporting young adolescent students from minority cultural groups who are underachieving in learning

Establishing appropriate learning environments for culturally diverse underachieving students continues to challenge educators across a range of international contexts. A synthesis of findings from our studies in New Zealand indicated that teachers and students from Pasifika and Māori backgrounds considered that learning is facilitated by the establishment of positive student–teacher relationships in which their culture and language is acknowledged and valued. Collaboration and co‐operation within small groups also supported learning, which influenced engagement as well as achievement. We contend that developing effective and culturally sensitive pedagogical practices that are informed by research offers a way forward, not only for practitioners, but also for teacher education.

A Response to Patricia Krueger's “Activating Memories of Endurance” and Darla Linville's “Sorting Out the Sort”

shirley Brice heath, a former high school teacher and respected scholar, describes her long-distance collaborative research with high school students in a special education and english as a second language (esl) class while she was a professor at stanford and student researchers were attending schools on the east coast (heath, 1984). What has remained memorable about heath’s paper, and a source of inspiration, was a simple but illuminating thought: Put ethnography into the hands of those who may use it to improve their knowledge of what is happening around them in their learning and in their skills of oral and written language. now, over two decades later, heath’s innovative research methodology has evolved and transformed the way some of us engage research as a pedagogical act, not merely to promote literacies needed to pursue post-secondary education, but to influence educational policy and affect positive social change. unlike ethnography, participatory action research is premised on the principle that knowledge is constructed through democratic processes and relationships focused on the needs of local communities. engaging the process, youth researchers participate in knowledge construction while also acquiring tools and strategies to study other self/ community-defined concerns—tools and strategies that are primarily literacy-based. however, what is especially remarkable about Patricia Krueger and Darla linville’s chapters is the impressive methodological sophistication and meticulous documentation of these two practitioner-scholars, and their research teams, allowing us an upclose look at a complex process about which we know relatively little from those who previously engaged the process with youth researchers. Darla and Patricia’s studies are similar to projects such as the Bronx Middle school collaborative in which young adolescent students studied social issues affecting their community (Mercado, 1993), the toxic avengers of el Puente, who studied environmental pollutants and their affects on the health of latino@ children living in Williamsburg (torres-guzman, Mercado, M.e., Quintero, & rivera Viera, 1994); and the Junior researchers who informed policy makers of on the achievement-gap, redefining it as an opportunity-gap (Fine, et al., 2004). however, what is clear is that Patricia and Darla have also taken a giant leap forward illuminating the power and potential of Par as research and pedagogical act, for a new (and old) generation of scholars.

Creating a Collaborative Career Development Program for Middle Grades Students

Think about in the middle grades, and what comes to mind? If it is anything like the typical career day experience, you probably picture a packed auditorium where students, excited by missing classes, talk noisily among themselves while teachers attempt to shush them, and two or three career panelists, glassy-eyed with the shock of being thrust back into the middle grades, sit sweating in the front of a stuffy room. Career Day at Inquiry Middle School (a pseudonym) looks quite different; it is the culminating event of the Career Institute, a career development and college readiness program specially designed for young adolescent students. When middle grades students are asked to identify their career aspirations, many reflexively cite job titles such as doctor, lawyer, or basketball player, often demonstrating little knowledge of the skills and preparation they need to realize these career goals. The goal of the Career Institute, a program developed by Inquiry Middle School in Queens, New York, and a nearby college, is to help students identify exciting and achievable future careers by offering them opportunities to thoughtfully examine their own interests and abilities. The purpose of this article is to make the case for building and integrating a career development and college readiness program into the regular academic program of the middle grades. The literature clearly suggests that young adolescents should have access to activities that help them explore their interests and abilities from a college and career perspective (Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2005; Magnuson & Star, 2000; National Middle School Association, 2010; Niles & Trusty, 2004; Trusty, Niles, & Carney, 2005). This article provides a description of the development and implementation of the Career Institute, a program designed to provide opportunities for young adolescents to explore their interests and abilities in relation to their current educational experiences and future college and career goals. After providing the conceptual and research-based foundation from which the Career Institute emerged, we demonstrate how it was integrated into the academic program of Inquiry Middle School. The article concludes with recommendations for educators interested in developing a similar program in their schools. Career development in the middle grades The middle grades are particularly important to students' career development; here students begin to make decisions that will impact not only their high school educational opportunities and experiences but also their post-high school educational and career options (Arrington, 2000; Trusty, Niles, & Carney, 2005). A recent research report from American College Testing (ACT) underscores the critical nature of career development and college readiness in the middle grades. The researchers found that of all the variables studied, the best predictor by far of students' college and career readiness was eighth grade achievement (2008). The authors suggest that improving college and career readiness skills among eighth grade students will have a dramatic impact on their post-high school opportunities. Career development begins in early childhood and continues throughout an individual's life (Super, Savickas, & Super, 1996). According to Super (1990) and Super et al. (1996), the early part of an individual's life can be characterized by the growth (ages 4 to 13) and exploration (ages 14 to 24) stages of career development. During these developmental stages, young people begin to develop a sense of identity that includes becoming aware of their interests and abilities (growth), and they begin to use information they have about themselves and the world of work to make tentative decisions (exploration) about their future educational and occupational goals. Thus, during the critical middle grades years, students need opportunities to gain greater self-awareness, access information about their educational and career options, and develop the skills and competencies they will need to make important decisions about their futures (ASCA, 2005; Campbell & Dahir, 1997; Lapan, 2004; Solberg, Howard, Blustein, & Close, 2002; Trusty et al. …

