Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 
Co-education in Middle School 
Ximena Naranjo 
Kansas State University 
EDCI 786 Curriculum and Pedagogy in Middle School 
June 20, 2014
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 
Introduction 
Understanding how human beings develop their lives until they reach adolescence and adulthood 
is quite a difficult job for parents and educators. The Ecuadorian conventional wisdom calls the 
adolescence as “the zebra´s age”. It is a time in someone’s life which is difficult to handle and a 
little bit crazy. Psychologists and educators acknowledge that teenagers must accomplish certain 
steps in order to become adults. Additionally, they suggest that these steps reflect the 
adolescents’ physical, emotional, cognitive, moral and social development. Along the same line, 
many authors also provide different characteristics that help educators, parents and psychologists 
understand and differentiate between what is normal and abnormal in their children´s 
development. 
In the end, middle school teachers need to take their jobs with more objectivity. The adolescents´ 
teaching needs require multiple accommodations. Their capacities enable them to perceive the 
conflicts from multiple perspectives. It is easy to see students challenging teachers and parents´ 
authority, testing limits and exploring a wider intellectual emotional and geographical space. 
Therefore, teachers have to assure adolescents appropriate educational experiences that address 
these students’ special characteristics. In sum, educators have to meet the instructional student´s 
needs to support their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. 
Altogether, the adolescents’ characteristics and the transition from single sex to co-education 
have made some parents and teachers doubt of the benefits of this system at the time of educating 
adolescents. Many people are still questioning the process as there is not enough evidence of the 
benefits other than to prepare students for the real world, which I think is a good reason itself. 
Co-education enables boys and girls have the same adaptability and understanding of one 
another, which is why these characteristics play a fundamental role in the students’ lives. Given
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these points, This paper will describe how adolescents develop from childhood to adulthood 
considering their physical, emotional, social, moral, and intellectual development and how the 
schooling system either co-education or single sex education help them develop the necessary 
skills to be successful in life. 
Literature Review 
Physical Characteristics: 
These characteristics refer to certain physical developmental features associated with human 
growth. This transitional period from childhood to adulthood leaves behind life marking changes 
that make the adolescents see life differently. For instance, the rapid and uneven body 
development determines enhanced gross and fine motor skills and biological maturity. In 
addition, several authors state that both sexes experiment growth spurts, however they occur 
earlier in girls than in boys (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007; Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) 
Such characteristics like accelerated growing of bones compared to muscle changes makes 
teenagers sometimes be uncoordinated and clumsy. In fact, the adolescents’ developmental 
growth also includes significant increases in height, weight, and internal organ sizes as well as 
changes in skeletal and muscular systems. This rapid growth could give teenagers a feeling of 
discomfort and pain due to body development (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). There is an 
increase in the nutritional needs and lethargy due to the hormonal work. Alternatively, 
adolescents need 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep every day (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
Furthermore, both sexes begin to develop secondary sexual features. Girls begin menstruation, 
their breasts grow and hips enlarge. In the case of boys, they begin to show facial hair and men 
voices deepen. Their body odor becomes more pronounced that is why these characteristics can
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 4 
be sources of embarrassment, self – consciousness and distraction. (Kingen, 2000) (Caskey, M., 
& Anfara, V., 2007) 
Adolescence is also characterized by a set of overactive glands which produce hormones that 
signal the development of primary sex characteristics (genitalia or sexual organs) and secondary 
sex characteristics (e.g., breast development in girls; facial hair in boys). Testosterone in men and 
estradiol or estrogens in women are the most important ones in the development of sexuality. The 
increased production of adrenal hormones affects skeletal growth, hair production, and skin 
changes. Additionally the melatonin regulates the sleep time (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
Subsequently, the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain that handles executive 
functions including planning, reasoning, anticipating consequences, sustaining attention, and 
making decisions, is not fully developed in young adolescents (Caskey, M & Anfara, V., 2007). 
