Teaching vocabulary to middle school students requires that educators find the most effective means of instruction to achieve this goal. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using an interactive word wall as the tool to combine five effective, research-based teaching strategies with social interaction to teach vocabulary to middle school students. In this study, 124 middle school students participated. The control group consisted of 67 eighth grade English students, and the intervention group was comprised of 57 seventh grade English students. The intervention was for a period of four weeks and included specific activities that embraced effective teaching strategies plus social interaction. Throughout the intervention, an interactive word wall was used as the tool that combined the teaching strategies and social interaction. The assessments included a pre-assessment, four weekly assessments, and a four-week delayed assessment. The words for the pre-assessment and the four weekly assessments were taken from each group’s newly assigned words for their respective grade level. The words for the delayed assessment were randomly selected from the lists of words that each group used during the intervention phase of the study. Each assessment used the same format and contained a definition and sentence portion. A discriminant analysis was conducted on the data from the study. Overall, the definition portion of the assessments offered a greater weight to the discriminant function than did the sentence portion. Also, the mean scores between the two groups began to narrow as the intervention continued. On the delayed assessment, the intervention group performed almost as well as the control group, which was an unexpected result. Given the improved overall scores on the weekly assessments, and given the narrowed gap in the means on the delayed assessment, indications are that the word wall intervention yielded success in teaching vocabulary to middle school students.

There is a growing problem with male under-achievement in public education. Boys who are unsuccessful in elementary and middle school are likely to drop out in high school. Engaging at-risk boys could alleviate school dropouts and the resulting consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore at-risk boys' engagement in a middle school model employing collaborative learning, problem-based learning, and technology. The study was framed on the self-determination theory and the idea that competence, autonomy, and relatedness are vital for engagement. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore teachers' views of at-risk boys' engagement. Eleven teachers who implemented the middle school model in a southeastern school district were interviewed individually and then participated in focus group discussions. Interviews and discussion data were coded to identify words and phrases describing engagement and disaffection. Results indicated that collaborative learning was a factor for at-risk boys' disaffection. Problem-based learning and technology use were factors for engagement when implemented with appropriate strategies. These results and the participants' recommendations suggest that individual instruction and coaching during preliminary research are effective supports to put in place before addressing a final project in a problem-based learning project. This study contributed to positive social change in middle school education, benefiting at risk-boys, their families, and communities, by informing current teaching methods and learning environments that are best suited to engage at-risk boys, help them succeed in school, and give them the opportunity to reach their innate potential.

Local student reading results on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness have decreased. It is of great concern that many students had less than full mastery of the prerequisite, fundamental skills in reading. The study site used the Optional Flexible Year Program for remediation of students at risk of not passing the state assessment. The purpose of this concurrent explanatory study was to explore the relationship between participation and nonparticipation in the remediation program and student reading achievement and to better understand staff perceptions regarding the remediation program. Guided by Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation, quantitative research questions asked whether at risk students who participated in the remediation program showed greater increases on reading state assessments than comparable students who did not participate in the remediation program. Qualitative questions examined staff perceptions of the remediation program on the impact of student achievement. Findings showed no statistically significant difference in reading achievement between the experimental and control groups. Perceptions collected through questionnaires and interviews revealed staff negativity towards the remediation program and its ability to positively affect student achievement. This study has the potential for positive social change by contributing to the literature on the Optional Flexible Year Program remediation plan. Study findings will also benefit policy makers, school leaders, and students as they consider strategies presented to improve reading performance.

Middle schools in Georgia and all over the United States face unique obstacles for enhancing the academic accomplishment of an increasingly diverse group of learners. Under pressure to implement innovative research-based teaching practices to overcome these challenges, many schools and teachers adopt differentiated instruction (DI), a teaching approach designed to accommodate different learning styles and levels of ability. This study was grounded in Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory. The research questions investigated in this study were designed (1) to explore the perceptions of science teachers regarding how they apply DI and (2) what obstacles they encountered in their application of DI methods. The data collected were analyzed using occurring themes through individual interviews, observations, and artifacts from 5 regular education science teachers and 2 special service teachers who implemented DI in their classroom. Findings of the study revealed that the teachers experienced successes and difficulties in implementing DI strategies in science. They addressed these difficulties by changing their lessons to coincide with available materials or resources and applying low-preparation DI strategies to meet the needs of each student. Data from this study informed social change by assisting teachers in providing enhanced instruction which promotes student engagement and academic success through the grades. In turn, empowers students to graduate from high school prepared for advanced learning, which leads to productive careers.

An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. English-speaking mathematics teachers who read, comment, and write reflective blogs within informal vCoP participated in the study (n = 104), with a response rate of 26.4%. The study employed 2 data collection methods: an automated tool that measured the intensity of participation in vCoP and an online survey measuring predictive constructs. Multiple linear regression analysis identified performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and intrinsic motivation as significant predictive constructs of social media use intention. The regression identified no significant predictor constructs of social media use behavior. Study results form the basis of a blended PD module created for rural mathematics teachers on the benefits of participation in informal vCoP. This study and resulting project contribute to positive social change for rural mathematics teachers by creating an environment to encourage personal reflection and collaboration with virtual colleagues and ultimately improve mathematical instructional practices.

