Top

Gepubliceerd in:

01-03-2012 | Empirical Research

Are Middle Schools Harmful? The Role of Transition Timing, Classroom Quality and School Characteristics

Auteurs: Igor Holas, Aletha C. Huston

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 3/2012

Abstract

Are middle schools ill-suited for early adolescents, or can school characteristics account for any differences in student functioning? Achievement, school engagement, and perceived competence of children starting middle schools in 5th and 6th grades were compared to those of their same-grade peers in elementary schools in a national, longitudinal sample (NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, n = 855; 52% Female, 82% White). Classroom quality (observed and teacher-reported) and school characteristics (composition and size) were considered as explanations for any relationships between school-level and student functioning. Fifth grade middle school students did not differ from those in elementary school, but students entering middle school in 6th grade, compared to those in elementary school, experienced lower classroom quality, which in turn predicted slightly lower achievement. They also had lower school engagement, explained by larger school size. Classroom quality and school characteristics predicted youth functioning regardless of school type. We suggest reshaping the research and policy debate with renewed focus on classroom quality and school size instead of grade organization.

vorige artikel Peer Selection and Socialization in Adolescent Depression: The Role of School Transitions

volgende artikel Personality Traits and Educational Identity Formation in Late Adolescents: Longitudinal Associations and Academic Progress

Akos, P., & Galassi, J. P. (2004). Gender and race as variables in psychosocial adjustment to middle and high school. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 102–108.CrossRef

Allhusen, V., Appelbaum, M., Belsky, J., Booth, C., Bradley, R., Brownell, C., et al. (2001). Nonmaternal care and family factors in early development: An overview of the NICHD study of early child care. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 457–492. doi:10.1016/S0193-3973(01)00092-2.CrossRef

Alspaugh, J. W. (1998). Achievement loss associated with the transition to middle school and high school. The Journal of Educational Research, 92, 20–25.CrossRef

Alspaugh, J. W., & Harting, R. (1995). Transition effects of school grade-level organization on student achievement. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 28, 145–149.

Arnett, J. J. (1999). Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered. American Psychologist, 54, 317–326. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.5.317.PubMedCrossRef

Barber, B. K., & Olsen, J. A. (2004). Assessing the transitions to middle and high school. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19, 3–30. doi:10.1177/0743558403258113.CrossRef

Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., Houts, R., Friedman, S., DeHart, G., Cauffman, B., et al. (2007). Family rearing antecedents of pubertal timing. Child Development, 78(4), 1302–1321. doi:0009-3920/2007/7804-0017.PubMedCrossRef

Benner, A. D., & Graham, S. (2007). Navigating the transition to multi-ethnic urban high schools: Changing ethnic congruence and adolescents′ school-related affect. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 17, 207–220. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2007.00519.x.CrossRef

Cook, T. D., Church, M. B., Ajanaku, S., Jr., Shadish, W. R., Kim, J.-R., & Cohen, R. (1996). The development of occupational aspirations and expectations among inner-city boys. Child Development, 67, 3368–3385. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep9706244864.PubMedCrossRef

Cook, P., MacCoun, R., Muschkin, C., & Vigdor, J. (2008). The negative impacts of starting middle school in sixth grade. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 27, 104–121. doi:10.1002/pam.20369.CrossRef

Crosnoe, R., Johnson, M., & Elder, G. H. (2004). School size and the interpersonal side of education: An examination of race/ethnicity and organizational context. Social Science Quarterly, 85, 1259–1274. doi:10.1111/j.0038-4941.2004.00275.x.CrossRef

Eccles, J. S. (2004). Schools, academic motivation, and stage-environment fit. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 125–153). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Eccles, J. S., Midgley, C., Wigfield, A., Buchanan, C. M., Reuman, D., Flanagan, C., et al. (1993). Development during adolescence: The impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents’ experiences in schools and families. American Psychologist, 48, 90–101.PubMedCrossRef

Friedel, J., Cortina, K., Turner, J., & Midgley, C. (2010). Changes in efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school: Examining the effects of perceived teacher and parent goal emphases. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102, 102–114. doi:10.1037/a0017590.CrossRef

