Search Results (112)

Adolescence is a critical period when rapid cognitive maturation coincides with heightened emotional vulnerability. This study examined the dynamic association between academic ability and mental health across early adolescence, focusing on vocabulary ability as a core indicator of academic ability. Using large-scale data from Grades 1–12 (N = 13,412), a vertically scaled vocabulary ability scale was constructed based on Item Response Theory (IRT) and the Non-Equivalent Anchor Test (NEAT) design to achieve cross-grade comparability. Fixed-parameter calibration was then applied to an independent cross-sectional sample of middle school students (Grades 7–9, N = 401) in Tianjin, combined with the DASS-21 to assess internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that higher vocabulary ability was significantly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, with the negative association strongest in Grade 8. The present study provides new empirical evidence for understanding the interactive mechanisms between academic and psychological development during adolescence. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the value of IRT-based vertical scaling in establishing developmentally interpretable metrics for educational and psychological assessment. Full article

In 2022, middle level education researchers from across the United States and beyond began a multi-stage project that led to an updated research agenda for middle level education researchers and culminated in the publication of 13 literature reviews in 2024–2025 on a vast array of topics. As researchers, we were curious what these reviews revealed about the field of middle level education research. What trends were evident across topics? What gaps remain? Through qualitative content analysis, we identified nine recurring trends, including criticality and power dynamics, middle level teacher identity, and qualitative research methods, as well as nine gaps, including an absence of practical frameworks, weak integration of AI, and a lack of student voice and perspective. This article explores those nine trends and gaps within the current landscape of middle level education and the larger sociopolitical context, identifying areas for future scholarship and areas for growth within middle level preparation programs and advocacy efforts in support of young adolescent learners. Full article

This study examines lexical and syntactic convergence between Dai Lue and Chinese in the multilingual environment of Sipsongpanna, employing an apparent-time approach across three generational cohorts (N = 90, balanced gender). Through mixed-methods analysis (structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews), significant diachronic variation was observed. Younger speakers exhibited pronounced convergence, adopting Chinese-derived syntactic patterns (e.g., prenominal quantifiers and preverbal adjunct phrases) and borrowing Chinese lexical elements (e.g., an adverb sɛn⁵⁵ ‘first’ ← Chinese 先 xiān, and a superlative marker tsui³⁵ ‘most/best’ ← Chinese 最 zuì). Middle-aged speakers use transitional hybrid structures, while older speakers more consistently maintain native Dai Lue features. The results conform with Labov’s age-grading model in contact linguistics and refine Thomason’s borrowing hierarchy by revealing two factors: First, the prestige of the Chinese language drives convergence among youth. Second, syntactic compatibility with Chinese is mediated not merely by language structure, but by discourse-pragmatic needs, functional load redistribution, and the social indexicality of borrowed structures. This underscores the interplay between sociolinguistic motivations and structural-adaptive constraints in language change. The findings provide critical insights into language contact mechanisms among ethnic minorities of China, with implications for sociolinguistic theory, language revitalization efforts, and bilingual education policy implementation in linguistically diverse communities. Full article

NOOR is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s national Educational Management Information System (EMIS), developed by the Ministry of Education to digitize and streamline academic and administrative processes across public schools. Through its unified digital infrastructure, the platform enables essential functions such as student enrolment, grade and attendance management, curriculum administration, and communication with families. Beyond its operational role, NOOR is regarded as a flexible digital foundation, with a predictive architecture, modular integration, and distributed infrastructure which position it as a potential model for broader public-service domains, including healthcare and digital governance. NOOR’s design supports equitable access, facilitates cooperation between educational organizations, and provides real-time data to inform evidence-based decision making. These capabilities contribute to improving learning processes, though their impact depends on wider institutional and pedagogical environments. The system has already demonstrated progress in areas such as data accuracy, academic monitoring, family engagement, and reporting efficiency. Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Tanweer educational reform program, NOOR reflects the national shift toward centralized, data-driven management of public education. With more than 12 million users, it is one of the largest EMIS platforms in the Middle East and contributes to global discussions on how integrated digital infrastructures can support impactful educational reform. Full article

