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Middle school learning requires implementing student centred learning experiences through constructivist principles that challenge and evoke higher order thinking

(Carrington, 2002, 2006; Chadbourne, 2001; Vygotsky, 1986). Such teaching aligns with early adolescent development and can scaffold learning to assist students to gather

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information, question, and reason, synthesise, critically review, formulate informed conclusions and apply the information to real situations (Doda, 2005; Hilton & Hilton, 2010). Indeed, learning may be more effective through hands-on activities and

interdisciplinary or integrated programs with real-world and global connections that demonstrate social purposes and are embedded in authentic contexts (Beane, 1997, 2006; Grant & Paige, 2007; Pate, 2005; Pendergast & Bahr, 2010). Middle years preservice teachers require knowledge to implement programs that are intellectually rigorous and require significant depth of knowledge. A rich understanding of the repertoire of practices needed to engage with content and contexts of all kinds relevant to the twenty-first century will support effective lesson implementation (Honan, 2010; Dole, 2010).

Implementing middle school education requires links between subjects for enhancing the learning process (Beane, 1997, Pate, 2001). Subject integration aims to combine key learning areas within an activity. This approach is promoted as a way to locate learning in different contexts (Venville et al., 2001) and increase students’ understanding through an integrative manipulation that embraces multiple perspectives (James, Lamb, Householder, & Bailey, 2000). Integrating curricula as a seamless bonding of outcomes from varied subjects may present applications that help students to understand concepts and apply them to the world around them (Beane, 2006). Implementing interdisciplinary (integrated) learning programs is recognised as a positive contribution to a student’s education, and this becomes prominent in middle schooling where students seek new and relevant learning experiences (Beane, 1997, 2006; Carrington, 2006; Hattam, 2006). Devising an integrative curriculum is noted as a way to be responsive to early adolescents’ needs (Dowden, 2007; Pate, 2001) and the use of integrative models (Beane, 1991, 1997, 2006) may assist this

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process. Preservice teachers need guidance on how to construct integrated curriculum and implement it in the middle years classroom (Grant & Paige, 2007).

National assessments in Australia (e.g., NAPLAN), The Masters Report (Masters, 2009) and a strong national emphasis on attaining high levels of literacy and numeracy (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales, 2008; Department of Education, Science and Training,

Australian Government, 2005) necessitate preservice teacher development in these key learning areas for teaching in the middle school. The authors of the Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers (Queensland College of Teachers, 2006) advocate that expertise in the teaching of literacy and numeracy is an essential attribute for graduates. Ability to teach in these key learning areas is confirmed nationally from government reports and standards that preservice teacher development for teaching literacy and numeracy needs to be at the forefront of educational change (Chadbourne, 2001; Pendergast et al., 2007). Findings reported in one study (Coltheart & Prior, 2007) showed that in some teacher education courses, “less than 10 percent of course time was devoted to preparing teachers to teach reading; in about half of these courses this percentage was less than five percent” (p. 6). The importance of literacy and numeracy are basic to ensure the academic success of all learners (Luke et al., 2003).

While Luke et al. (2003) claim that the teaching of literacy has been given more focus in schools than numeracy, it is clear that both literacy and numeracy have the potential to be integrated by teachers across the curriculum to ensure connections between key learning areas and confirm their relevance to early adolescents’ daily lives. Middle years preservice teachers require adequate instruction and opportunities to plan, deliver, and incorporate

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literacy and numeracy experiences that draw on the students’ prior learning, include a range of digital technologies that are purposeful, meaningful and successful in making connections for early adolescent learners (Borko &Whitcomb, 2008; Honan, 2010; Pendergast et al., 2007).

Globally, technology has a significant role as a tool for educating all students, including middle-school students (Prensky, 2005). Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has advanced considerably over the last 20 years, with the Internet and a wide range of interactive applications that can facilitate learning (Jonassen, 2004). As today’s middle school students are “digital natives” (Prensky, 2005) growing up with ICT, lifelong learning has become a developing lifestyle for many early adolescents (Flecknoe, 2002; Gronow, 2007). ICT has changed the way education is implemented in many schools (Creighton, 2003; Scrimshaw, 2004; NSW Department of Education & Training, 2006). There has been a paradigm shift for implementing teaching over the last two decades, where ICT has facilitated more student-centred learning in many areas of the school curricula (Theriot, 2005).

Interactive whiteboards are further tools used for targeting early adolescent learners. The teacher’s role aids in creating optimal conditions for learning, such as selecting

appropriate, timely and challenging applications, tracking students’ learning, and questioning students about their learning (Osborne & Hennessy, 2003). Middle school teachers and preservice teachers’ implementation of learning programs that incorporate ICTs, combined with supportive pedagogy, can lead to “increased student interest and motivation in learning, more student-centred classroom environments, and increased real-

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life or authentic learning opportunities” (Muir & Scott, 2005, p. 364). There is evidence to suggest that ICT integration can assist to address student needs, societal requirements, increase student self esteem, and open up opportunities to advance middle school students’ future prospects (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2006).

As well as incorporating Information Communication Technologies into the classroom, teachers need to possess the expertise to assess and report on student learning (Queensland College of Teachers, 2006). Assessment is viewed as vital to the teaching and learning process of early adolescents as it provides information that directs effective instruction (Wyatt-Smith, Cumming, Elkins, &Colbert, 2010). The alignment of curriculum,

pedagogy and assessment has already been discussed (see Section 2.6.3) as a way forward to assist the consistency of learning for early adolescents (Carrington, 2002; Education Queensland, 2004; Hayes, 2003; Pendergast et al., 2007). Developmentally, middle school students are generally ready to make the connection between conceptual learning and meaningful situations, hence, supporters of middle school practices advocate the need for authentic assessment that link to real-life situations (De Jong & Chadbourne, 2005; Pate, 2005). Authentic assessments are noted to be more motivating for early adolescents as it complements their learning characteristics as they synthesise, critically analyse and apply the knowledge to meaningful contexts (Groundswater-Smith et al., 2007; Wyatt-Smith et al., 2010).

The National Middle School Association’s (2011) Second Draft Middle Level Teacher

Preparation Standards to be implemented in 2013, confirm the importance of graduates

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based assessment. In addition, they assert the importance of knowledge and experience in constructing a range of assessment tasks to provide variety for middle years learners. Indeed, students need a variety of assessments that challenge each individual to demonstrate competencies in non-threatening ways (Brady & Kennedy, 2007; Harlen, 2004; Pate; 2005; Wyatt-Smith, et al., 2010). Knowing how to interpret data and report on middle years students’ learning becomes part of the assessment and evaluation of the learning processes. Furthermore, this evidence can be used for accountability, reporting to parents, and can promote learning consistency in the transition from one year to the next. Middle school teacher preparation programs need to incorporate into the curricula

knowledge of assessment types, their construction, the gathering and analysis of

information and the use of data and, the processes and practices in reporting within school contexts and to parents and carers.