Hosmer, D. W., & Lemeshow, S. (2000). Applied logistic regression. New York, NY: Wiley.CrossRef

Jacobs, J. E., Lanza, S., Osgood, D. W., Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Changes in children’s self-competence and values: Gender and domain differences across grades one through twelve. Child Development, 73, 509–527. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00421.PubMedCrossRef

Midgley, C., Feldlaufer, H., & Eccles, J. S. (1988). The transition to junior high school: Beliefs of pretransition and posttransition teachers. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17, 543–562. doi:10.1007/BF01537831.CrossRef

Midgley, C., Feldlaufer, H., & Eccles, J. S. (1989). Student teacher relations and attitudes towards mathematics before and after the transition to junior high school. Child Development, 60, 981–992. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2008.04.002.PubMedCrossRef

NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (1994). Child care and child development: The NICHD study of early child care. In S. L. Friedman & H. C. Haywood (Eds.), Developmental follow-up: Concepts, domains, and methods (pp. 377–396). New York, NY: Academic Press.

NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2002). Early child care and children’s development prior to school entry: Results from the NICHD study of early child care. American Educational Research Journal, 39, 133–164. doi:10.3102/00028312039001133.CrossRef

Satorra, A. (2000). Scaled and adjusted restricted tests in multi-sample analysis of moment structures. In R. D. H. Heijmans, D. S. G. Pollock, & A. Satorra (Eds.), Innovations in multivariate statistical analysis. A Festschrift for Heinz Neudecker (pp. 233–247). London, UK: Kluwer.CrossRef

Seidman, E., Aber, J. L., & French, S. E. (2004). The organization of schooling and adolescent development. In K. Maton, C. Schellenbach, B. Leadbeater, & A. Solarz (Eds.), Investing in children, youth, families, and communities: Strengths-based research and policy (pp. 233–250). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRef

Seidman, E., Allen, L., Aber, J. L., Mitchell, C., & Feinman, J. (1994). The impact of school transitions in early adolescence on the self-system and perceived social context of poor urban youth. Child Development, 65, 507–522. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1994.tb00766.x.PubMedCrossRef

Simmons, R. G., & Blyth, D. A. (1987). Moving into adolescence: The impact of pubertal change and school context. New York, NY: Aldine Transaction.

Skinner, E., Marchand, G., Furrer, C., & Kindermann, T. (2008). Engagement and disaffection in the classroom: Part of a larger motivational dynamic? Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 765–781. doi:10.1037/a0012840.CrossRef

U.S. Department of Education. (2011). Digest of educational statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Walters, E., & Deane, K. E. (1985). Defining and assessing individual-differences in attachment relationships—q-methodology and the organization of behavior in infancy and early-childhood. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 50, 41–65. doi:10.2307/3333826.CrossRef

Weiss, C. C., & Kipnes, L. (2006). Reexamining middle school effects: A comparison of middle grades students in middle schools and K-8 schools. American Journal of Education, 112, 239–272. doi:0195-6744/2006/11202-0003.CrossRef

Woodcock, R. W., & Johnson, M. B. (1989). WJ-R tests of cognitive ability. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.

Titel: Are Middle Schools Harmful? The Role of Transition Timing, Classroom Quality and School Characteristics
Auteurs: Igor Holas
Aletha C. Huston
Publicatiedatum: 01-03-2012
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence / Uitgave 3/2012
Print ISSN: 0047-2891
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9732-9

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 3/2012

Personality Traits and Educational Identity Formation in Late Adolescents: Longitudinal Associations and Academic Progress

Adolescent Girls’ Experiences and Gender-Related Beliefs in Relation to Their Motivation in Math/Science and English

Gendered Academic Adjustment among Asian American Adolescents in an Emerging Immigrant Community

A Prospective Study of Mexican American Adolescents’ Academic Success: Considering Family and Individual Factors

Beyond Participation: The Association Between School Extracurricular Activities and Involvement in Violence Across Generations of Immigration

What Makes Students Engaged in Learning? A Time-Use Study of Within- and Between-Individual Predictors of Emotional Engagement in Low-Performing High Schools