Exemplary Middle Grades Research: Evidence-Based Studies Linking Theory to Practice features research published throughout 2009 in MGRJ that has been identified by the Information Age Publishing's review board as the most useful in terms of assisting educators with making practical applications from evidence-based studies to classroom and school…

A number of terms employed in the field of bilingual education are used interchangeably and incorrectly. Some of these are: English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL), Americanization, bilingual, bicultural, multicultural, multiethnic, cross-cultural, and intergroup. There is a lack of consensus as to the meaning,…

First-year research conducted by the authors of a 3-year, cross-cultural, professional development project involving English-as-a-Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at a private pre-K-12 school in central Mexico. Findings indicate that key elements of the integrative-systematic approach - developed to respond to the combined need for equity and…

A chapter from the Teacher's Manual of the Adult Migrant Education Program of the Australian Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, the document presents a second-language teaching methodology which focuses on the learner, language use, and social interaction, and responds to the learner's felt needs, thus helping newly-arrived migrants…

A group of new studies is providing fresh evidence of what many researchers have been saying all along: English immersion has more political appeal than educational merit. Dr. Amy Merickel, co-author of "Effects of the Implementation of Proposition 227 on the Education of English Learners K-12," says it is not possible given the data…

English language education in Colombia has been improved because the teachers have organized professional associations and have received assistance and support from the Colombian and United States governments to improve teaching methods, teacher preparation, and teaching materials. With the help of the University of California at Los Angeles, the…

This study contributes to the field by identifying a broad range of traditional and newer middle grade policies and practices, and determining in California which of these differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools serving similar student populations, with performance measured by the state's standards-based tests. Based on a sample of 303…

In the 2008-09 school year researchers from EdSource and Stanford University conducted a large-scale study of 303 middle grades schools in California. The team surveyed 303 principals, 3,752 English Language Arts (ELA) and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 superintendents of the districts and charter management organizations that oversee the…

This study investigated Chinese students' use of language learning strategies, and then interpreted the data from cultural and educational perspectives. Using a Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, the researcher discovered some common features shared by Chinese students in their use of learning strategies. An in-depth analysis of the results…