Micki M. Caskey

Using Parent-Student Pairs for Internet Instruction

Abstract Student and parent attitudes toward school-based Internet use were explored using parent–student pairs. An intergenerational approach positioned 54 pairs of young adolescents and their parents as co-learners for simultaneous Internet instruction, while another 51 parent–student pairs were given separate Internet instruction. This study examined the effect of instructional conditions using pre- and post-instruction attitude surveys and interviews. Survey analyses included descriptives, reliability measures, factor analysis, subscale formation, pre- and post-instruction comparisons, and analysis of variance of treatment and role variables. Interview analyses provided insights into student and parent attitudes. Positive effects of instruction were revealed for students and parents.

The Evidence for the Core Curriculum—Past and Present

Questions about effective programs and practices for young adolescents compel educators, researchers, and policymakers to consider various curricula. What should the curriculum for students in the middle grades be? Which curricular options afford young adolescents with the greatest opportunities to meet with academic success, positive relationships with teachers and peers, and improved self-concept? How can middle grades teachers develop curricula that maximizes student achievement and responds to developmental characteristics? What approaches allow schools to provide “curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory” (National Middle School Association, 2003, p. 7) for every adolescent learner? These types of questions engender thoughtful discourse, heartfelt debate, and the exchange of personal anecdotes. Questions also prompt research, which seeks to gather evidence to accept or reject a specific set of ideas or phenomena. A considerable evidence base exists about the effectiveness and appropriateness of one approach—the core curriculum. This article presents a review and a summary of research findings related to core curriculum in middle level education. An exploration of the terminology and definitions used by various authors to describe approaches are presented. A review of the historical context of core curriculum provides the foundation for addressing more recent research. Research challenges and directions for future research precede a set of concluding remarks.

A LINGERING QUESTION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: WHAT IS THE FATE OF INTEGRATED CURRICULUM? (ISSUE IN EDUCATION)

Interest in Integrated Curriculum Integrated curriculum captured the attention of educators long before the advent of the middle school concept. As junior high schools moved away from a subject-centered curriculum, other curricular options emerged (Toefler, 1997). In the 1930s, for example, the progressive movement advocated a problemcentered, core curriculum centering on themes drawn from social issues (Beane, 1993). In the 1960s, curriculum models became more responsive to middle level students’ developmental characteristics, and thus targeted unifying themes. The interdisciplinary concept model described by Jacobs (1989) is a way to systematically connect discipline perspectives when investigating a problem or theme. Beane’s multidimensional model (1993) centered on thematic units that drew from the intersecting concerns of young adolescents and issues in the larger world. Many educators concur with Beane’s position that ”curriculum is a central and crucial factor in the life of a school” (p. 1). of Integrated Curriculum?

A National Research Project Revitalizes and Strengthens a SIG’s Membership, Leadership, and the Quality of Research in the Field

DOI: 10.3102/0013189X11421154