Thesis (M.S.)--University of Memphis, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-62). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Ohio University, June, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-53)

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2010. / Title from title screen (viewed 7/7/2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-136).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-145). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Memphis, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-62).

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Research paper (M.A.) -- Cardinal Stritch College -- Milwaukee, 1979. / A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education (Reading Specialist). Includes bibliographical references (221-258 p.).

<p> The problem of middle school disengagement has intrigued and bewildered educators and researchers for years, revealing various contributing factors and possible theories (Eccles, Lord, &amp; Roeser, 1996; Eccles &amp; Midgley, 1989; Pintrich &amp; De Groot, 1990; R. M. Ryan &amp; Deci, 2002). Despite numerous research studies and various recommendations, disengagement still persists. A gap in the literature exists regarding the inclusion of student voice aimed at surfacing contributing factors. This qualitative co-inquiry study addresses this gap by examining adolescent academic disengagement and engagement as voiced by, and investigated with, middle school students. Through co-operative inquiry research this study examines the lived experiences of middle school students to understand the circumstances of their disengagement, reveal contributing factors, and identify potential solutions. Additionally, this study examines how students&rsquo; involvement in the co-inquiry process contributes to their own development. </p><p> Ten seventh and eighth grade participants engaged with the initiating-investigator, their middle school principal, in a research study utilizing the co-operative inquiry methodology. During a 9-week period of time these students immersed themselves in the co-inquiry process: they posed questions to investigate, participated in the inquiry cycle, shared and reflected on the collective findings, and generated additional questions for further examination. Data were gathered through student-participant journals, artifacts and transcriptions from the weekly sessions, and exit-interviews. </p><p> The findings of this study indicate the power co-inquiry with students has to reveal schooling experiences that promote or inhibit their engagement. The student-researchers surfaced important findings regarding the powerful impact the classroom environment, relationships, and instruction have on student engagement and learning. Their voices reveal circumstances educators need to examine in support of modifications to current practice. Additionally, this study reveals the importance of engaging with students in co-inquiry and the profound affect it has on them as learners and individuals. </p><p> The inclusion of these important stakeholders?the middle school students themselves&mdash;cannot be underscored.</p>

<p> Esta investigaci&oacute;n estudi&oacute; las estrategias de soluci&oacute;n de problemas y estrategias sociales que utilizan estudiantes de nivel elemental cuando resuelven problemas matem&aacute;ticos. Adem&aacute;s, se analiz&oacute; el proceso que siguen los estudiantes al resolver problemas de matem&aacute;ticas. En el estudio participaron seis estudiantes de la Escuela Elemental de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Cada estudiante resolvi&oacute; cuatro problemas; dos de manera individual y dos en pareja. Se utilizaron tres diferentes fuentes de recopilaci&oacute;n de informaci&oacute;n: los trabajos escritos por los estudiantes, las observaciones directas del investigador y entrevistas a los estudiantes inmediatamente despu&eacute;s de la soluci&oacute;n de los problemas. Algunos de los hallazgos m&aacute;s importantes son: (1) los ni&ntilde;os vieron diferentes estrategias de soluci&oacute;n de problemas y al no encontrar soluci&oacute;n con una cambiaban r&aacute;pidamente a otra, en esto muestran diferencia con los adultos, quienes insiste en la estrategia seleccionada. (2) Las estrategias que m&aacute;s utilizaron los estudiantes al resolver los problemas fueron el uso de operaciones b&aacute;sicas y la asociaci&oacute;n con problemas previos. Se observ&oacute; que frecuentemente los estudiantes integran ambas estrategias para desarrollar un proceso de soluci&oacute;n que le permita obtener la respuesta. La operaci&oacute;n b&aacute;sica que m&aacute;s utilizaron fue la suma, en la modalidad de sumas repetidas. Otras estrategias que utilizaron los estudiantes para resolver problemas fueron: an&aacute;lisis, c&oacute;mputo mental, tanteo y error, representaciones ic&oacute;nicas, patrones, uso de modelos concretos y uso de representaciones visuales. Otros hallazgos fueron: (3) Los estudiantes tienen la capacidad de establecer asociaciones de estrategias que les permiten resolver problemas at&iacute;picos de diferentes formas. (4) Los estudiantes utilizan diversas estrategias sociales al resolver en pareja problemas de matem&aacute;ticas. (5) El proceso t&iacute;pico que sigue el estudiante al resolver problemas es el siguiente: (a) lee y comprende el problema formulado, (b) pone a prueba alguna de las estrategias de soluci&oacute;n que conoce, (c) verifica si el resultado obtenido concuerda con el contexto del problema, (d) si le parece razonable, acepta su resultado, de lo contrario lo rechaza y pone a prueba otra de las estrategias que conoce. A la luz de estos hallazgos se sugiere invertir el proceso de ense&ntilde;anza de forma que el maestro comience la clase con la presentaci&oacute;n de un problema que contenga subyacente los contenidos que se pretenden estudiar. De esta manera el ni&ntilde;o tiene la posibilidad de reflexionar sobre su propio conocimiento y cuando descubra la soluci&oacute;n podr&aacute; hacer, de una manera m&aacute;s sencilla, las conexiones esperadas.</p>

<p> This explanatory case study seeks to understand the nature of middle school educators&rsquo; self-efficacy in an urban public school district during an era of accountability. The study was conducted in a progressive school district, known as OakRidge Pubic Schools. A sequential mixed methods design with a participant-selection model variation was employed. The study identified teachers&rsquo; level of self-efficacy via the Teacher&rsquo;s Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran &amp; Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), a quantitative survey used to determine high and low self-efficacy focus groups. During these subsequent focus group interviews, the competing objectives of fulfilling responsibilities levied from accountability mandates and initiatives, as well as meeting the dynamic needs of students during the years of adolescence, were each explored as influences on the educators&rsquo; general teaching efficacy. </p><p> Quantitative findings revealed that middle school educators in the OakRidge district had a high sense of self-efficacy overall. Of the three composite variables measured&mdash;instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement&mdash;middle school OakRidge educators reported the lowest sense of self-efficacy in terms of their ability to engage students. Consistent with other quantitative studies (Ross, 1994), female educators had a significantly higher sense of efficacy than their male counterparts. No other categorical data point measured&mdash;years&rsquo; experience, degree type, degree level, content area, current grade level taught, or historical grade level taught&mdash;revealed any significance in terms of the survey overall or any of the three composite variables. </p><p> Qualitatively, both groups of educators (high and low) expressed frustration with the impact of standardized testing. However, the higher group displayed resiliency in the face of this adversity. Both the high and low educator groups highlighted the complex dynamic of working with adolescents, identifying empathy as a crucial practice in middle grades education. Finally, educators in the high efficacy group revealed an ability to seamlessly embed &ldquo;life lessons&rdquo; in order to simultaneously meet the dual academic and holistic objectives of being a middle grades educator. Low efficacy group members presented these objectives as more of a binary, expressing frustration in meeting both. Findings from this case study can serve to inform professional development for middle grades educators.</p>