Results and Recommendations from the 2009 National Surveys of Randomly Selected and Highly Successful Middle Level Schools

In the early 20th century, junior high schools were established to serve as a transitional bridge between the elementary and high school. By the 1960s, this form of schooling had come to look more like senior high school than a unique school program responsive to the nature and needs of the young adolescent students it served (see Alexander, 1995). The middle school movement grew out of concerns with the junior high school, and after more than four decades there is much to celebrate when considering the accomplishments of the movement to establish developmentally responsive middle level schools for young adolescents. The number of schools with a middle school grade configuration (e.g., 5-8, 6-8, 7-8) has nearly tripled since 1970, and today 89% of all middle level schools have one of these popular grade configurations. This indicates public recognition of the need for special school programs for this unique age group; however, school names and grade configurations alone do not speak to the quality of programs within schools. Questions remain concerning the failure of many middle level schools to fully implement programs and practices that have been advocated in the literature (e.g., George, 2009a, 2009b; Dickinson, 2001; Lounsbury, 2009; National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Middle School Association (NMSA), 2010a, 2010b). While a number of studies have yielded useful information regarding the status of middle level schools in the United States (Brooks & Edwards, 1978; Cawelti, 1988; Compton, 1976; Epstein & Mac Iver, 1990; George, 2009c; George & Oldaker, 1985; George & Shewey, 1994; and Valentine, Clark, Hackmann, & Petzko, 2002), four linked national surveys provide a longitudinal perspective on the degree of implementation of key middle grades programs and practices. These studies were conducted in 1968 (Alexander, 1968), 1988 (Alexander & McEwin, 1989), 1993 (McEwin, Dickinson, & Jenkins, 1996), and 2001 (McEwin, Dickinson, & Jenkins, 2003). This article reports selected results of a fifth study in this series conducted in 2009 by McEwin and Greene, with a particular focus on recommendations derived from an analysis of trends evident over time. An additional national survey of programs and practices in a sample of highly successful middle level schools was conducted by the authors in 2009 using essentially the same instrument. The results from the highly successful schools are compared to results from the random sample to determine if differences existed and, if so, what lessons might be learned from those differences. The 2009 Random and Highly Successful Middle Schools Surveys In the random study, an electronic survey was sent to a 20% random stratified sample of middle level schools that included grades 5-8, 6-8, or 7-8 (N=2,783), with a return rate of 30% (n=827). Data from this study are compared with similar data from the four earlier surveys to help identify trends that have occurred over time. The survey instrument included some items that were part of one or more of the four previous studies as well as some new items not reported in this article. Readers should refer to the full report to obtain more detailed information about the findings discussed here as well as additional results not presented in this article (McEwin & Greene, forthcoming). The highly successful middle school survey was conducted during the same period in 2009 as the random middle school survey. For the purposes of this study, highly successful middle schools (hereafter, HSMS) were defined as those schools that had been recognized as Schools to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform or as Breakthrough Middle Schools by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. At the time this study was initiated, 186 middle schools had been identified as Schools to Watch (n=180) or MetLife-NASSP Breakthrough Middle Schools (n=7), and one school was recognized by both programs. …

“I Feel Like I’m Safe Again”: A Discussion of Middle Grades Organizational Structures from the Perspective of Immigrant Youth and Their Teachers

As the number of immigrants and refugees grows in the United States, the linguistic and cultural diversity that comprises the middle grades classroom continues to increase. Given the need for resources and specific attention to linguistic and cultural strategies for these populations, this three-year ethnographic study examined the schooling experiences of young adolescent immigrant and refugee students in a small town located in a rural state. Historically a homogeneous area, in the last decade this community became a multilingual/multicultural setting. This study documented the schooling experiences of participants using ethnographic methods including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis. The data describe how immigrant and refugee students internalized middle grades organizational structures such as teaming and multiage grouping. The findings suggest much variability among the students’ experiences. Implications for researchers center on expanding the current research base in middle grades practice to include a new set of voices, while implications for practitioners focus on creating a safe environment in which immigrants can express themselves and feel comfortable asking for the level of support needed.

