Pair programming for middle school students

Background: Concussions affect millions of youths in the United States each year, and there is concern about long-term health effects from this injury. Purpose: To examine the association between sports- or physical activity–related concussion and health risk behaviors among middle and high school students in 9 states. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Data from the 2019 middle school and high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used for this analysis. Nine states were identified that included the same question on concussion and similar questions on health risk behaviors in their 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Students were asked to self-report whether they had ≥1 sports- or physical activity–related concussions during the 12 months preceding the survey. Self-reported concussion was the primary outcome of interest. Other variables included sex, race/ethnicity, played on a sports team, were physically active 5 or more days/week, ever tried cigarette smoking, ever used an electronic vapor product, academic grades, drank alcohol, were in a physical fight, seriously considered attempting suicide, made a suicide plan, and attempted suicide. Results: Among the 9 states, 18.2% of middle school students and 14.3% of high school students self-reported ≥1 sports- or physical activity–related concussions. Among both middle school and high school students, the prevalence of ≥1 sports- or physical activity–related concussions was higher among students who played on a sports team, were physically active 5 or more days per week, had ever tried cigarette smoking, had ever used an electronic vapor product, had seriously considered attempting suicide, had made a suicide plan, and had attempted suicide compared with those who had not engaged in those behaviors. The prevalence of sports- or physical activity–related concussion was consistently higher among middle school students than high school students across sex, race/ethnicity, and adverse health behaviors. Conclusion: Middle school students with a history of concussion warrant attention as an at-risk population for concussions and adverse health behaviors. Health care providers may consider screening students for adverse health behaviors during preparticipation examinations and concussion evaluations.

Mathematical modeling is a cyclical process involving the competencies of understanding the problem, simplifying, mathematizing, working mathematically, interpreting, and validating. Mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs are essential to students’ mathematical modeling performance. This study examined middle and high school students’ mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The participants consisted of 1091 middle school students and 974 high school students. The data were collected through the “Mathematical Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale [MMSS]”. T-tests and ANOVA test statistics were used to determine the effect of gender, school level, grade level and previous engagement in model-eliciting activities on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The results showed that the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students were significantly higher than those of high school students. Furthermore, middle school students’ mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs did not differ significantly by gender, while at the high school level there was a significant difference in favor of males. Regarding grade levels, only a statistically significant difference was found between the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of seventh- and eighth-grade students. Moreover, middle and high school students who had previously engaged in model-eliciting activities had significantly higher mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs than those who had not. In the accessible literature, there is no study on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle and high school students. Therefore, we believe this study’s results will contribute to the literature on mathematical modeling.

The Career Adapt-Abilities Scale in Macau: Psychometric characteristics and construct validity

The suicide mortality rate per 100 000 population (SMRP) consistently decreased before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Japan and then unexpectedly increased during the pandemic. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To identify trends in and factors associated with suicidal mortality and motives among students in Japan from 2007 to 2022. In this cross-sectional study, data on SMRPs among Japanese middle-school, high-school, and university students were obtained from the government suicide database Suicide Statistics of the National Police Agency. Age-dependent and temporal fluctuations in annual SMRPs, disaggregated by suicidal motive (7 categories and 52 subcategories), sex, and school, were analyzed using linear mixed-effect and joinpoint regression models, respectively. Total suicide numbers from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 760 male middle-school students, 635 female middle-school students, 2376 male high-school students, 1566 female high-school students, 5179 male university students, and 1880 female university students. The mean (SD) student populations from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 1 752 737 (81 334) male middle-school students, 1 675 572 (78 824) female middle-school students, 1 648 274 (67 520) male high-school students, 1 614 828 (60 032) female high-school students, 1 652 689 (32 724) male university students, and 1 229 142 (57 484) female university students. Among male students, the leading motives were school-related factors (underachievement and worrying about the future), followed by family-related and health-related motives. Among female students, school-related and family-related motives decreased, but health-related motives showed an age-dependent increase. The SMRPs of middle-school male students and female students were almost equal (mean [SD], 2.7 [1.0] vs 2.4 [1.4]), but the age-dependent increase in SMRPs among male students was pronounced (mean [SD], high-school vs university male students, 9.1 [2.4] vs 19.6 [3.0]; high-school vs university female students, 6.1 [2.4] vs 9.6 [1.8]). However, the incidence of suicide among high-school students associated with health-related motives was greater in female students. The majority of suicides associated with major impactable suicidal motives (school-related, health-related, and family-related motives) began increasing before the pandemic. Changes in SMRP associated with interpersonal relationships, such as conflict with classmates or parents, were not significant, but the rates increased greatly during the pandemic. School-related, health-related, and family-related problems were major motives, whereas the impacts of health-related and family-related motives increased and decreased with age, respectively. Notably, most SMRPs associated with major impactable motives (underachievement, conflict with a parent or classmate, and mental illnesses) had already begun increasing in the late 2010s, indicating that recent increasing SMRPs among school-aged individuals were associated with pandemic-related factors and other factors affecting this generation before the pandemic. It may be inappropriate to uniformly apply research findings based on school-aged individuals to school-based suicide prevention programs for students in middle school, high school, and university.

