This action research project report was conducted in order to increase motivation and engagement in elementary and middle school students through technology-supported learning environments. The study was conducted from August 27, 2012, through December 14, 2012 with 116 participating students in first-, fourth-, fifth- and eighth-grade classes. To…

Students were electronically polled about the influence of the Internet in their education and ways teachers could use this resource to motivate them and increase their learning. Responses from the 956 adolescents showed that the school quest to increase student engagement could more often be met through online assignments that facilitate…

Explains that students in intermediate grades often find the academic demands more difficult and complex. Four factors are identified: ability, quality and quantity of instruction, and motivation. Examines the direct and indirect effects of variables shown to influence academic achievement. Claims that motivation and homework are especially…

This study drew on survey data from 121 urban middle school students to define features of homework management. Findings indicated that arranging the environment and controlling emotions related systematically to family help with homework. Homework management indices were unrelated to standardized achievement test scores. Findings generated…

Much continues to be written about the failure of U.S. schools to provide a quality education for at-risk urban students. Private Nativity model schools have been instituted in response to the need to provide quality education at the middle school level for such students. As the number of these and other alternative middle schools increases, a…

Noting that developing self-motivated, empowered students is an ongoing challenge for teachers, administrators, and parents, this action research project sought to build intrinsic learners, using cooperative learning and multiple intelligences. Participating in the project were students of two third-grade regular division classes and sixth and…

This report discusses the activities and outcomes of an applied dissertation designed to improve gifted middle school students' participation in Quest class activities and academic achievement in Quest class. Students in the target group (n=36) were not achieving at expected levels academically, were not completing in-class assignments or homework…

Forty-one middle school students in two eighth-grade classes were taught half of their science chapters in the conventional manner with homework assignments, and half of their chapters by having short classroom quizzes on each unit. Quizzes were expected to stimulate incentive motivation as a mediator between a goal object, mastery, and the…

This practicum project was designed to increase student ownership of learning through student-kept assignment calendars and portfolios. The subjects, 63 junior high school students at a private Christian school, were also involved in frequent, cooperative sessions in which they checked each other's work and offered suggestions, with reports to the…

Problems in students completing homework may be related to lack of parental involvement and support, student attitudes and priorities, and the assigning of inappropriate and irrelevant homework. This action research project implemented and examined the effectiveness of increased communication with parents regarding homework, cooperative learning…

This paper describes the history, characteristics, program model, activities, and evaluation results of the Pottstown Homework Center Partnership project, in Pottstown County, Pennsylvania. The goal of the program is to initiate homework centers and train volunteer tutors from the community to support the at-risk middle students by providing…

The 7th International Conference on Education Data Mining held on July 4th-7th, 2014, at the Institute of Education, London, UK is the leading international forum for high-quality research that mines large data sets in order to answer educational research questions that shed light on the learning process. These data sets may come from the traces…

This action research project evaluated an intervention to improve student motivation, attendance, homework return, and academic growth. Participating were 22 third graders and 53 middle school students in two growing middle class communities in north central Illinois. Inadequate student motivation was documented through data on attendance, student…