Rediscovering Substance of Soul in 21st Century Middle Schools

As the middle school concept was born across the country, educators had lofty goals for providing an educational experience that would afford young adolescents unparalleled opportunity for a rich academic environment appropriately tailored to the social and emotional development of American youth. The discussions in college teacher training courses and in professional development for middle grades educators were always deeply focused on one thing: what was best for young adolescent learners. The many successes of these efforts should be celebrated. Drifting off course But as the circumstances of our nation have changed in recent years with new priorities born from economic upheaval, as technology has developed at an unprecedented pace, as teen culture has evolved, and as national policies have forced heightened levels of accountability in education, our profession would be well served to revisit middle grades education. In fact, many school systems across the nation are doing just that, revisiting middle grades education. But often, the tenor of these conversations today seems very different from the discussion that led to establishing middle schools four and a half decades ago. Lacking now is the pervasive emphasis on what is best for young adolescent learners; too often, task forces revisit middle grades education against a backdrop laden with political agendas and the realities of fiscal constraint, which have become more severe in the past few months. While reflecting on our professional practice is essential, invigorating, and often yields new insight, taking the time to measure what educators actually do in instructional settings with young adolescent learners against what the profession says is of real value frequently exposes discrepancies. Discussions with middle grades educators all around the country have yielded some consistent trends that cause some concern: What we say we value as middle grades educators and what we do with our time seem to be increasingly less aligned. Again, from the mid-20th century through today, we have consistently said we value what is best for adolescent learners. Middle grades educators have a rich tradition of placing great importance on (a) extending critical thinking, (b) literacy skills development, (c) problem solving, (d) project-based collaborative learning activities, (e) working within and extending the individual learning styles of students, (f) character development, (g) differentiating instruction to provide the richest possible learning experiences for every child, (h) instilling a culture of personal best, and (i) providing a relevant educational curriculum through engaging instructional practice that will well serve the inquisitive nature of adolescent youth. This list could go on, and many of these values fall within what is now being frequently characterized as 21 century learning. However, teachers increasingly tell me they spend their time with their students doing that on which they place far less value: covering fact-based curriculum, drill and practice, rote memorization activities, and reviewing test-taking strategies in preparation for highstakes tests, the results of which can have a devastating impact on their adolescent learners, their school, and entire communities. Middle grades administrators place an unyielding focus on raising achievement scores of individual subgroups in a concerted effort to avoid being labeled a failing school. As acceptable levels of performance on standards rise over time, increasing numbers of schools no longer meet the expectations for passing. Middle grades education is in a growing crisis. Yet school should not be about high-stakes tests nor about grades. School should not be primarily about numbers at all. School is about people, about community, about attaining empowerment. And, if ever an educational philosophy had a focus on people, on the nature of its learners, on what was best for young adolescent students, it was the middle school movement that swept this country in the last half of the 20th century. …

Promise and Problems in Two Divergent Pathways: Preparing Social Studies Teachers for the Middle School Level

Middle school education is failing to meet the intellectual needs of young adolescents, yet there is little research that examines how teachers are prepared to work at the middle level. In this article, I discuss findings from a semester-long, qualitative case study that examined how the elementary and secondary teacher education pathways at one institution prepared social studies teachers for the middle school level. The study reveals several key findings which help explain why many middle level social studies teachers may not be fully prepared to meet the needs of their young adolescent students. In order to prepare social studies teachers who can engage and challenge young adolescents' minds, teacher educators in both elementary and secondary programs must devote further attention to the preparation of middle level teachers.

Measuring Self-Regulated Learning Processes through Tracking Patterns of Student Interaction with Achievement Activities

A micro-level approach to the study of relationships between component processes within self-regulated learning in young adolescent students is described. Using this approach, contingencies between self-regulatory processes can be identified and insight into factors that promote students’ use of self-regulatory strategies can be investigated. Evidence is presented showing how the influence of mastery achievement goals on specific task goals can be mediated by students’ state of interest. Further development of this approach requires consideration of the measurement issues associated with using single items to measure on-task states. Evidence for the reliability and validity of single-item measurement of states is considered in relation to areas of psychological inquiry that regularly use single-item measures and we conclude that further development of these types of measure has the potential to expand our understanding of self-regulated learning.

