Theoretical Perspectives in the Field of Middle Grades Education

• In Event: Comprehensive and Critical Review of Current Middle-Level Research and Practice

Abstract

Purpose of Study

This year’s conference, which focuses on changes occurring across education research, is relevant to the following study: a survey of the literature review of articles that have been published on middle level education in the last decade. How has research informed theory in middle level education? A content analysis of research literature will be conducted on the articles that were published in three premier middle level education journals: the Middle Grades Research Journal (MGRJ), Research in the Middle Level Education (RMLE) Online, and the Middle School Journal (MSJ).

Research questions include:
1) What are the theoretical perspectives that have emerged since 2000 from the premier middle level education journals: MGRJ, RMLE Online, and MSJ?
2) How do these perspectives interface between the three journals?

Theoretical Framework

According to Onwugbuzie, Leech, & Collins (2012), there are several benefits to conducting a qualitative review of the literature. These would include the following: "...identify relationships between theory/concepts and practice...identify strengths and weaknesses of the various research approaches that have been utilized (p. 1). This study examines the theoretical perspectives that have both highlighted topics in middle level education research and influenced pedagogy in middle level education.

Methods

Qualitative content analysis has been defined as "any qualitative reduction and sense-making effort takes a volume of qualitative material and attempts to identify core consistencies and meanings" (Patton, 2002, p. 453). In reviewing the literature from these middle grades journals, a phenomenological approach was used for identifying themes in the research, which meant that bracketing themes allowed them to emerge organically as they related to middle level education (Merriam, 2009).

Findings

In the preliminary findings for the review of Research in the Middle Level Education Online (RMLE) a total of 116 articles were reviewed and coded from 2000-2013. Citations from the research literature in three major areas included organization, curriculum and instruction, and diversity. For example, organization focused on teaming and block scheduling (Brown, 2001, Wallace, 2007), effect of advisories (MacLaury & Gratz, 2002), transitions (Smith, Feldwisch, & Abell, 2006, Hines III, 2007), student perspective and diversity (Brinegar, 2010). Theoretical perspectives highlighting middle grades curriculum and instruction included academic performance and Math (Bottge, Heinrichs, Mehta, Rueda, Hung, & Dannaker, 2004; Tully, Dunn, & Hlawaty, 2006; Weinberg, Basile, & Albright, 2011), Science performance (Cerezo, 2004; Kohlhass, Lin, & Chu, 2010), a conflict transformational curriculum (Roberts & White, 2004). Lastly, some of the theoretical frameworks that have informed the topic of diversity since 2000 in RMLE included gender and sexuality (Cai, 2002; Friend, 2006; Bettis & Roe, 2008; Klein & Breck, 2010) and race and ethnicity (Wenglinsky, 2004; Adams, Kuhn & Rhodes, 2006; Lys, 2009).

In the final report, the findings of the other two journals will be shared, as well as a cross-analysis of the themes from the three journals. Similarities and differences will be examined, as well as the findings’ relevance to the national middle school reform.

Author

• Cynthia C. Reyes, The University of Vermont