This research addressed the data-driven process that teachers utilized to increase student scores on state tests, a process brought forth from a national concern with increased accountability. According to the district website, there is no consistent direction for data use and informal teacher interviews demonstrated varying levels of proficiency and understanding in using available data. Constructivism and learning styles from Vygotsky, Bandura, and Gardner informed this qualitative case study's theoretical framework, which centered on data-driven decision making for instruction. The research questions explored the experiences of middle school teachers in collecting and analyzing data, how the school supported the teachers' process of using data, and what support or knowledge teachers thought would help them more effectively use data to inform instructional decision making. This study gathered information through the use of open-ended questionnaires (n = 25) and follow-up interviews (n = 9), and documented the daily actions within the setting to enable a full understanding of the problem through observations of teacher meetings (n = 21). The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method, including descriptive coding and the formulation of characterized themes to summarize the concerns and needed support for teachers to use data more efficiently. Emergent themes revealed that time and collaboration were needed for effective data implementation. This research provided a voice for the teachers. In doing so, it identified goals for a project of increasing student performance by scheduling professional learning opportunities and fostering teacher confidence.

English as second language (ESL) students are not meeting reading proficiency standards compared to their native English-speaking middle school peers. To address the low achievement scores among ESL students, the study site implemented an instructional hub in which trained ESL resource teachers used the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) model. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the difference in reading achievement scores between ESL students who participated in the instructional hub and those who participated in traditional instruction. Krashen's second language acquisition theory and Terrell's natural approach theory provided the framework for the study. Archival data from a sample of 70 ESL students were used for data analysis. A paired-samples t test was used to determine whether the groups reading mean scores (SIOP and traditional) significantly differed from pretest to post test. The results showed that the SIOP group significantly improved or changed their reading scores from pre to post scores, while students who were in traditional group did not. Findings may be used by school district administrators to help teachers use the SIOP model to help ESL students meet reading proficiency standards and graduate from school.

The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) entering content area general education classes is on the rise and there is a lack of understanding concerning what content area teachers are doing to provide instruction to ELLs. ELLs throughout a southeastern state are making very little progress despite the resources put in place by the district. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional practices and perceptions of 5 middle school content area teachers, who educate ELLs in general education classes. Differentiation, as defined by Tomlinson and the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA,) frameworks were combined to create the framework of this study. The research questions addressed how middle grades teachers use WIDA standards and practices in content area classes when differentiating and scaffolding lessons for ELLs in a rural school in a southeastern state. A total of 5 participants volunteered to participate in an open-ended questionnaire, interviews, and observations of classroom teaching methods. The data were analyzed and coded to find emerging themes. The findings of this case study suggested that teachers used differentiation, but that it was not directed by the WIDA standards. The findings also suggested a need for professional development to help the teachers better understand how to use the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to provide differentiated and scaffolded lessons for ELLs. As a result of the findings, a 3-day professional development was created with the implementation of a professional learning community to support content area teachers of ELLs. This study supports positive social change by providing an avenue that will ensure equity in instruction for ELLs and all stakeholders.

In an urban district, Surfside School personnel were concerned that student literacy proficiency levels were low during 2011-2014 and teachers had not been able to close the achievement gap despite a focus on literacy practices and literacy professional development (PD) provided by the district. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers and administrators in relation to the best instructional practices for increasing self-efficacy when teaching literacy skills and related literacy PD for teachers. Knowles' andragogy theory and Vygotsky's social learning theory formed the theoretical foundation of this study, which hold that PD should provide teachers with explicit instruction and opportunities for collaboration. The research questions focused on how PD helps teachers improve instructional practices. The purposeful sample consisted of 4 middle school teachers and 3 administrators and was collected through surveys, observations, semi-structured interviews, and archival documents. Data analysis consisted of an inductive approach of axial coding and categorizing the interview and observational data to derive themes. Themes supporting the findings indicated targeted PD and instructional coaching (IC) focused on evidence based literacy practices for low-income students using culturally relevant pedagogy were needed to improve teacher self-efficacy and student learning. Findings also indicated that the PD trainings could work more effectively if the teachers had more time to collaborate with the IC. Thus, the resulting project provides collaborative PD and IC targeting literacy practices using culturally relevant pedagogy. Teacher use of these practices will promote social change by improving the students' literacy support in the target district.

Studying parental involvement offers the opportunity to develop new strategies and resources to increase involvement at the middle schools serving a similar demographic population. In a large economically disadvantaged urban middle school in the southeastern United States, very little parental involvement occurs from the African American population. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine African American parents' perception about their involvement in their middle school students' education. Guided by Epstein, Simon, and Salinas' parental involvement model, which describes 6 levels of parental involvement, the research questions guiding this project study examined African American parents' perceptions about middle school children's educational experiences, the level of parental involvement in middle school education, and parental beliefs about student success. A purposeful participant pool of 10 African American parents of Grade 7 and 8 students was used for data collection. Ten parents completed the preliminary paper questionnaire, 10 parents participated in 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews, and 7 parents participated in a focus group discussion. Thematic analysis of data followed the open coding process and identified categories and themes. The findings suggested the need for a parent education program involving the use of new strategies and resources for increasing African American parent involvement at the middle school level. Social change will occur by empowering African American parents to be involved in their middle school students' education.