Also, the corpus callosum which connects the right and left brain hemispheres develop at this 
time giving the special adolescents characteristics. It tends to be thicker in females than in males 
making girls better at language art classes as they can use both sides of the hemispheres 
simultaneously. Whereas, boys use one hemisphere at a time lacking certain abilities that are later 
developed with teaching and experience (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) 
Implications about Teaching 
Educators have to base their teaching in comprehensive health programs that can let students 
adapt to their physical changes and develop the adolescents’ capabilities according to their 
specific needs. There is also a requirement of having institutional fitness. Health and hygiene 
programs that can help teenagers cope with their physical development. Parents and authorities 
are responsible for providing adequate diet as the adolescents´ nutritional requirements increase 
due to the intensification of energy use (Chip, 2007).
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I observed a group of 11- 12 year old students who would go to 7 grade next year. According to 
my observation I can tell that adolescent students shared similar characteristics. Their physical 
complexion was similar. Boys and girls develop almost at the same time it doesn´t matter if they 
are Ecuadorian or American, I can compare to the students that I worked with back in my 
country. This particular group of adolescents was combined with boys and girls, still in the 
process of developing their physical characteristics; I would say most of them still looked 
children. There were three Chinese students who also shared the same human complexity. 
Cognitive development 
Lerner, 2002, emphasizes that adolescents have more quantitative knowledge in their brains but 
think about their world in qualitatively different ways (Lerner, 2002). The “blossoming and 
pruning” of the adolescents brain connections and the myelination of their brain cells help 
adolescents at better reasoning and problem solving as well as in their short- term memory 
(Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Adolescents go through the process of cognitive 
development from concrete to abstract thinking. However, this transition to higher levels of 
cognitive function varies significantly across individuals as well as across and within content 
areas (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). This concrete operational thought, according to Piaget´s 
developmental process (seven to eleven years), enables teenagers to classify and order objects, 
understand reverse processes, think logically, arrange things in order from large to small, and 
conceptually combine objects to form categories (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). It is more 
important to note that the adolescents´ attention span is about ten minutes (Caskey, M., & Anfara, 
V., 2007). Their minds still process concrete knowledge at this time, which is why abstract 
concepts are difficult to acquire if they are not presented properly in middle schools. In fact, they 
have a preference from active rather than passive learning styles.
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Implications about Teaching 
Teachers have to look for the best strategies to create short, but intense lessons. However, most 
educators coincide on the belief that it is difficult to find the intermediate connection between 
teaching the essentials and understanding the developmental process. Most educators agree that 
teachers should encourage students´ intrinsic motivation; however, adolescents are more 
extrinsically motivated. Sharon Kingen suggests educators the use of commonly used rewards 
systems like gold stars, smiley faces stickers, special passes, food prizes, verbal praise and even 
grades to motivate adolescents. (Kingen, 2000). Kinger also suggests educators to pay attention 
to the individual characteristics of the learners to provide a more differentiated instruction based 
on the students realities. Additionally, adolescents look for respect of their individualities and 
ideally of their ability to learn (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). 
In general, middle school educators have to provide students with the opportunities to explore 
topics by themselves to ensure students rehearse and practice concepts. Teachers have to make 
topics interesting and challenge them to take safe risks. In addition, educators need to conduct 
classes with exploratory questions to develop higher level thinking. It is also suggested to take a 
look at the curriculum materials, the teaching methods, and the teacher´s characteristics to insert 
enthusiasm and dynamism in the process. Moreover, educators have to make connections 
between the content and the students learning experiences through a “Developmentally 
appropriate practice” (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 26). Indeed, teachers need to consider 
the changing intellectual developmental differences of young adolescents when planning learning 
experiences. To address this diversity, teachers need to provide a wide assortment of educational 
approaches and materials that are appropriate for their students' cognitive abilities (Chip, 2007).
