The Secret Society of Readers program emphasizes affective dimensions of reading experiences by fostering meaningful connections between young adolescent mentees, university-student mentors, and texts. Grounded in the concept of affective literacy as an emergent, dynamic process, the program employs mentorship and choice to create transformative reading experiences that prioritize reader identity, agency, and engagement. By blending intrinsic motivation with near-peer mentoring, the Secret Society of Readers seeks to empower youth to explore diverse texts, develop autonomy, and cultivate lifelong habits of reading enjoyment and success. This study employs a formative design approach to explore the effects of Year Two of a near-peer literacy mentoring program designed to support transformative reading experiences that prioritize reader identity, agency, and engagement. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, insights into the impacts of the program were gathered from young adolescent mentees in Grades 5–7, their family members, school leaders involved in program coordination, and university-student mentors. We found that participants in our near-peer mentoring model reported choice reading and increased access to books led to improved reading interests, attitudes, and habits. In some cases, these outcomes supported increases in mentee self-efficacy.

Critical consciousness is the ability to analyze and challenge oppressive forces. Philosopher-educator Paulo Freire asserted that nurturing young people’s critical consciousness should be the primary goal of education, so youth develop the will and skill to challenge oppression and build a better world. A growing body of psychology research has found critical consciousness to be predictive of a range of positive youth outcomes including resilience, self-esteem, academic achievement, and civic engagement. The present mixed methods study explored middle school advisory—facilitated spaces for community building and social-emotional support—as a space for nurturing young adolescents’ critical consciousness. Pre-post surveys with youth (n = 283) from five different middle schools found that feelings of school connectedness and feelings of safety in advisory were predictive of different components of youths’ critical consciousness. Interviews with a subset of these youth (n = 53) revealed ways in which the more intimate and informal setting of advisory (in comparison to students’ academic classes) contributed to the students’ investment and willingness to engage in learning and discussion about oppressive forces and how to challenge these forces.

This integrative review critically explores the role of organizational wisdom in middle level school administration, highlighting its transformative potential in shaping responsive, equitable, and effective educational environments. Moving beyond traditional leadership paradigms, the review emphasizes organizational wisdom as a multidimensional construct encompassing learning, intelligence, values, and leadership. By synthesizing literature across educational leadership, organizational theory, and adolescent development, the review constructs a holistic framework that underscores the intersection of pedagogical and organizational behavior. This model advocates for the cultivation of ethical, empathetic, and culturally responsive leadership, aligning middle level school structures with the developmental needs of young adolescents. The findings contribute to the growing discourse on middle level education by positioning organizational wisdom as a critical lever for fostering inclusive school climates and enhancing student outcomes. The paper underscores the necessity for continued empirical research and the development of actionable frameworks to operationalize organizational wisdom within middle level school contexts.

Transitioning across different schooling sectors presents various challenges for young people. This is evident in the transition from primary to secondary schooling, when factors such as student belonging and positive connections are vital. Students with learning support needs or living in isolated localities may experience additional challenges. To help alleviate these challenges, transition programs are implemented by the primary or secondary school. A limited number of literature reviews within the Australian context focus on determining the themes that influence student transition, the types of transition programs, and the geographic locality of peer-reviewed articles across primary to secondary settings. The authors conducted a systematic quantitative literature review of the peer-reviewed literature with inclusion criteria resulting in 30 articles for analysis. The review yielded four themes in the Australian literature—student perceptions, mental health, academic motivation and success, and students with learning support needs—and a fifth theme aggregating less prominent topics. Additionally, the review revealed that transition programs were few and geographic localities of studies were predominantly from three states. Studies also varied across metropolitan/rural settings and school types. The findings show a need for transition research to focus on themes within a study and focus on differing locations when studies are conducted.

Sexual health education in the United States is seeing increased attention and is often viewed as a controversial topic. To better understand young adolescents’ experiences within an LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual health education program (Get Real), we utilized Situated Expectancy-Value Theory to investigate 53 responses from 30 students about what they deemed most beneficial after program completion, specifically that pertaining to LGBTQ+ topics. Four themes were identified: allyship/civility, safety, learning, and ongoing need for increased inclusion. Results suggest inclusive sexual health education is valued by middle school students and that there is a need for increased (and improved) inclusive LGBTQ+ sexual health education. Designing and implementing sexual health education curricula which fosters inclusion and LGBTQ+- friendly topics may lead to increased allyship, civility, and respect toward others. Additionally, inclusive sexual health education may promote an increased sense of safety in learning environments for all students. Policymakers and educators may wish to better understand students’ experiences within sexual health education programs as they aim to improve sexual health education efforts.

