This mixed-methods longitudinal project investigates the association between student perceptions of their schools and themselves. Findings from the first two waves of data analysis with 894 middle and high school students in a midsized Great Lakes city reveal similarities and differences between the grade levels (7th-10th) and their perceptions of…

The relationships between adolescent ethnic identity and attitudes toward school and school climate are investigated in a small, multiracial/multiethnic city in the Great Lakes region with ethnically diverse adolescents taught by primarily White teachers. The mixed methods investigation of 986 eighth through eleventh grade students during the…

Middle grades students expressed their opinions about school during unstructured interviews which were part of a longitudinal mixed methods study. Four major needs emerged as prominent themes during these interviews, including: physical, safety, academic, and esteem needs. The author discusses findings related to these themes using the students'…

Interviews with parent, students, and teachers in rural Swaziland found that, as in colonial times, parents felt alienated from the school as an institution. Although national policymakers were pushing for stronger technical education, parents strongly desired academic education to prepare their children for professional employment and felt that…