In the current study, we sought to understand relations among the key intervention targets of social-emotional and character development (SECD) interventions: character virtues, Positive Purpose, and social-emotional learning (SEL). Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students (n = 1011, ages 11 to 16, M = 12.94, SD = 1.00) from five urban middle…

Youth participation in community-based, structured out-of-school time programs (OST) has been found to promote positive developmental outcomes by providing youth with resources to build interpersonal relationships and essential life skills. The increasing prevalence and multiplicity of youth participation in these activities leads us to expand the…

There is a workforce shortage in middle-skill occupations requiring some educational training but not a 4-year college degree, such as skilled trades (e.g., construction), transportation (e.g., drivers), and manufacturing. Identifying factors that promote adolescent interest in middle-skill occupations is crucial in combating this shortage. This…

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate how perceived social-emotional competencies (SECs), relationship skills, emotional regulation, and the ability to structure schoolwork at school and at home were associated with academic efficacy belief (AEB) and emotional distress among 1142 Norwegian eighth-grade students. The students answered an…

This study investigates the relationship among student engagement, learning strategies, and academic achievement. Data were collected from 4,825 eighth-grade students in Guangzhou, China, using the Delaware Student Engagement Scale (DSES) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with…

Based on data from China Education Panel Survey, this article examined the impact of teacher gender on student human capital development at the junior secondary education level. The research findings showed that female teachers were more capable of promoting cognitive and non-cognitive ability development of both girl and boy students than their…

A multisite cluster-randomized trial (by school) was conducted to examine the effects of a combined mental health literacy and dialectical behavior therapy skills program implemented by teachers on three protective factors related to social and emotional well-being. The sample of eight schools that were randomly assigned to intervention included…

The pervasiveness of racism in the U.S. and its negative relations with key development outcomes has led researchers to uncover mediators, of which this article argues efficacy should be considered. Self-efficacy, one's belief in their capability to accomplish a task or goal, can be measured in multiple domains of functioning and contexts to…

Environmental sustainability and how best to promote sustainable development is a problem of increasing urgency for policymakers and researchers. Several international projects have been initiated to address these issues and provide frameworks for thinking about the development of individuals' environmental awareness and their proclivities for…

The digital gender divide is one of the most critical issues in education today. Digital gender gaps can exist in students' access to and use of ICT, attitudes toward technology, and digital knowledge and skills. However, previous research has primarily examined these divides in isolation and largely ignored their interdependencies. Using student…

The present study aimed to construct a theoretical model based on the correlation between social emotional learning and coping with peer bullying in junior high school students and to test this theoretical model with respect to the gender variable.The study group included 295 students attending a junior high school in Düzce province (Turkey)…

A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the eighth grade of two public schools located in Central Delhi. Two classes (95 participants) in the intervention school and three classes (108 participants) in the comparison school participated. The brief intervention was implemented across four 2-hour sessions for 1 month in the intervention school.…

This study developed and validated the Science Practice Scale (SPS) and investigated the implementation of scientific teaching practices by Grade 8 science teachers in Jordan. The responses of 235 8th grade science teachers who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS] of 2019 were analysed using the Rasch…

Math anxiety's negative effects on performance are well-documented. The interplay of math anxiety and mathematical competence regarding later performance is underexplored. We investigated whether math anxiety's detrimental effects on learning depend on previous mathematical competence. Hypothesizing a moderation effect, we expected that trait math…

This study explores the association between intellectual risk taking and science achievement of gifted students and difference in grade levels and gender. The participants were 122 sixth, seventh and eighth grade gifted students in Turkey. In data collection, "science achievement test" and "intellectual risk taking scale in learning…