A Middle-Grades Mismatch? Comparing Teacher Perceptions to the Middle School Model

• In Event: Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Middle-Level Teacher Preparation and Induction

Abstract

Since the beginning of the middle school movement in the mid-1960s, middle level advocates have called for a school experience for young adolescents that is both grounded in adolescent development and engages students in meaningful learning. This exploratory study sought to examine the middle level teachers’ understanding of middle level philosophy, their own personal beliefs about teaching in the middle grades, and the barriers they experience in enacting their beliefs. Results indicate participants saw their primary role as being a facilitator of content, preparing students for the future, and looking for ways to engage students in meaningful learning. Respondents made few references to social and emotional aspects of teaching at the middle level.

Authors

• Michael DiCicco, Northern Kentucky University

• Chris Cook, Appalachian State University

• Shawn A. Faulkner, Northern Kentucky University