Education Commons^™

Middle Level Learning: Compendium Of Research And Best Practice, Jesse Senechal, Jk Stringer

MERC Publications

Young adolescence is a time of important transition. It is a time when youth strive to define themselves as individuals while at the same time establishing their relationship within social groups. It is a developmental period characterized by curiosity and exploration. From a certain perspective, these qualities of young adolescents seem to be a good match for school settings. Schools might offer the social spaces for establishing individual and group identity and the academic space that harnesses curiosity and allows youth to find direction as they move toward high school, college and career.

And yet, middle grades education – that …