Volume 3 (1) of the Middle Grades Research Journal (MGRJ) features five manuscripts addressing the following topics: (1) validation of a national science assessment, (2) the relationship of parental encouragement to mathematics achievement, (3) pre-service teacher field experiences with diverse learners, (4) young adolescent perceptions of their middle grades instruction, and (5) middle grade students’ perceptions of safety in their schools.
Using traditional paper and pencil tests, survey questionnaires, think-alouds, student exit interviews, and interviews with teachers and science experts; Dr. Linda Morell, University of California, Berkeley, examines issues related to the validity of national science assessments. Dr. Morell finds that fifth and sixth graders can contribute to this discussion in meaningful ways that go far beyond test-taking. As it turns out, the fifth and sixth grade students in this study are adept at determining the fairness and levels of difficulty of most test items. Equally important, these students were able to identify additional course content that was taught in class but not included as test items.
Ms. Kimberly L. Filer and Dr. Mido Chang of Virginia Tech University employed path analytic techniques to the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88) in an effort “to test a model of the effects of parent and peer encouragement to take algebra on the mathematics achievement of eighth grade students.” Socio-economic status as well as peer and parent encouragement were found to be directly related to the student enrollment in eighth grade algebra and overall mathematics achievement. The researchers believe a major policy implication is that completion of algebra prior to high school can contribute to improved mathematics achievement.
Preparing teachers to help ALL children learn, especially in classrooms encompassing a broad range of diversity, is one of the major challenges of every teacher preparation program across the United States. Dr. Penny Howell, University of Louisville, and Dr. Jane Arrington, University of Kentucky, Lexington, tackle this issue by conducting a case study with students in their general pedagogy courses. Information gleaned from the group of students studied, here, tends to support other findings that stress the need for on-going efforts to create sustained practicum and field experiences for pre-service teachers in diverse classroom settings to achieve the level of understanding and pedagogical competence necessary to help all children learn.
Our fourth study was conducted by Dr. Audra K. Parker, University of South Florida, and Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, University of Georgia. These researchers administered the Modified Classroom Climate Inventory to 78 fifth grade students from one middle school and its two “feeder” elementary schools to examine the middle grades instructional climates in those schools. This study did not find significant differences between the perceptions of fifth graders in the two elementary schools as compared to those in the middle school. Moreover, student perceptions of the instructional climate, i.e., practices and student involvement, were not consistent. Perhaps the amount of variance discovered here is as important as the underlying question guiding inquiry.
The fifth study was conducted by Dr. Janice Williams Miller, Oklahoma State University, and Dr. Linda K. Nickell, Oklahoma City Public Schools. Drs. Miller and Nickell describe the development and psychometric characteristics of an instrument designed “to assess middle grade students’ perceptions of safety and security during the school year.” Factory analytic techniques were used to produce three highly reliable scales which they labeled: “areas of concern, threatening events, and existing supports.”
MGRJ is the only “hard” copy research journal currently in existence that publishes studies addressing middle grades issues and, as always, I take this opportunity to thank our MGRJ Editorial & Review Board for their expertise in helping us maintain the highest quality publication possible. All manuscripts submitted for consideration of publication in MGRJ were examined and rated by three different members of our Review Board, and we are privileged to present five of the most highly rated manuscripts in this issue. Thanks to all those who support middle grades research.
Dr. David Hough, Editor-In-Chief
March 2008
