The purpose of this study was to examine fifth, seventh, and tenth graders' attitudes toward school and classroom science by means of questionnaires and interviews. In particular, the study hoped to determine (a) if a relationship existed between these two attitudes, (b) what relationship, if any, grade level, gender, ethnicity, school/community type, expected GPA and science grade, and personally satisfying GPA and science grade had with either or both of the attitudes, and (c) the source of students' attitudes. The questionnaires used in this study (Science Attitude Scale for Middle School Students by Misiti, Shrigley, and Hanson and one constructed by the author) were found to be both valid and reliable. The surveys were administered to approximately 1,000 fifth, seventh, and tenth graders from schools representing rural, small city, and urban communities at the commencement and near the end of the schools' fall terms. After the second administration of the questionnaires, 25 students, representing each grade level from each community type, were interviewed following a structured interview format. The results indicated that while a statistically significant relationship did exist between students' attitudes toward school and toward classroom science, the relationship had no practical meaning. Females were slightly more positive about school than their male counterparts. No gender differences were found with respect to attitudes toward classroom science. Fifth graders held significantly more positive attitudes toward science than seventh and tenth graders. None of the other variables were found to have any practical relationship to either of the attitudes. The interview data suggested that students from all three grade levels had definite feelings about school and classroom science, particularly about modes of instruction, relevancy, their teachers, and the effect of attitude on achievement. / Graduation date: 1992

The current study explored factors believed to influence middle school students' willingness to participate in hypothetical school-based conflict management programs. A seven-phase process was used to carefully construct written vignettes depicting different types of school-based conflict management programs (e.g., Skillstreaming, Peacemaking, and Outdoor Adventure) and different types of program leaders (e.g., teachers, school counselors, social workers, and youth care workers). The Conflict Management Intervention Participation Scale (CMIPS) was also constructed to assess students' responses to the vignettes. In an initial study involving 150 middle school students, responses to the CMIPS were factor analyzed. Two valid and reliable unique factors comprised of 14 total Liken items were retained: likelihood of joining and following the directions of a conflict management program.To test the main hypotheses that CMIPS responses would be highest for students exposed to vignettes depicting Outdoor Adventure conflict management programs not led by teachers, an additional 275 sixth grade students were recruited. These students were randomly assigned to one of the twelve vignettes constricted for this project and were then asked to complete the CMIPS. A 4 x 3 Between Subjects MANOVA was employed to test the hypotheses. No significant results, however, were obtained. Regardless of program type or group leader, participants did not differ in their reported likelihood of joining or following the directions of the conflict management program presented. Limitations of this project as well as implications for future research on school-based conflict management programs are offered. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of the study was to identify the student’s perspective of the difficulties of transitioning from eighth grade to high school. The intent of gathering this information was to provide primary source data for additional study and development of effective transition experiences for students entering the ninth grade. The study identified five primary areas of concern gleaned from previous research and used a survey to quantify student responses to discover which areas were of most concern to students. The research included demographic information to compare male responses to female responses; the responses of students who had an older sibling attend high school to the responses of students who were the first in their family to go through this transition; and the responses of students from a low performing, high poverty, highly ethnically diverse school setting with students from a high performing, low poverty, and less ethnically diverse school setting. The population for the study included 285 eighth grade students from two different middle level schools. The study revealed both new and significant findings as well as insightful information from students in regard to their perceptions of the challenges associated with the transition from eighth grade to high school. / Department of Educational Leadership

Student disaffection, a pervasive problem in middle school classrooms, is costly not only for disaffected students themselves (e.g., declines in GPA, high school drop out) but also for their teachers (e.g., stress-related health outcomes). Despite its importance, however, open questions remain regarding both the development of disaffection during early adolescence and the classroom dynamics that underlie changes in disaffection. This dissertation includes two free-standing manuscripts that explore these open questions regarding the development and classroom dynamics of disaffection. Each focuses on different developmental time scales and employs different methodological approaches to examine these important, but unanswered questions. Drawing from a database of classroom observation videos, study one is a multiple case study focusing on four classrooms, which were selected based on school-level socioeconomic status and student-reported disaffection. This study was designed to explore 1) how disaffection is first initiated, 2) how it develops across single class periods, 3) how teachers generally respond to student disaffection, and 4) whether different kinds of teacher responses reduce or amplify disaffection. Student disaffection and teacher responses to disaffection were observationally coded and analyzed resulting in the following findings. First, students were initially most frequently socially off task during individual work time or relatively passive whole group time. Second, six patterns of how disaffection changed over the observed class periods were found with each pattern representing distinct student experiences and varying degrees in severity of disaffection. Third, while teachers' overall responses to disaffection could be classified as generally supportive (involvement and autonomy support) or defensive (withdrawal and controlling behavior), the teachers were not strictly adherent to one response style. Finally, five kinds of teacher responses to disaffection (supportive, quick fix, no response, mixed, and defensive) were found, each with varying degrees of effectiveness at resolving disaffection. Drawing from a 5-year longitudinal cohort-sequential dataset, study two is designed to describe the normative trajectories of disaffection across the early adolescent years and then to also examine the classroom dynamics that underlie these developmental changes in disaffection. Surveys of students' experiences of disaffection and perceptions of their relationships with their science teachers and teachers' views of student disaffection were collected twice per school year and subsequently analyzed. Latent growth curve models examined the development of disaffection finding both behavioral and emotional forms to have gradually increasing linear trajectories across the early adolescent years. Additionally, both initial levels in fall of 6th grade and rates of change significantly differed between students. Regarding the classroom dynamics of disaffection, the supported model suggests that teacher views of disaffection directly and indirectly through student-teacher relationships predict concurrent student experiences of disaffection and that earlier student experiences of disaffection predict changes in teacher views of disaffection across the school year. Taken together, the studies in this dissertation contribute to our growing understanding of how disaffection develops both across single middle school class periods (study 1) and across early adolescence (study 2). Additionally, these studies are among the first to investigate the classroom dynamics that may explain why disaffection develops over these multiple time frames. Implications of each study and the collective findings of this dissertation are considered in the respective discussion sections in Chapter 3, 4, and 5.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Leadership

