This study describes how verbal abuse is used in schools and how it affects students. As a  result of the study is a questionnaire which was distributed to 153 students at two schools in a small town in southern Sweden. Students who participated in the study were in grades 3-6 and were between 9 and 13 years old. I asked students 13 questions, which dealt with verbal abuse, some of them were check questions and some were issues that required a longer response. The results of the survey show that 108 students of 153 have ever felt verbally abused at school, slightly more girls than boys. Usually they say they have been verbally abused by their own sex and then with words like boys are more frequently offended by words of a sexual nature, whereas girls more often are offended by words that violate their appearance. The students who feel aggrieved are shown to be those students who violate others. Students believe they have the right to give back. A relatively large number of students believe that those who want to violate the do it because it's fun. The so called joke-discourse, in which verbal abuse is dismissed with that it´s only jokes or just something that "slipped out" by mistake, have got a place even in middle school. It turns out that about one third of the surveyed students carry a fear of being called something offensive when they are in school. It appears that verbal abuse is a problem very much exists in schools and used in equal proportion of both boys and girls to create a kind of power structure between the sexes but also within their own sex.

The achievement gap between middle class white students and black or Hispanic students living in low income households continues to be a persistent problem in education even ten years since the authorization of No Child Left Behind in 2001. This study examined the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and how students from low income households preformed on the Criterion Referenced Competencies Test (CRCT) mathematics and reading subtests when compared to similar students at a school with a traditional instruction program. Analysis of covariance was employed using scores from students’ fifth grade composite Cognitive Abilities Tests as the covariate. The analysis did not detect a significant difference (p=.410) on the eighth grade adjusted means reading CRCT scores, but did detect a significant difference (p

This dissertation focuses on the effectiveness of scaffolding in technology-enhanced science learning environments, and specifically the relative merits of computer- and teacher-based scaffolding in science inquiry. Scaffolding is an instructional support that helps learners solve problems, carry out tasks, or achieve goals that they are unable to accomplish on their own. Although support such as scaffolding is necessary when students engage in complex learning environments, many issues must be resolved before educators can effectively implement scaffolding in instruction. To achieve this, this dissertation includes two studies: a systematic literature review and an experimental study. The two studies attempted to reveal some important issues which are not widely recognized in the existing literature. The primary problem confronting the educator is how to determine which of the numerous kinds of scaffolding will allow them to educate students most effectively. The scaffolding forms that researchers create are often confusing, overlapping, or contradictory. In response to this, the first study critically analyzed the ways that researchers have defined and applied scaffolding, and provided suggestions for future scaffolding design and research. Moreover, studies tend to focus only on computer-based scaffolding rather than examining ways to integrate it with teacher-based instruction. Although researchers generally recognize that teacher-based support is important, research in this area is limited. The second study of this dissertation employed a quasi-experimental design with four experimental conditions, each of which include a type of computer-based procedural scaffolding (continuous vs. faded) paired with a type of teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding (early vs. late). Each class was assigned to use one of the four conditions. The findings indicated that students receiving continuous computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding performed statistically better at learning scientific inquiry skills than other treatment groups. Students using faded computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding showed the worst performance. However, among the four groups there existed no statistically significant difference in terms of the effect on students? ability to learn science knowledge. Moreover, teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding did not have a significant impact on either science content knowledge or scientific inquiry skills.

Because bilingual programs provide a secure environment likely to promote school belonging, it was hypothesized that Hispanic students in a bilingual program would experience higher belonging than those in regular education and that they would experience a steeper drop in belonging at the transition to middle school. Participants were 277 Hispanic and White elementary and middle school students who were followed longitudinally from grade 4 to 6. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to compare the mean levels of school belonging across groups and measure the change in school belonging at the transition. Results suggested that Hispanic students both in bilingual and in regular education had higher belonging than White students and that groups did not differ in their change in belonging at the transition to middle school.

