Micki M. Caskey

Welcome to the next installment of our research column focusing on the health and well-being of young adolescents. The focus of our column for this issue of the Middle School Journal is homelessnes...

The purpose of this study was to explore multiple facets of young adolescent identity and related experiences through a scoping literature review. Based on Gardenswartz and Rowe’s Four Layers of Diversity Model, we specifically examined extant literature around five of the internal dimensions: gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and physical ability. Two overarching research questions guided this investigation: What is the range and nature of current findings on young adolescent identity and experience? What gaps exist in research on young adolescent identity and experiences? To address these research questions, our research group conducted a scoping literature review using predetermined search strings related to young adolescents, identity, and experiences. We organized and presented our results in three sections: (a) gender and sexuality, (b) race and ethnicity, and (c) physical ability and disability. For each section, we specified the relevant research details, summarized the nature and characteristics of articles reviewed in a table, and described the themes derived from the reviews of literature. An overall finding was the dearth of research on young adolescent identity and experiences. Our research highlights the importance of an intersectional approach for understanding and studying the totality of young adolescent identity and experiences.

The purpose of this article is to describe and explain a mentoring initiative for supporting and retaining middle school teachers. First, we examine the persistent problem of teacher retention in U.S. schools, particularly in middle schools. Then, we describe a mentoring initiative—a community practice mentoring model that is well-suited for facilitating professional learning and addressing the retention issue. We define community of practice and note how communities of practices work in schools. We argue that a community of practice model is both a powerful conceptual framework for mentoring teachers and a practical approach to supporting middle school teachers’ practice. Next, we report on middle school conditions including organizational structures, effective professional learning, and the multigenerational nature of the teaching force. Subsequently, we focus on the key features of a community that enhances teachers’ professional learning, reduces teacher isolation, and influences teacher retention. We end with our recommendations and a few concluding remarks about the importance of good talk and setting the conditions for teacher optimism.

AERA Online Paper Repository Viewer

Doctoral students’ program non-completion continues to be a worldwide phenomenon. Given the challenges across the globe following the 2020-22 pandemic, we need scholarly and skilled PhD and education (EdD) doctoral program graduates. A place to look for retention improvement is by studying what students learn and how they are taught in their university doctoral programs. One purpose of this case study was to describe how 12 EdD students in a program seminar responded to instruction in research and writing strategies during their first year of a four-year program. The second purpose was to examine student responses to formative assessments and describe and explain ongoing instructional adjustments using a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) framework within our own faculty community of practice. Analysis of surveys and student work indicated that writing and research strategies were instructive, engaging, and useful in building research and writing foundations. Analysis of multiple formative assessments helped us refine our instructional strategies during the year. Because all students completed the first high stakes program milestone (comprehensive paper) in year two, our findings suggested that the seminar’s instructional strategies established a foundation for student success and timely program progress. Using multiple formative assessments over time was critical in strengthening our teaching practice as well. We recommended instructional practices associated with student research and writing skill development as well as student progress and retention.

In this essay, we describe how the cognitive apprenticeship model serves as a framework for mentoring early-career women faculty into the professoriate. We illuminate our ideas using the metaphor of a kaleidoscope to inspire and support women faculty as they grow as academic writers and build their academic identities.

This article introduces a new middle grades research agenda recently developed by the Middle Level Educational Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The importance of current research and its impact and influence on the local and national policy are discussed, followed by brief descriptions of the eight research areas in the agenda.