This study explores how integrating simulations into lessons on electrical conductivity in aqueous solutions and electrolysis affects eighth-grade students’ academic achievement, motivation, and their perception of classroom climate. The study included 130 students (64 males, 66 females) from six classes in two Israeli middle schools, divided into an experimental group (68 students, simulation-integrated instruction) and a control group (62 students, traditional instruction). Participants completed pre- and post-achievement tests as well as motivation and classroom climate questionnaires. The results revealed significant improvements in achievement, especially for students with a lower initial performance. Additionally, when simulations were utilized, there was enhanced motivation to study chemistry. Simulations also improved students’ perception of classroom climate across all dimensions, with no significant gender differences observed. A strong positive correlation was found between achievements and motivation, as well as between classroom climate and motivation. The findings underscore the value of simulations and digital tools in education, emphasizing their role in creating more engaging learning experiences. These results also highlight the need for decision-makers to integrate such tools into science education to foster better outcomes in student learning experience. Full article

Dual Language Learners (DLLs) who become English proficient earlier experience better academic outcomes, but longitudinal research on the relationship between the timing of DLLs acquiring English proficiency and later academic outcomes while accounting for relevant factors is rare. We examined how the year in school in which DLL students (N = 14,852; 47% female; 85% in poverty; 88% Latinx, 8% Black, and 3% White/Asian/Other) acquired English proficiency (according to school system criteria) correlates with their later middle school (sixth–eighth grade) academic outcomes (GPA, standardized test scores, and grade retention), controlling for relevant factors. Earlier acquisition of English predicted better middle school outcomes and a lower likelihood of being retained in middle school. Some relations between the timing of English acquisition and outcomes were stronger for students not experiencing poverty. Implications for the education of DLL students in the U.S. and future research are discussed. Full article

Complex motor tasks that integrate cognitive demands may particularly enhance executive functions, which support school success. Yet few school-based trials have tested structured interventions combining motor complexity and cognitive challenge in early adolescence. Purpose: This study examined the effects of a gamified “Dual-Challenge Circuit” (DCC), integrating motor patterns with cognitive tasks, on executive functions, academic performance, motor skills, and physical fitness among middle school students. Secondary aims were to explore whether executive functions mediated academic gains and whether a dose–response relationship emerged. Method: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in four middle schools in Southern Italy with sixth- and seventh-grade students. Participants were assigned to either the DCC program or traditional physical education. The 12-week intervention included two weekly 60 min sessions. Outcomes were executive functions (Stroop, Digit Span backward, Trail Making Test-B), academic achievement (grades, MT tests), motor coordination (KTK), physical fitness (PACER, long jump, sit-and-reach), and adherence/fidelity. Results: The DCC group showed significantly greater improvements in all executive function measures and in mathematics and language grades (medium-to-large effects). Mediation analyses confirmed executive functions predicted academic improvements. Motor coordination and fitness also improved, with large effects in aerobic capacity and strength. Conclusions: The DCC effectively enhanced executive functions, academic outcomes, and fitness. Gamified, cognitively demanding physical education formats appear feasible and beneficial in real-world school settings. Full article

This study investigated the impact of a Science-Technology-Society (STS)-based nature education program on the creativity levels of middle school students. Recognizing creativity as a crucial human capacity for individual and societal progress, the research focused on its core elements, including the generation of novel solutions, diverse perspectives, and original ideas. The STS approach, which emphasizes constructivist learning and problem-solving within real-world contexts, was employed to enhance skills such as visualization, mental image formation, combining objects and ideas innovatively, generating alternative uses, and designing tools and machines. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test–post-test design was utilized. Participants included 60 middle school students (15 from each of grades 5 to 8) comprising 30 gifted students enrolled in Science and Art Centers simultaneously. Students’ creativity levels were assessed using the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP), which is a figural test measuring holistic creativity across 14 criteria. Data were analyzed using arithmetic means, paired-sample t-tests, and independent-sample t-tests. The results demonstrated a statistically significant and large improvement in overall creativity following the intervention (t(59) = 7.14, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.92). Notably, no significant differences in creativity were observed between the gifted and non-gifted groups either before or after the program. These findings align with previous research indicating that out-of-school environmental and nature-based activities can enhance students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills. The study suggests that STS-based nature education effectively fosters creativity and should be integrated into curricula to strengthen problem-solving, perspective-taking, and idea generation skills. Full article

Digital storytelling has emerged as an innovative approach that integrates technology with education, demonstrating growing research and practical value in cultural heritage preservation. This study focuses on China’s industrial heritage and conducts empirical research with primary school students (Years 1–6) to examine how digital storytelling enhances engagement in industrial heritage education in particular, but also how industrial heritage reflects and links to wider cultural and historical issues. The research analyzes six key educational dimensions: learning interest, functional preferences, content comprehension, supervisory expectations, creative expression, and willingness to participate. Hypothesis testing revealed significant positive correlations among these dimensions (p < 0.05), and the overall regression model explained 51% of the variance in students’ willingness to participate (R² = 0.51). Grade-level analysis further demonstrated distinct developmental patterns: younger students preferred gamified interactions with parental supervision, middle-grade students gradually shifted toward personalized learning approaches, and senior students focused more on value-driven and inquiry-based content. A temporary decline in interest and willingness around Year 5 highlighted a key transitional period requiring targeted scaffolding for abstract and creative learning tasks. Based on these insights, the study innovatively proposes a “Sapling Growth” educational framework that systematically combines digital storytelling technology with children’s cognitive development patterns. This progressive three-stage instructional design achieves dynamic alignment between teaching content and students’ cognitive abilities. The framework integrates cultural depth with interactive features, establishing a theoretical pathway to enhance learning processes, strengthen cultural identity, and promote sustainable industrial heritage preservation, while providing a foundation for interdisciplinary integration across educational technology, cultural heritage conservation, and child development fields. Full article

Background: Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a key factor in academic success, with self-regulated cognitive strategies (SRCSs) playing a central role. Identifying the factors linked to low use of SRCSs is therefore essential. Socioeconomic status (SES), a well-established predictor of multiple educational outcomes, may also influence students’ engagement in SRCSs, yet very few studies have explored this issue. Grounded in the SRL framework, this study examines differences in SRCSs use across SES groups. Methods: We analyzed data from the entire population of 10th-grade Italian students (N = 261,255). To ensure that the questionnaire functions equivalently across groups and control for measurement bias and error, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to verify the measurement invariance of the Cognitive Self-Regulation Scale across three SES groups (low, middle, and high), followed by latent mean difference tests. Results: Low-SES students reported markedly lower CSRS use than high-SES peers and also lower use than middle-SES peers. Middle-SES students reported lower use of CSRS than high-SES students. Conclusions: These findings show a clear and consistent impact of SES on the use of SRCSs, potentially contributing to persistent academic disparities, and emphasize the need for interventions to support disadvantaged students, thereby helping to break the cycle of inequality. Full article

This study investigates the pedagogical potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-supported multimodal writing instruction to foster both English language proficiency and sustainability awareness among middle school learners. Adopting a qualitative case study design, this research was conducted over an eight-week period in a public middle school in northern Turkey. A total of 42 seventh-grade students participated in weekly English writing sessions that incorporated AI tools as well as multimodal materials including infographics, videos, and observation logs. The instructional design was grounded in Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) principles and included topics aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention written reflections and classroom observations and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA 2020. The findings revealed three key developmental shifts: (1) stronger learner engagement and intrinsic motivation in writing tasks, (2) more strategic and reflective use of AI tools across the writing process, and (3) enhanced global and ecological awareness expressed through student writing. The findings hold implications for curriculum designers, language educators, and policymakers seeking to align language education with the broader goals of sustainable development and 21st-century skill formation. Full article

Critical thinking, as a crucial component of 21st-century core competencies, poses significant challenges for effective assessment in educational evaluation. This study proposes an automated assessment method for critical thinking in middle school Chinese language based on a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers—Convolutional Neural Network (BERT-CNN) hybrid model, achieving a multi-dimensional quantitative assessment of students’ critical thinking performance in writing through the synergistic effect of deep semantic encoding and local feature extraction. The research constructs an annotated dataset containing 4827 argumentative essays from three middle school grades, employing expert scoring across nine dimensions of the Paul–Elder framework, and designs three types of logic chain extraction algorithms: argument–evidence mapping, causal reasoning chains, and rebuttal–support structures. Experimental results demonstrate that the BERT-CNN hybrid model achieves a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.872 in overall assessment tasks and an average F1 score of 0.770 in logic chain recognition tasks, outperforming the traditional baseline methods tested in our experiments. Ablation experiments confirm the hierarchical contributions of semantic features (31.2%), syntactic features (24.1%), and logical markers (18.9%), while revealing the model’s limitations in assessing higher-order cognitive dimensions. The findings provide a feasible technical solution for the intelligent assessment of critical thinking, offering significant theoretical value and practical implications for advancing educational evaluation reform and personalized instruction. Full article

Background: Gamification may enhance engagement and higher-order learning in health-care profession education, but evidence from undergraduate nursing programs—particularly in the Middle East—is limited. We evaluated whether integrating structured gamified activities into an anatomy and physiology course improves class engagement and knowledge-based critical thinking. Methods: In this pragmatic, nonrandomized, section-allocated quasi-experimental study at a single Saudi institution, 121 first-year female nursing students were assigned by existing cohorts to traditional instruction (control; n = 61) or instruction enhanced with gamified elements (intervention; n = 60) groups. The intervention (introduced mid-semester) comprised time-limited competitive quizzing with immediate feedback and aligned puzzle tasks. Outcomes were measured at baseline, mid-semester, and end-semester using a four-item Class Engagement Rubric (CER; scale 1–5) and a 40-item high-cognitive multiple-choice (MCQ) assessment mapped to course objectives. Analyses used paired and independent t-tests with effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals. Results: No attrition occurred. From baseline to end-semester, the intervention group had a mean CER increase of 0.59 points (95% CI, 0.42 to 0.76; p < 0.001)—approximately a 15% relative gain—and a mean MCQ increase of 0.30 points (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.42; p < 0.001), an ~8% relative gain. The control group showed no material change over the same interval. Between-group differences in change favored the intervention across CER items and for the MCQ outcome. Semester grade-point average did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.055). Conclusions: Embedding a brief, structured gamification package within an undergraduate nursing anatomy and physiology course was associated with measurable improvements in classroom engagement and modest gains in knowledge-based critical thinking, with no detectable effect on overall semester GPA. Given the nonrandomized, single-site design, causal inference is limited. Multi-site randomized trials using validated critical-thinking instruments are warranted to confirm effectiveness and define dose, durability, and generalizability. Full article

To make predictions, one can use machine learning and/or knowledge-based approaches. Knowledge-based approaches focus on developing systems with reasoning capabilities to solve application problems. Traditionally, statistical techniques have been used, while more recently, machine learning techniques have been used to make predictions. Both types of techniques are based almost exclusively on the analysis of historical data. This paper proposes a model that combines knowledge engineering and intelligent data analysis, leveraging the causal relationship between a past event and its known consequences. By determining the similarity between a current analogous situation and the past event, the model infers what the consequences of the current situation might be. The main contribution is the combination of various knowledge engineering techniques to improve the prediction outcomes for certain events. The present approach not only relies on analysing historical data but also integrates smart data utilization, the identification of the most similar past event, and the prediction or definition of cause–effect rules based on causal inference. One use case is presented: predicting the percentage of students who are promoted to the next grade with all subjects passed over the four years of middle school. Applying statistical regression techniques, a predicted value of 68.67% was obtained. Applying the proposed model, a value of 62.85% was obtained. The actual value published by the Spanish Department of Education for the 2021–2022 school year was 63.95%. The prediction using statistical techniques deviated 7.3% from the actual value. The proposed method deviated only 1.7% from the actual value. The proposed method improved the prediction compared to the value obtained using statistical techniques. Full article

Water security is a basic requirement of a region’s residents and also an important point of discussion worldwide. The middle route of the south-to-north water diversion project (MR-SNWDP) represents the most extensive inter-basin water allocation scheme globally. It is the major water resource for the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, and its security is of great significance. In this study, 28 indicators including society, nature, and economy were selected from the water sources of the MR-SNWDP from 2000 to 2017. According to the Drivers-Pressures-States-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework principle, the entropy weight method was used for weight calculation, and the comprehensive evaluation method was used for evaluating the water security of the water sources of the MR-SNWDP. This study showed that the total loss of nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) in the water source showed a trend of slow growth, except in 2007. Over the past 18 years, the proportion of pollution from three NPSP sources, livestock, and poultry (LP) breeding industry, planting industry, and living sources, were 44.56%, 40.33%, and 15.11%, respectively. The main driving force of water security in all the areas of the water source was the total net income per capita of farmers. The main pressure was the amount of LP breeding and the amount of fertilizer application. The largest impact indicators were NPSP gray water footprint and soil erosion area, and water conservancy investment was the most effective response measure. Overall, the state of the water source safety was relatively stable, showing an overall upward trend, and it had remained at Grade III except for in 2005, 2006, and 2011. The state of water safety in all areas except Shiyan City was relatively stable, where the state of water safety had fluctuated greatly. Based on the assessment findings, implications for policy and decision-making suggestions for sustainable management of the water sources of the MR-SNWDP resources are put forward. Agricultural cultivation in water source areas should reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and accelerate the promotion of agricultural intensification. Water source areas should minimize retail livestock and poultry farming and promote ecological agriculture. The government should increase investment in water conservancy and return farmland to forests and grasslands, and at the same time strengthen the education of farmers’ awareness of environmental protection. The evaluation system of this study combined indicators such as the impact of agricultural nonpoint source pollution on water bodies, which is innovative and provides a reference for the water safety evaluation system. Full article