Disruptive student behavior is a significant challenge in schools and a predictor of student failure. Effective classroom management is a crucial skill that middle level teachers must acquire to foster student engagement and learning. This qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of 35 middle level teachers in both general education and special education settings regarding effective classroom management techniques. Eight focus group interviews were conducted with 25 general education teachers and 10 special education teachers at one of five middle schools in Kansas, Missouri, or Utah. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using iterative qualitative content analysis to identify themes and subthemes. Findings revealed that effective classroom management includes teachers’ use of appropriate positive and negative reinforcement, student buy-in to reward systems, positive immediate feedback to students, teachers’ consistent follow-through with consequences, and positive teacher-student relationships. We also report similarities and differences between middle level general education and special education teachers’ perceptions. Limitations and areas for future research are addressed.

A gender gap persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although females constitute half the total workforce in the United States, they make up just greater than a quarter of employees in STEM fields. In recent years, one approach to addressing the gender gap in STEM has involved middle grades science teachers helping young adolescent females view themselves as potential scientists from a young age. Through a variety of targeted strategies, science teachers have supported female students in building STEM self-efficacy by encouraging their participation in varied initiatives. This qualitative multi-case study investigated how two middle grades science teachers build STEM self-efficacy in female students both during and outside of formal instruction. Data sources included surveys, interviews, and classroom artifacts. Findings featured specific examples of classroom initiatives that participants believed built female students’ self-efficacy as well as participants’ reasoning for the initiatives’ use and perceived outcomes of their utility. Our findings also indicated that participants’ efforts to build female students’ STEM self-efficacy were hampered by participants’ lack of clarity regarding the meanings of STEM education and STEM self-efficacy. Implications for middle grades teacher education and STEM-focused professional development are included.

While it is well established that positive peer relationships lead to positive outcomes, little is known about the mediating role of school motivation on the association between perceived peer support and school achievement among middle grades students. Even less is known about the effect of gender on this mediation. The current study examined whether school motivation mediates the association between perceived peer support and achievement. In addition, the gender effect on the mediation was examined using multigroup structural equation modeling. A total of 501 middle grades students (259 girls and 242 boys, aged 10–14 years) completed the self-report questionnaires assessing their perceived peer support, school motivation, and achievement. All models showed good model-data fit and indicated that school motivation fully mediates the associations between perceived peer support and school achievement in both genders. Also, the findings suggested that the association between school motivation and achievement was moderated by gender. The findings were discussed, and implications were shared for enhancing school achievement of middle grade students.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how young adolescents participated in various activities in a science summer camp. A total of 26 Taiwanese students and 16 U.S. students participated in a one-week “Argue like a Scientist” summer camp. Based on the design features of project-based learning, this science summer camp aimed at engaging the students in collaborative scientific argumentation about alternative energies and involved them in various activities related to alternative energies such as a field trip to an ethanol plant and a hands-on project building a solar car. All activities, including the students’ collaborative argumentation, were recorded. Their post-camp surveys were also collected. Three themes emerged from the data analysis. First, regardless of cultural background, age, or gender, all students actively constructed their understanding of alternative energies by participating in all hands-on activities: conducting research on different types of alternative energies, building their solar cars, and racing their solar cars. Second, regardless of cultural background, age, or gender, all students were engaged in the discussion and exploration of a real-word meaningful problem: “Which alternative energy is the best?” Third, regardless of cultural background, age, or gender, all students engaged in the social interaction with the support of a cognitive tool. This study concluded that the summer camp incorporated four principles of project-based learning (active construction, situated learning, social interaction, and cognitive tool), showing the potential of engaging students in science.

As teachers and administrators focus increasing attention on the mental health needs of students, researchers are exploring ways that addressing social-emotional needs is essential to academic growth as well as personal wellness. This descriptive investigation explored ways that seventh and eighth grade students perceived their social-emotional development in a school context in which teachers integrated social and emotional learning (SEL) with academics. An English Language Arts (ELA) teacher and a team of university researchers observed students during lessons, gathered work samples, and interviewed students across a school year. Intensive case studies with ten students provided descriptions of the types of connections students made with their learning experiences and ways these connections varied. Participants made visible connections with teachers on a personal level. They connected with peers spontaneously and reflected on peer relationships to varying levels. Reflecting on these social connections helped develop self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills. Reflections also enabled participants to connect interests, engagement, and accomplishment to varying extents, enhancing capacities for self-management and responsible decision-making. Results suggest that emphasizing the process of reflection in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and electives may be a powerful way to enhance social and emotional learning in the flow of classroom events.