Teaching and Learning in Middle Schooling: A Review of the Literature

The Literature Review

The key purpose of the review, as stipulated by the Ministry of Education, was to provide:

‘…a critical examination and analysis of the literature, to assess what we know about the impact of teaching and learning during the middle school years (Years 7 to 10) on student engagement, achievement and attitudes to learning… .’

As reviewers, Dinham and Rowe aimed to:

• identify social and behavioural characteristics of students in this age group in terms of their learning needs;
• identify pedagogies, with particular reference to age appropriate pedagogies, that have an influence on student engagement, achievement and attitudes to learning during Years 7 to 10;
• indicate the effect of curriculum development and implementation on student engagement, achievement and attitudes to learning during Years 7 to 10;
• identify aspects of teacher professional development that have positive influences on student engagement, achievement and attitudes to learning in Years 7 to 10; and
• identify the impact of different school structures (eg, Year 7 to 13 secondary, composite, restricted composite) and settings (eg, single sex, coeducational, rural, urban) on student engagement, achievement and attitudes to learning during Years 7 to 10.