The study investigated the ability of an extracurricular program to influence environmental responsibility of sixth and seventh graders. The Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Survey (CHEAKS) was evaluated for appropriateness in assessing the worth of this particular environmental education strategy emphasizing water quality fieldwork and technology. CHEAKS is designed with psychometric reliability and validity that may be used in comparing disparate programs. Wilcoxon two sample tests were used to analyze data gathered from two student groups; one participated in an "Enviro-Mentals Club"; the other received no treatment. Analysis showed no significant change in environmental attitudes between groups, but did show significance (p <= 0.05) in environmental knowledge growth. Therefore, the investigated program had marginal success in influencing environmental responsibility.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between children's enjoyment and perceived competence in physical education (PE) and the effects these factors may have on physical activity participation outside of school. Fifth through eighth grade (n = 100) school children completed questionnaires pertaining to their enjoyment in PE, perceived competence in PE, and physical activity participation outside of school. Results indicated a positive significant relationship between enjoyment in PE, and perceived competence in PE (p<0.01). Children with higher perceptions of competence in school PE, reported greater physical activity participation outside of the school environment (p<0.002). Enjoyment in PE had no statistical significance in determining physical activity participation outside of school (p>0.05). Understanding the factors which influence physical activity participation can help inform future policies and strategies aimed at providing developmentally appropriate experiences, ultimately providing intrinsic motivation to seek out, and sustain, regular physical activity strategies aimed at providing developmentally appropriate experiences, ultimately providing intrinsic motivation to seek out, and sustain, regular physical activity participation. / by Keith Brazendale. / Vita. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

In response to the increasing number of United States school students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds at all grade levels, often called "simultaneous bilinguals," the U.S. school districts are opening schools that offer bilingual instruction. One instructional strategy that seems promising is the "Bridge," where students contrast and connect the literacy skills learned in one language to the literacy skills in their other language. An underlying component of learning a language is student attitude and motivation to learn. Research also seems to indicate that student attitude and motivation toward biliteracy can affect their achievement. There seems to be a lack of research on how students respond to becoming biliterate. The purpose of this study is to explore how simultaneous bilingual middle school students respond to becoming biliterate in Spanish and English as a result of participation in a humanities dual language/immersion class, taught through the instructional strategy the Bridge. This study used a case study design. The focus was on 12 simultaneous bilingual middle school students who had at least three years of bilingual education. The methods used to gather data were: the students' achievement in biliteracy, a survey, a Draw-a-Bilingual-student activity, a narrative response, and a focus group. I identified five themes from the data analysis: (a) Positive role of family in developing biliteracy; (b) Confidence in becoming biliterate; (c) Using their biliteracy skills in the community; (d) Biliteracy valued for their future; and (e) Appreciation of bilingual programs in our schools. Future research should continue to investigate the power of the Bridge strategy in furthering student success in becoming biliterate.

There is a need to look at the determinants of exercise behavior in adolescents, as there is a large deficit of research concerning this population. The purpose of this study was to examine Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) and the body shape of adolescents participating in a semester of physical education class. A secondary purpose was to create general profiles by combining the SPA information and the Transtheoretical Model (TM) of behavior change. Middle school students (N= 374) participated by completing a regularly scheduled physical education class and completing the Exercise Behavior Change Survey (which assessed Body Shape, SPA and TM) pre and post semester. The study revealed participation in class had no effect on SPA levels or Body Shape scores, nor did the study reveal any gender differences with these two concepts. Concerning the TM, SPA may not be a factor for progressing through the stages of change, although it may effect which processes were utilized and how one identifies the pros and cons of exercising. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale only reached an alpha of .50, possibly contributing to the lack of relationship between SPA and TM. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between transformational principal leadership style, a safe school climate, and school safety (specifically, the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents) in Broward County, Florida’s middle schools. This study also investigated if a relationship exists between transformational leadership and a safe school climate, transformational leadership, and the number of bullying incidents and student fights, and a safe school climate and the number of bullying incidents and student fights. The study surveyed 12 middle schools located in a large, urban district in south Florida. Principal leadership style was determined from the MLQ-5X, school safety climate was determined from the school district’s Annual Customer Survey, and the reported number of fights and bullying incidents recorded in the school district’s Discipline Management System were collected via records request for each participating middle school and tallied. Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the bivariate association between the leadership dimensions, a safe school climate, and school violence. Separate multiple linear regression models were used to examine the following relationships: leadership style and the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents; leadership style and a safe school climate; and a safe school climate and the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents. The findings suggested that there were no statistically significant correlations between leadership style (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire), and bullying or fighting, and no statistically significant correlation between principal leadership style and middle school climate. There was a statistically significant correlation found between school climate and the number of student fights. The significance of this finding is important because it illustrates the adverse impact fighting has on student safety, which, in turn, adversely affects the school climate. Therefore, it is up to the school leader to create a climate where everyone feels safe can focus on student achievement. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection