In peer nomination research, individuals who do not provide nominations (nonparticipants) are often included on rosters as potential nominees. This can present ethical questions regarding informed consent, but psychometric consequences of excluding nonparticipants from rosters are unknown. In this investigation, Study 1 simulated both random and…

Sperry, Sperry, and Miller (2018) aim to debunk what is called the 30-million-word gap by claiming that children from lower income households hear more speech than Hart and Risley ([Hart, B., 1995]) reported. We address why the 30-million-word gap should not be abandoned, and the importance of retaining focus on the vital ingredient to language…

Acceleration is a well-researched educational intervention supporting positive outcomes for high-ability students. However, access to acceleration may be restricted due to educators' misapprehensions about this practice. To better understand whether students share educators' concerns, our study explored 26 high-ability students' beliefs about…

Sperry, Sperry, and Miller (2018) aim to debunk what is called the 30-million-word gap by claiming that children from lower income households hear more speech than Hart and Risley (1995) reported. We address why the 30-million-word gap should not be abandoned, and the importance of retaining focus on the vital ingredient to language…

The nature and significance of students' informal peer feedback networks is an under-explored area. This paper offers the findings of a longitudinal investigation of the informal peer feedback networks of a cohort of student teachers [n = 105] across the three years of a UK primary education degree programme. It tracked the dynamic nature of these…

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that victimization exposures are associated with sexual risk-taking behaviors, but there is a relative lack of research on the relation between peer victimization and sexual risk taking among adolescents. This study fills this gap through examining how bullying, cyberbullying, and dating violence victimization at…

This study aimed to relate school diversity approaches to continuity and change in teacher-student relationships, comparing Belgian-majority (N = 1,875, M[subscript age] = 14.56) and Turkish and Moroccan-minority adolescents (N = 1,445, M[subscript age] = 15.07). Latent-Growth-Mixture-Models of student-reported teacher support and rejection over…

The current study investigated the role of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) on early adolescents' school adjustment, as moderated by their school friends' aggregate ERI. The study drew data from a longitudinal socioemotional project in a Midwestern U.S. middle school. Surveys were administered twice over a 6-month interval with a sample of 161 African…

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of primary pre-service teachers engaged in a peer-group mentoring program during a professional experience placement. Pre-service teachers completed weekly questionnaires and an interview about their experiences. Questionnaire and interview responses were coded and analysed according to three…

Gang involvement is associated with many negative outcomes. However, the social and emotional development of gang-involved youth has received little empirical investigation. This study examines the social and emotional outcomes of gang-involved youth. Data come from the 2009 Fairfax County Youth Survey administered to eighth, 10th, and 12th grade…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a peer mentorship program on students' perceptions of comfort, skills obtained, and feelings of success while working with a peer with dissimilar abilities. The participants (N = 14), enrolled in choral ensemble classes, were divided into two groups: the peer mentors (n = 7), who were…

Using strategies that provide opportunities for students to interact and recommend books in authentic ways, teachers can help motivate them to want to read more.

Generic statements about the abilities of children's social groups (e.g. "Girls/Boys are good at this game") negatively impact children's performance--even if the statements are favorable towards children's own social groups. We explored the mechanism by which generic language impairs children's performance. Across three studies, our…

High school peer crowds are fundamental components of adolescent development with influences on short- and long-term life trajectories. This study provides the perspectives of contemporary college students regarding their recent high school social landscapes, contributing to current research and theory on the social contexts of high school. This…

The benefits of reading for pleasure and positive reader identities have been well established in previous research. However, much discussion regarding young people's reading is underpinned by a discourse of deficit, placing emphasis on what young people should be reading. In an attempt to move away from this discourse, this article considers…