Students, tasks and emotions: Identifying the contribution of emotions to students' reading of popular culture and popular science texts

In this investigation young adolescent students ( N = 181) engaged in an interactive computer reading task. The aim was to explore sequences of students' affective responses to expository texts by identifying their character, intensity and their relationship with further text processing. Affective responses were measured using probes consisting of face icons and were recorded immediately prior to students' choices about whether to continue reading. Emotions reported and their intensity influenced further reading of the texts. Findings support a model linking topic interest, affect and persistence [Ainley, M., Hidi, S., & Berndorff, D. (2002). Interest, learning, and the psychological processes that mediate their relationship. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(3), 545–561] and demonstrate the role of interest in the motivation of text processing.

A hospital/school science fair mentoring program for middle school students.

The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the James P. Timilty Middle School established a partnership to enhance science education, promote faculty development, and improve the health status and academic performance of all Timilty students. This article describes one of the Partnership's Science Connection programs, the Science Fair Mentoring Program, designed to enhance middle school science education, inform urban early adolescents about professions in the health field, inspire them to pursue postsecondary study in the health sciences, and prepare them for rigorous academic work in high school. In this program, hospital-based clinical and research staff mentor young adolescent students. The authors describe the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Science Fair Mentoring Program as an innovative learning experience.

“Turning Points” Revisited: How Effective Middle-Grades Schools Address Developmental Needs of Young Adolescent Students

(1993). “Turning Points” Revisited: How Effective Middle-Grades Schools Address Developmental Needs of Young Adolescent Students. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 24, Addressing the Health Education Needs of Young Adolescents, pp. S-24-S-27.

Sexuality Education in the Middle School Curriculum

Sexuality education is an important issue for middle school educators. The recent Carnegie report. Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (1989), views sexuality as being related to broader health issues affecting students' beliefs, learning, and life decisions. In a typical classroom of 24 young adolescent students (age 11 14), four boys and two girls are already sexually active. Before these students reach 18, two girls will become pregnant, one having an abortion. Seventeen of the 24 will be sexually active. In addition to taking risks of being pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease including AIDS, students may have limited their educational and life options. Helping adolescents develop positive sexual attitudes, acquire appropriate sexual information, and make healthy life style choices is a challenge for middle school educators. Now, more than ever, young people need assistance in coping with personal, family, and societal changes. While developing sexually at varying rates, adolescents are reaching puberty at a younger age, resulting in increased early sexual exploration and activity (Van Hoose & Strahan, 1988). Myriad family changes affect adolescents. Increases in the numbers of dual-worker families, single-parent families, and blended families have resulted in adolescents often receiving less parental supervision as well as confusing role models. They live in a society bombarded with sexual stimulation and exploitation in all forms of advertising and media— television, music, and print material.

Agency, Achievement, and Self-Concept of Young Adolescent Art Students

This study investigated the effects of students' sense of agency or self-determination as a motivational force in art learning. It was hypothesized that enhancing students' sense of agency through personal choice would result in higher achievement and more positive self-concepts and attitudes toward art. Two hundred and eight sixth graders participated in the study for a period of three months. Teacher-choice and student-choice approaches using the same program were compared. Allfour outcome measures, consisting of one art product and three written tests, revealed treatment differences favoring the student-choice condition. It appears that when students' sense of agency is enhanced through meaningful personal choice both their achievement and attitudes are positively influenced. In a recent review of theory and research on agency Thomas (1980) concluded that students' sense of agency or self-determination is a strong motivational force in learning. Thomas went on to suggest that students' sense of agency can be fostered by giving them control of their own learning. He reasoned that when students make choices about their learning experiences, they gain a feeling of personal empowerment, they feel they are the agents in control of their learning; and thus their sense of agency is enhanced. In their reviews on agency and control both Thomas (1980) and Steipek and Weisz (1981) concluded that research in the area of student control is still in its infancy and additional research is needed across varieties of student populations, learning tasks, and subject matters. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of agency as a motivational force for young adolescents in the subject of art. It was expected that enhancing students' sense of agency through personal choice would result in more positive art outcomes. Thus, for this study, agency was posulated as a mediating link between control of learning and outcomes of learning. effects r- effects J control of learning i ,- gency- s -j outcomes of learning

How Nutrition Education Can Affect Adolescents' Food Choices . I. With and Without One Year's Nutrition Instruction

In this investigation nutrition education caused significant changes in food choices of young adolescent students, improvements were reported after one year of nutritional instruction, based on appraised needs and planned with the students and their parents, Two years of nutrition education resulted in considerably higher dietary scores than only one year's instruction, although results were not consistently better.