Middle School Administrators' Perspectives on Effective Middle Level Education in Central Alberta

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dc.contributor.advisorBrandon, James Edward
dc.contributor.authorRheaume, Julia G.
dc.contributor.committeememberDonlevy, James Kent
dc.contributor.committeememberBrown, Barbara
dc.contributor.committeememberGereluk, Dianne
dc.contributor.committeememberHamm, Lyle
dc.date2018-11
dc.date.accessioned2018-10-10T13:30:33Z
dc.date.available2018-10-10T13:30:33Z
dc.date.issued2018-09-17
dc.description.abstractThis instrumental case study (Creswell, 2012; Stake, 1995) examined the perspectives of 43 middle school administrators on effective middle level education in central Alberta, Canada. Their views on the middle school concept, effective middle level leadership, and effective teaching were obtained through an online questionnaire and six focus group interviews, using an explanatory sequential design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). The analysis of school administrator perspectives generated five integrated findings pertaining to middle level education: (a) teaming and developmentally responsive practices are essential to middle level education; curriculum integration and advisory are less important and prevalent; (b) effective beginning middle school teachers should develop professional knowledge and skills, including an ability to create learner-centred, inclusive environments; (c) effective beginning middle school teachers should possess certain dispositions, especially those that promote positive, productive relationships; (d) middle school administrators viewed their role as helping young adolescents transition from elementary to high school; and (e) middle school leaders foster effective middle level education through shared vision, collaboration, personnel, and relationships. The synthesis of the findings led to three conclusions related to teaching competencies, leadership competencies, and effective middle level education: (a) middle level teachers should be caring, developmentally responsive team players who can use instructional strategies, classroom management, and differentiation skills to meet students’ needs in inclusive, learner-centred classrooms; (b) school leaders should understand young adolescence as a unique developmental stage in order to support the transition of 10 to 15-year-olds through the middle grades; and (c) responsiveness and relationships were found to be essential to effective middle level education. This study has implications for middle level leadership and middle level teacher preparation and provides 22 recommendations for local, provincial, national, and international middle level education stakeholders.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRheaume, J. G. (2018). Middle School Administrators’ Perspectives on Effective Middle Level Education in Central Alberta (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33163en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/33163
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/108823
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.facultyWerklund School of Education
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectMiddle Level Education
dc.subjectTeaching Competencies
dc.subjectEffective Leadership
dc.subjectcase study
dc.subjectEffective teaching
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Administrationen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Curriculum and Instructionen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Philosophy ofen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Teacher Trainingen_US
dc.titleMiddle School Administrators' Perspectives on Effective Middle Level Education in Central Alberta
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Research
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Education (EdD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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