Chapter 12: Understanding Learners: From Confusion About Learners to Clear Understanding of Learner Characteristics

Understanding and responding to the developmental needs of young adolescents has long been the bedrock of the middle school concept. As stated in This We Believe (National Middle School Association, 2010), “The curriculum, pedagogy, and programs of middle grades schools must be based upon the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents. This concept is at the heart of middle level education” (p. 5).

Consequently, middle level educators have assembled a wealth of information from research on young adolescent development and organized it in ways that help classroom teachers better understand their students.Caskey and Anfara (2007) compiled a useful synthesis of these efforts. They noted that, while research summaries often feature categories of characteristics such as physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, and social domains, “these characteristics are interrelated and overlap” (p. 1). In Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, and the Curriculum,Beane and Lipka (1986) emphasized the fundamental importance of this understanding: