High stakes testing, standards, and accountability politics is taking us away from the importance of the affective domain in curriculum development. This critical learning domain is often an unrecognized and infrequently considered topic in the literature. Through this book we extend the current knowledge base by addressing a curriculum model developed in the 1980s. We add a 2012 knowledge base as we delineate the role of self-perceptions in school-related learning, how middle level curriculum affects self-perceptions, and the type of curriculum planning which enhances self-perceptions and improves learning in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The combination of sound psychological principles and practical teaching and curriculum suggestions with an empirical basis makes the book attractive to both higher education and local school professional libraries. In the former it will serve as the primary text in graduate and advanced undergraduate middle level education programs and practices courses. It might also be a primary text in courses or workshops in affective education or other experiences which emphasize affective, values, and self-concept. It also has potential as a supplementary text in undergraduate educational psychology courses. At the in-service level this book could be used as a workshop resource or as a professional reference for middle level teachers, administrators, curriculum workers, and supervisors. Our interest in young adolescents and their school setting coincides with the fourth edition of This We Believe (NMSA, 2010). The self-enhancing school is characterized by “from-to” statements; for example, “from” avoiding parents “to” working with parents. Using theory and research we discuss the costs of staying in the “from” position and the benefits derived from moving to the “to” position. By combining educational psychology and curriculum development we make a unique contribution to middle grades curriculum developers.

This handbook explores the curriculum, instruction and assessment used in middle schools. The essays cover: curriculum integration - history and research; the relationship between middle grades teacher certification and teaching practices; and cohorts in middle level teacher preparation.

Originally published as a special issue of the Middle School Journal, this book presents integrative curriculum as a foundational element of the middle school. By addressing the current gap in literature on curriculum integration in the middle grades, this text explores how learning can be organized around authentic concepts or questions which cut across disciplines and speak to young adolescents. Providing a current, nuanced, and comprehensive review of what it means to embrace and implement an interdisciplinary and integrative curriculum, the volume considers how educators can create and deliver a high-quality integrative curriculum which is enjoyable, challenging, and inclusive. Examples of implementation in teacher preparation programs and middle grade classrooms showcase integrative approaches and illustrate how curricula have been key in tackling social inequities, increasing engagement with STEM, and supporting collaboration. This text will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, academics and libraries in the field of Middle School Education, Curriculum Studies, Teacher Education, Theories of Learning, and STEM Education.

Thoughtfully and thoroughly reviews the past, analyzes the separate subject approach, and outlines a proposal for a new general education program that would transform the middle level school.

Sound research-based strategies have made The Essential Middle School a must-have resource inservice middle school teachers for years. Now with even more applications in the planning and management sections , written by a practicing teacher, readers can easily see how research-based strategies can be applied in today's classrooms. Emphasis on new technologies and Internet resources are included, as well, making this a valuable resource for instructors and students alike. Strong emphasis on curricular, instructional and organizational issues of middle schools--How these affect teachers and learners, and less emphasis on the design, and development of middle schools. Better prepares teachers to understand the curriculum and the instructional issues of middle schools, which is where teachers live. Thorough coverage of the role of technology in today's middle schools. Inservice teachers' awareness and acceptance of the presence and impact of technology on classroom operations is brought into focus through this coverage. Thorough discussion of curriculum standards--The role of standards in teaching and learning in the middle school. Practicing teachers gain an understanding of the impact of standards in their classroom lives and how to address these standards. Up to date demographics--Affecting middle schools and the impact of demographics on instruction. New teachers can gain understanding of their students and learn how to individualize instruction for the variety of students they will teach. Coverage of the role of parents' involvement in their middle student's learning. Inservice teachers are enlightened to how they can incorporate parent presence in the educational experiences of their students.