The aim of this study is to adapt the Academic Grit Scale, developed by Clark and Malecki (2019), into Turkish. Validity and reliability studies for the adaptation process were conducted on two different groups. The first participant group consisted of middle school students, while the second participant group included high school students. Middle and high school students from various schools were selected using an appropriate sampling method and included in the study sample. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to test whether the construct was confirmed within these two distinct sample groups. According to the CFA results, the scale’s 10-item, single-factor structure demonstrated good fit indices. Internal consistency coefficients of the Academic Grit Scale were calculated using Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient. Accordingly, the internal consistency coefficient was determined to be .89 for middle school students, .92 for high school students, and .92 for the entire sample. After determining the internal consistency coefficients, the test-retest reliability of the scale was also calculated. Test-retest reliability was found to be .82 for the middle school group, .86 for the high school group, and .85 for the entire sample. As a result of the study, the Academic Grit Scale was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool for middle and high school students.

Aim/Purpose: In this paper, we examine how first-year education doctoral (EdD) students in a peer mentoring program may be supported in the academic and psychosocial domains to increase timely degree completion, decrease attrition, and improve the EdD program for students and faculty. Background: EdD students often face unique trials based on academic, social, professional, and personal challenges that arise during their degree program. The paper addresses how peer mentoring programs may help students overcome these challenges while completing their EdD program. Methodology: To investigate the effectiveness of a peer mentoring program for students, we focused on a single case study of an EdD peer mentoring program with 11 first-year EdD students who participated in the program. Using mixed methods, we collected and analyzed data from pre- and post-surveys, individual interviews, and a focus group. Contribution: Few studies about peer mentoring programs for EdD students exist. This study is unique because it focuses on first-year EdD students’ perspectives and, unlike other studies on peer mentoring programs, peer mentors are defined as graduates of the EdD program or current EdD students who are further along in the program. Whilst many studies of peer mentoring recommend peer mentoring for new students, our findings suggest that in the case of EdD students, extended or later peer mentoring may be more beneficial. Findings: From the quantitative and qualitative data results, five themes related to mentee perspectives of the benefits of EdD peer mentoring program emerged: 1) receiving academic advice and program support; 2) focusing on the future; 3) receiving emotional support and work-life balance advice; 4) having an experienced and relatable mentor; and 5) needing more mentoring to derive benefits. While mentees reported positive feelings about the mentoring program, many expressed that they did not yet have a need for mentoring. Considering that most mentoring studies focus on early program mentees, these results present the possibility of a need for extended or later-program mentoring. Based on the data, we identified a need for additional research which focuses on determining the correct timing for EdD students to begin peer mentoring program since students take coursework during their first year and have not begun work in the dissertation phase of the program. Recommendations for Practitioners: Sustainability of peer mentoring programs can present challenges based on the time and needs of mentees, mentors, and faculty. Doctoral faculty should evaluate the benefits of an EdD peer mentoring program for mentees on a regular basis to ensure that the program effectively supports and guides mentees to degree completion. Recommendation for Researchers: Literature and research on the evaluation, impact, and value of peer mentoring programs for EdD students and first-year doctoral students are limited. Researchers could study further the perspectives of mentees in an EdD peer mentoring program throughout their degree program from taking coursework to writing a dissertation. The benefits of early-program mentoring in comparison to later-program mentoring could be investigated further. Impact on Society: Providing mentoring opportunities to EdD students may help them overcome academic, social, and emotional challenges, and in turn, allow more education leaders to successfully complete their EdD and use their education to improve their school communities. Future Research: Future studies should examine other options of mentoring programs for first-year EdD students and EdD students who completed their EdD coursework and are working on their dissertation. Longitudinal studies are also needed to track mentees’ progression throughout the program.

