CIMLE Current Issues in Middle Level Education - 19(1) - The Middle School Philosophy: Do We Practice What We Preach Or Do We Preach Something Different?

Oct 15, 2026

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Quantitative study examining beliefs of middle grades education faculty in the United States about the purpose of education. Based on a survey of 144 university faculty members teaching middle level courses, the study analyzed 23 statements mapped to four philosophical orientations: progressivism, essentialism, perennialism, and social reconstructionism. Findings compare respondents’ beliefs with central tenets of the middle school philosophy and assess alignment with key middle school concept components.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

History of Middle School Philosophy

Roots of Middle School Philosophy

CIMLE Current Issues in Middle Level Education (2014) 19 (1), 13-19 The Middle School Philosophy: Do We Practice What We Preach Or Do We Preach Something Different? Susan Edwards Andrew T. Kemp C. Steven Page Georgia Regents University This quantitative study examined the beliefs of middle grades education faculty from universities across the United States about the purpose ofeducation. The results ofa survey of 144 respondents who identified themselves as university faculty that taught middle level courses as a specialty will be discussed. The survey included 23 statements, representing four philosophical orientations: progressivism, essentialism, perennialism, and social reconstructionism. The results of the survey were compared to the central tenets of the middle school philosophy. The findings indicate that of the study participants who prepare middle grades teachers, the majority do believe in ideas that align with key components ofthe middle school concept. Since the mid-20th century, a movement known as the middle school concept, has greatly influenced the education of middle grades students across the United States. With the growth of the standardized testing and accountability movement, the middle school movement appears to be losing some momentum (Beane & Lipka, 2006; George, 2007; Huss & Eastep, 2011) . One key component in the strength of this movement has been the advocacy of university educators who prepare teachers and administrators who work with early adolescents. Do the teacher educators at the university level still believe strongly in the middle school concept? The purpose of this study is to determine if faculty of middle grades education at the university level have beliefs about the purpose of education that align with the philosophy underlying the middle school concept. History of Middle School Philosophy In the 19th century, students were typically educated in an 8-4 arrangement: eight years of elementary school and four years of high school. Recognition that early adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 require special educational practices that meet their unique developmental needs began in the early 20th century when the junior high was created. The main purpose of this new junior high school was to prepare students for high school and serve as a transition from elementary school to high school. Students were put on two tracks, one designed for college bound students and one that provided vocational training. Early advocates of the junior high saw the needs of students at this age level as different from both elementary-aged children and high school adolescents. Throughout the first half of the 20th century the common grade span configuration was elementary school for six years (grades 1- 6), junior high school for three years (grades 7-9 and sometimes 7-8) and high school was three years (grades 10-12 and sometimes 9-12) (Manning, 2000) . During the 1950s and 1960s dissatisfaction with the way that subject-centered junior high schools were meeting the needs of early adolescents led to the formation of the middle school concept, also referred to as middle school philosophy. William Alexander paved the way for what became known as the middle school philosophy when he spoke at the Junior High School Conference in 1963 about the characteristics needed in schools in the middle if they are to meet the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents at that age (Alexander, 1963) . During the last half of the 20th century, a reform effort known as the middle school movement ensued and thousands of school systems across the country reconfigured their junior highs into middle schools, usually serving grades 6-8 (George & Alexander, 2003; Manning, 2000; Powell, 2011) . There are generally agreed upon characteristics of schools that follow the middle school philosophy. A school with this philosophy is likely to have interdisciplinary teams of teachers who share a set of student

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose?

To determine whether university-level faculty in middle grades education hold beliefs about the purpose of education that align with the philosophy underlying the middle school concept.

How was the faculty beliefs data collected and analyzed?

A survey of 144 university faculty members teaching middle level courses was conducted, containing 23 statements representing four philosophical orientations: progressivism, essentialism, perennialism, and social reconstructionism.

What did the results show about alignment with the middle school concept?

Most participants who prepare middle grades teachers reported beliefs that align with key components of the middle school concept, based on comparisons with the philosophy’s central tenets.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by jayni