Transition to middle school is a turbulent time of development in which friends have growing impact on adolescents’ academic adjustment. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the unique and joint contributions of academically oriented and deviant close friends on reading and math achievement, competence beliefs in reading and math, and engagement during the transition into middle school. The sample was 652 (53.4 percent male) ethnically diverse and academically at-risk students. Within-wave associations between peer affiliation and outcome variables were found in the expected directions. Outcome variables were highly stable. The model yielded adequate fit of the data. Contrary to expectations, neither peer affiliation variable (academically-oriented friends or deviant friends) contributed to year 6 outcomes, controlling for year 5 outcomes, nor did the two affiliation variables interact in predicting changes in outcomes. Affiliation with close friends was moderately stable over time and affiliation with learning oriented friends was positively associated with the academic outcomes and affiliation with deviant friends was negatively associated with the academic outcomes. Close friendships may change so rapidly that a relationship between close friend affiliation at any one point in time is not predictive of changes in one’s engagement, competence beliefs, or achievement. Future research that examines peer relationships and academic competencies across a longer period of time and more frequently may allow for a clearer understanding of relationships among peer affiliation and academic outcomes.

This exploratory mixed methods study addressed the types of gains students made when engaged in one of two forms of inquiry. Gains were measured on three levels: conceptual understanding, the process of scientific investigation, and use of practical reasoning skills. One hundred-thirty 8th grade students from a rural public school in East Texas participated in this study. Classes of students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: guided inquiry or authentic student research learning. Non parametric statistical analysis and constant comparative qualitative analysis were used to triangulate pre-tests and post-tests, student journals, and student drawings to address the research questions. Findings support greater gains in conceptual understanding of domain specific content in a highly scaffolded guided inquiry. Further authentic scientific research learning was more effective for developing understanding of scientific investigation as a process and application of knowledge through practical reasoning skills.

With the increasing stress on teachers and students to meet and raise mathematics standards in schools, especially in the secondary level, the need for strong curricula and supporting materials for teachers has grown. A good curriculum, however, must do more than align with state standards and teach to the state exams; it must encourage students to enjoy mathematics. In an effort to help ease the plague of math anxiety, this thesis presents an eighth grade curriculum, called MathTAKStic, not only directly aligning with the Texas state standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge Skills (TEKS), but also encouraging students to pursue higher level thinking through active learning and logical thinking. To test the curriculum and find out its usefulness, several lessons were taught at a middle school. Although the scores of those learning with the curriculum were not always better than others, MathTAKStic led to a greater increase in students’ performance compared to those who were not exposed to the lessons, an increased interest in math and a plethora of ideas for the future. These results were concluded based on a comparison of students’ scores from the previous year to the current year on the Texas standardized test. Overall, the increase in passing scores of MathTAKStic students preceded other classes in the same school.

Peer aggression is a significant problem among adolescents; it is relatively common and frequently experienced among adolescents. Recently, there has been growing attention to the occurrence and impact of bullying on adolescent's well being at school. There is still a lot to learn about why certain adolescents are targets for bullying. This study explores how certain personality traits, behaviors, and social status may be predictors for those who are targeted as victims of peer aggression. Students in three middle schools and one junior high school from three different school districts in Texas were asked to participate in this study. The sample consisted of 233 students. Students were both males and females who were attending 6th, 7th, and 8th grade and were between the ages of 12 and 15. Data was aggregated for each participating student from demographic information collected from the Cover Sheet, with participant demographics, Bullying/Victimization Scale (BVS), Behavior Assessment System for Children - Self-Report (BASC-SRP), and Social Support Scale for Children and Adolescents (Social Support - CFS). The data obtained supported the expectation that adolescents who presented with symptoms of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, high external locus of control, low self-reliance, and high sense of inadequacy are more likely to become victims of peer aggression than adolescents who are more socially competent, more psychologically well-adjusted, and who have a higher internal locus of control. Additionally, adolescents who show signs of social stress may also be more likely to become victims of peer aggression. This is an important step in the needed research because the victim is often overlooked when peer aggression is occurring. Identification of potential victims and assistance with development of their social skills may aid them in avoiding acts of peer aggression.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-205). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Open access. Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-324). Print copy also available.