Social media use has become ubiquitous among schoolchildren. This study examined the association of social media use and posting regret with self-esteem among middle and high school students, and tested whether school type (i.e., middle vs. high school) could moderate these associations. Data on 6944 schoolchildren (mean age: 15.2 ± 1.8years) were derived from the 2019 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a biennial repeated cross-sectional survey of students in grades 7 through 12 across Ontario, Canada. Students self-reported time spent using social media, regret of posting on social media, and their self-esteem. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, subjective socioeconomic status, ethnoracial background, and body mass index z-score. The proportional odds model showed that middle (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.65-3.36) and high school (OR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.44-2.06) students with daily social media use of 5h or more have higher odds of lower self-esteem across the categories of self-esteem. However, daily use of 3 to 4h was associated with lower self-esteem among middle school students (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.14-2.04), but notamong their high school counterparts (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.94-1.35). Posting regret was associated with lower self-esteem in high school students, but not inmiddle school students. Results suggest that heavy social media use and posting regret are associated with lower self-esteem among adolescents, and that younger students could be more vulnerable than their older counterparts.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to classify the latent groups according to the learning motivation of Korean language and mathematics of middle and high school students, and to analyze the differences in academic achievement, distance learning experiences and satisfaction in 2020 by learning motive groups.
 Methods The subject of analysis is the data of 10,653 middle school students and 10,528 high school students responding to the ｢2020 National Assessment of Educational Achievement｣ of Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation. For data processing, frequency analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis were performed using SPSS and Jamovi programs, the latent groups according to the Korean language and math learning motivation were extracted using the Mplus program, and the characteristics of each latent group were analyzed.
 Results The learning motivation groups of middle and high school students were identified as upper, middle, and lower 3 groups in Korean, and upper, middle-high, middle-low, and lower 4 groups in mathematics. As a result of examining the characteristics of each group, the group with high motivation for Korean and math had good Korean and math achievement. Looking at the changes in school level, Korean learning motivation gradually increased, but Korean language achievement decreased, and math learning motivation gradually decreased, but achievement tended to increase. As a result of examining the environmental differences in distance learning experienced in 2020 by the learning motivation group, the group with high Korean and math learning motivation was found to have the least negative influence of distance learning, suggesting the possibility of a learning gap. In addition, there was a difference in satisfaction with distance learning according to the level of motivation, and lower satisfaction with feedback and communication was shown compared to other items.
 Conclusions Middle and high school students' motivation for Korean and mathematics and academic achievement are closely related, suggesting the development of convergence classes between subjects. In addition, the group with high learning motivation appears to be the group that minimizes the unfavorable influence of distance learning, requiring the establishment of strategies to improve learners' learning motivation for each subject.

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary and middle school (grade 5 and 7) students' perceptions of global warming and climate change. A total of 239 students completed opened-form questionnaire consisting of cartoons regarding global warming and climate change. The results showed that are as follows. Elementary and middle school students had low level of perception of global warming and climate change. A majority of students rightly believed that the global warming is related to greenhouse gases, glacier, environmental pollution, etc. Also, Many students had scientific concepts about the cause of global warming while some of the students had misconceptions that destruction of the ozone layer will cause an global warming. We have found that some of the students of elementary and middle school had confused between the cause of global warming and ozone depletions.

Based on consumer socialization theory, this study explores the mechanism by which family financial education methods influence middle school students’ "fan economy" consumption behavior. In Shenyang，450 middle school and high school students were surveyed using a cluster sampling technique. Questionnaires were used in the research to measure "faneconomy" consumption behavior，on the basis of family financial education methods，and onconsumption values. The results revealed: (1) The guided education method negatively predicted "fan economy" consumption (β = -0.32, p < 0.01), while the indulgent method positively predicted it (β = 0.38, p < 0.01). (2) Consumption values played a partial mediating role between the two (mediation effect accounted for 28.3%, 95% CI = [0.12, 0.31]). The findings indicate that family financial education shapes middle school students’ fan-related consumption behavior by influencing their consumption values, providing a theoretical basis for adolescent consumption education.

Two studies were conducted to determine if the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) repeated reading fluency intervention is effective in improving the reading achievement of deaf middle school and high school students. Participants included six middle school students and eight high school students. We found consistently good comprehension during the interventions sessions and consistent improvement in ability to read fluently increasingly more difficult passages in both studies. We also found statistical and practical significance for pre- and post-tests on the Woodcock-Johnson for reading comprehension for the high school students but not for the middle school students and no statistical significance for reading fluency in either study.

This study aimed to differentiate between middle and high school students by investigating the structural relationships between academic self-efficacy, academic stress, learning motivation, and learning strategies-the learning-related factors of South Korean adolescents' learning achievements. We obtained relevant information for 4051 middle school students and 4242 high school students from the Gyeonggi Institute of Education's three-year panel data study (2016-2018). The results showed direct and indirect influential relationships between academic self-efficacy, academic stress, learning motivation, and learning strategy. Results of the analysis conducted by separating the structural equation model into middle and high school student groups showed that both models met the goodness-of-fit indices criteria; the difference between middle and high school student group models was significant. Hence, to promote academic achievement among middle and high school students, differential assistance is needed. Middle school students should be assisted so that they have a good command of learning strategy after reducing academic stress by increasing academic self-efficacy. For high school students, management of academic stress by increasing academic self-efficacy is the most important aspect.

Abstract: This study analyzed the structural relationships between school‐related psychological variables (teacher support, learning flow, friendship) and the happiness of Korean youths, and compared structural equation models for middle and high schools. Questionnaire data were collected from students in middle and high schools in 10 cities and provinces of Korea. The final data set from 870 students was analyzed with Amos 20.0. Goodness of fit indices for the hypothetical model were good, and all paths were significant. That is, a model incorporating indirect and direct impact of school‐related psychological environment variables, such as teacher support, learning flow, and friendship, on the happiness of Korean youths is valid. Second, structural equation models for middle and high schools demonstrated significant differences. Therefore, different types of assistance are needed to increase the happiness of students in middle schools and high schools.

In Japan, national crude suicide mortality rates (CMR-suicides) consistently decreased during the 2010s, whereas adolescent CMR-suicides have increased from the mid-2010s. However, the high-risk groups and their causalities remain to be clarified. Temporal fluctuations of adolescent CMR-suicides disaggregated by gender, age, social standing, and suicide motive were analyzed with joinpoint regression and linear mixed-effect models using two government suicide databases. CMR-suicides among female elementary school students, middle school students, high school students, university students, and <20-year-old individuals with social withdrawal syndrome (SWS) increased from the mid-2010s. CMR-suicides among male elementary school, middle school, and high school students also increased from the mid-2010s, while those of university students were unchanged. In contrast, CMR-suicides of males aged <20 and 20–29 with SWS unexpectedly decreased. Surprisingly, the increasing trends of CMR-suicides of female students were greater than males; consequently, CMR-suicides of female students in middle school and high school became greater than those of male students in the 2020s. The highest suicide risk among those under 20 years of age was observed among part-time high school students. Among individuals 20–29 years of age, those with SWS were in the highest-risk group for suicide, while CMR-suicides of individuals with SWS aged under 20 years were almost equivalent to those of middle school students. The leading suicide motives for elementary school students were family-related, including family discord and parental reprimand (there was no difference in gender in terms of leading suicide motive). Among middle school female students and older, the leading suicide motives were mental issues followed by school-related problems. Among male middle school students and older, the leading suicide motives were underachievement followed by mental issues. CMR-suicides caused by mental issues (for both genders) and underachievement (in males) increased from the mid-2010s. These results suggest that increasing internalizing problems may be a fundamental factor contributing to the currently increasing suicides among adolescents (particularly females) in Japan. Although the recent promotion of inclusive education in Japan has successfully provided educational opportunities for individuals with internalizing problems, these statistics highlight the need for a further enhancement of psychosocial support for adolescents with internalizing problems who are at a high risk for suicide.

This study compared and analyzed the mediating effect of negative emotions and the moderating effect of self-esteem in the period of elementary, middle, and high school students in accordance with the developmental stage in the effect of abuse experience in childhood on suicidal behavior in adolescence. The data of this study are the data of the 10th (2015), 13th (2018), and 16th (2021) child supplementary surveys of the Korea Welfare Panel. A total of 1,138 subjects (10th grade elementary school students: 438 people, 13th grade middle school students: 383 people, 16th grade high school students: 317 people) were used for analysis. Research model analysis was analyzed using PROCESS macro. As a result of the analysis, first, as a result of confirming the mediating effect of negative emotion in the relationship between childhood abuse experience and adolescent suicidal behavior according to developmental stage, it was confirmed that there is a mediating effect in all of the elementary, middle, and high school students. Second, in the relationship between childhood abuse experiences, negative emotions, and suicidal behavior in adolescence according to developmental stage, the mediated moderating effect of self-esteem was confirmed in elementary and high school students, but no self-esteem moderating effect was found in middle school students. The above study results were discussed based on previous studies, and based on these results, an effective intervention plan for reducing suicidal behavior in adolescence was suggested.