Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
How Middle School Students Spend Their Time outside of School: A Longitudinal Investigation. |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Wells, Lauren, Blendinger, Jack |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
11 |
| Publication Date: |
1998 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research
Speeches/Meeting Papers |
| Descriptors: |
Activities, Behavior Patterns, Individual Activities, Interests, Intermediate Grades, Middle School Students, Middle Schools, Reading, Reading Attitudes, Reading Habits, Reading Motivation, Television Viewing |
| Abstract: |
This study investigated during a 2-year period how middle school students spend their time when not in school. Nearly 75 middle school students participated in the study. The subjects' out-of-school activities were first investigated in April of 1997 when subjects were in the fifth grade. The same students were studied again in April 1998 when they were in the sixth grade. The instrument used was specifically designed for gathering information about how children spend their time outside of school from Monday through Sunday. Few differences in activity patterns were found from one year to the next. Watching television was the most prevalent activity, significantly surpassing reading for pleasure, for both years. The study concluded that children spend too much of their time out of school watching television and too little time reading. The findings further indicated that children's television-viewing patterns are set early, causing children to spend less time engaged in meaningful interaction with adults and peers, and is increasingly defining children's identities. Based on the findings, it was suggested that teachers and administrators should make a concerted effort to work with parents on a continual basis and develop programs that require active parent participation in children's literacy development through reading and only selective television viewing at home. (Author/SD) |
| Entry Date: |
1999 |
| Accession Number: |
ED427855 |
| Database: |
ERIC |
