The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a statistically significant difference existed in student growth and proficiency scores between students receiving gamified math instruction compared to those receiving non-gamified math instruction in a suburban middle school in Tennessee. This investigation is based on the theoretical…

We employed a mixed methods research design using survey data to examine gifted students' perceptions of implicit theories of intelligence, giftedness, need for cognition, and goal orientations. Eighty-one gifted middle-school students completed the Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) plus open-ended questions concerning giftedness, expectations,…

This study was created to establish a connection between social contexts and disproportionality in discipline at a suburban North Texas middle school. A mixed methods study was completed using chi-square and descriptive tests for quantitative use, then, In Vivo, Process, and Pattern coding with Code-weaving for qualitative use to disseminate focus…

Student school mobility is defined as a school change for reasons other than a regular grade promotion. School mobility has been shown to have academic and behavioral effects on students, especially in the short term. The problem addressed in this study was the short-term negative academic and behavioral outcomes for students experiencing school…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between school-based racial discrimination by teachers and peers and academic outcomes (i.e., classroom misconduct, absenteeism, academic performance, school readiness, and school behavioral problems) over one year (Time 2) through the moderation of perceived social support from…

This quantitative cross-sectional research study investigated differences in the perceived attitudes of students in different grade levels toward themselves and toward school. Data from 774 surveys of students in third through eighth grade were examined. The study took place within two public school districts in the suburbs of Chicago. The…

This study examined if differences in the experiences of student support co-occurred with differences in student perceptions of safety and the experience of bullying victimization as functions of race (Black/African American students; White/Caucasian students) and grade band (middle school students; high school students). Participants for this…

The study aimed to identify significant disparities in the reading growth of English learners (ELs) enrolled in either push-in or pull-out EL services, as measured by the ACCESS and MAP assessments. Conducted at a middle school in southwestern Illinois, the research focused on the impact of different EL programming types on the reading performance…

Teaching critically about politically charged topics in an affluent, suburban middle school requires a careful approach. Grounded in critical pedagogy theory and historical literacy pedagogy, the inquiry-based project described in this article is an attempt to help seventh-grade students analyze and understand the historic and modern conflict…

This qualitative case study explored reading comprehension and vocabulary skills and strategies used by middle school teachers in grades 6-8. Theoretical foundations for the research revolved around constructivism, social constructivism, and adolescent literacy theory. Prior research showed that students in grades 3-8 were performing at…

The number of students struggling with chronic absenteeism, while on the rise prior to COVID-19, appears to have increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. This dissertation explores the challenges faced in a suburban middle school in Western New York throughout and following the COVID-19 shutdown. Data from the district's student…

The purpose of this study is to understand how and what leaders (a principal, district coach, regional coach, and district assistant superintendent) professionally noticed within a video club context as they watched mathematics lessons. Professional noticing refers to the extent to which leaders are able to move beyond forming general descriptions…

The Precipitating Change Project was a 5-year development, implementation, and research study of an innovative 4-week middle school curricular unit in computational weather forecasting that integrates students' learning and use of meteorology and computational thinking (CT) concepts and practices. The project produced a list of CT skills and…

This phenomenological study examined how eighth grade students in a privileged suburban community and school district understood their civic identities and saw their roles and responsibilities as citizens. Through analyzing artifacts the student participants generated in their eighth grade civics social studies class and conducting semi-structured…

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among an individual's social emotional wellbeing, the extent to which a student's level of basic necessities having been met impact school performance and their academic achievement. The study sought to determine the strength of the correlation among the relationship individuals have…