Middle School Research to Practice Association for Middle Level Education

What does being “SEL competent” mean for middle grades teachers entering the profession today? How do teachers continue to adapt and develop that skillset over time? The hosts discuss two recent studies that explore these questions and their impact on effective classroom management.

Even without additional trauma (such as the continuing impacts of the pandemic), adolescents are in a dynamic period of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. In this episode, co-hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey discuss a recent study that looked at health education teachers’ and school counselors’ views of their students’ challenges and their strategies for supporting students’ social and emotional development. The study was published in the June 2023 edition of Rese...

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, while nearly half of the U.S. workforce is women only 27% are STEM workers. Could STEM self efficacy be a key to better female representation in STEM? What is “STEM self efficacy,” anyway? And why is it particularly important in the middle grades? Co-hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey dig into these questions, discussing why it may be the key to moving the needle.

How did teachers perceive leadership support in the emergency transition to remote learning in 2020? Co-hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey discuss insights from the article, with Andrew sharing from his own experience as an administrator.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a recent study shows a relationship between amotiviation, absenteeism, and student performance. So what does this mean, practically speaking, for educators? Hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey break down a recent study conducted by researchers in Turkey and published in Research in Middle Level Education Online.

Peer relationships become increasingly important during adolescence. So it’s not surprising that researchers are interested in the connection between peer relationships and academic achievement. Hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey break down a recent study published in Research in Middle Level Education Online that examined this relationship.