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Teachers can also organize forums for this age group to explore the reasons for school, home, and 
societal rules. Serving as adult role models, teachers help young adolescents to connect 
intellectual and moral reasoning by teaching through example (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) 
(Chip, 2007) 
I observed a group of 11- 12 year old students who would go to 7 grades next year. According to 
my observation I can tell that adolescent students share similar characteristics. It doesn´t matter if 
they are Ecuadorian or American, when the topic is interesting they get engaged in class and 
participate. The class goal was to know about trees and the environmental factors that affect their 
growing. The instructions were clear. Students were asked to draw a tree and name it. It was easy 
to identify the ones who had more artistic abilities. They had to go outside Bluemont and take a 
look at the trees and distinguish them in categories, the tall, small or poor trees, additionally the 
ones that were surrounded by weed. So too, they paid attention to all of the environmental 
factors, like water, sun, space, animals affecting trees. The class kept students moving and 
engaged. The students’ body and mind were involved and questions were asked; however mostly 
girls asked questions, all of these helped them to develop metacognition. The class was 
organized with a second trip to the turtle creek where students will have a second opportunity to 
connect the trees and the environmental factors affecting them. The instruction was clear, they 
had to jot down their observations, feelings, smells, reactions to the creek´s environment in their 
journal book. The students showed curiosity, but at the same time they were playful and risky. 
Emotional 
Hall, (1904) as cited by Santrock (2012) defines the emotional development of adolescent as a 
time of “emotional turmoil”. It is described as a stage in life when there are frequent highs and
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 8 
lows (Santrock, 2012, p 150). This transition age is characterized by impatience, variability and 
sensitiveness. Their self-esteem is easily broken (Kingen, 2000). Their emotional immaturity and 
vulnerability might make adolescents make decisions that have negative impact (Caskey, M., & 
Anfara, V., 2007). It is difficult for young adolescents to find an appropriate way to express their 
feelings. However they are in the process of learning how to handle their emotional cycles and 
become conscious of their reactions. This awareness, which improves with the time, helps them 
cover their anger or guilt about their reactions. They are able to understand their peers’ emotions 
during the process of communicating feelings constructively. This characteristic contributes to a 
better quality of adolescents interactions (Santrock, 2012). This adolescents´ self-consciousness 
is at its highest level from ages 14-19 (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). During early 
adolescence, emotional and psychological development is characterized by the search for 
independence and identity formation (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). They are also often self-conscious, 
susceptible to to lack self-esteem, and are sensitive to criticism of their perceived 
personal limitations. They are still egocentric and involve themselves and their “imaginary 
audience” in their own thinking (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p.51). Finally, emotional 
situations prompt young adolescents to resort to childish behavior patterns, exaggeration of 
simple occurrences, and vocalization of naive opinions or one-sided arguments (Caskey, M., & 
Anfara, V., 2007). 
Implications about teaching 
Teachers have to be careful watchers and focused listeners of adolescents. It´s the educators 
responsibility to be honest and model appropriate roles avoiding sarcasm. In general it is 
required by teachers to create a positive environment where they can feel accepted by their peers. 
Additionally, the curricular experiences, organization structures, instructional approaches, and
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 9 
opportunities for exploration must be careful planned to address the adolescent emotional needs. 
Middle schools should have advisory and mentoring programs. Community support is vital to 
raise positive relationships among parents. Young adolescents need opportunities to form 
relationships with adults who understand them and who are willing to support their development 
(Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). Teachers can explain to young adolescents how self-esteem 
affects their development and provide experiences that build students' self-esteem. Young 
adolescents need environments that are free from harsh criticism, humiliation, and sarcasm 
(Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007 ; Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) 
According to what I observed, I realized the students’ need of feeling competent when they were 
drawing. Some of them asked for opinions about their work. The teachers reinforced and praised 
their feelings in front of their drawings. Posting students work on the wall also helped them to 
experience acceptance by peers. 
Social 
The social development of adolescents is marked by a huge need of being accepted and involved 
in a social group This is a stage when teenagers learn “how to make friends and how to act” 
(Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 39). There might be times of self-consciousness and 
shyness. (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Teenagers are worried about who they are, but they 
are even more apprehensive about how others see them. They need to fit in and they look for new 
ways to be popular and make new friends (Kingen, 2000). Adolescents social development refers 
to their capacity for more mature interactions with individuals and groups (Caskey, M., & 
Anfara, V., 2007). Young adolescents show a rebellious attitude to parents and adults, but they 
still depend on them for care and protection, additionally some even look for models to take after 
(Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007).
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Social maturity often overlaps with physical and intellectual development. Consequently, young 
adolescents may overreact to social situations, mock others, and feel humiliation. IAdolescents 
also develop interest in their opposite sex emerges, however they still enjoy hanging out with 
members of their same sex. (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
However, friendly relationships are different in both sexes. Girls seek for emotional support in 
their female peers contrary to boys who look for friends who can offer material care and who 
will stay by them in times of trouble (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) 
Implications about teaching 
Teachers have to create opportunities for community involvement. School-based social activities 
like , field trips, intra mural sports, programs in music, art , drama. Social activities could give 
teenagers a place to feel acceptance by peers as well as try out the roles society expects of them. 
Educators could allow students to work in groups for peer teach, and help others with socially 
different backgrounds. (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) 
Parents and educators have to fight with “developmentally inappropriate messages about 
behavior and dress” (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 48). In addition, The media and 
technology can create inappropriate patterns and expectations. Teachers have to address the 
impact these messages can cause in adolescents to erroneous information or gender roles and 
stereotypes (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
According to my observation, I saw how boys and girls gathered together to form groups. 
Students walked down in small groups specially girls; however, it was easily for girls to make 
groups than for boys. Boys showed a little bit disconnected. Some of them gathered together, 
they were playful and joyful jumping down on the shore of the creek. There was this special 
student who didn´t participate much, I can describe him as shy and disengaged. However he felt
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 11 
like talking to me. He shared about his family and his life. He told me he had a 9 year old sister 
who he didn´t get along with. To put it in another way, he described her as evil. As far as I know, 
it is difficult for siblings to have a friendly relationship at home. As far as I know, adolescents 
look for people to share their problems so, adults have to listen to them to made them feel they 
are understood. 
Moral 
Lerner (2012) emphasizes that the adolescents moral development involves thinking and 
behaving “prosocially” The same author also states that a society must educate new generations 
committed to creating a “healthy, productive and successful” development of self, family and 
society (Lerner, 2012, p. 129). The adolescence moral development encloses thoughts, feelings 
and behaviors in front of the right and wrong. Teenagers might be determined by the 
reinforcement of punishment and imitation (Santrock, 2012). The moral development in 
adolescents may be a combination of moral thought, moral behavior, moral feeling, and moral 
personality (Sandrock, 2012) The same author describes Kohlberg´s stages in front of the 
dilemma of moral behavior. According to Kohlberg adolescents show a stage of pre-conventional 
reasoning when teenagers consider the social rules are absolute, wrong if they are 
punished and right if they are rewarded. The second stage explains the conventional reasoning 
which involves adolescents judgments according to what friends, family and society state is right 
or wrong. Finally, the post conventional reasoning considers the internal part of morality. The 
adolescents understand that there are options and decide according to the moral codes to meet the 
high standards trying not to be away of their individual rights and ethical principles (Sandrock, 
2012). Adolescents perceptive conscience is based on self-chosen ethical principles that place 
the highest value on human life, equal opportunity and self-respect (Brown, D., & Knowles, T.,
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2007). Schools could be a difficult place to reassure moral conduct. Some students are from 
homes that emphasize a very strict moral code, while others grow up with few restrictions, 
therefore both groups might face contradictions concerning character. Educators have to teach 
positive values that match the community and make them part of the curriculum. The use of 
discussions as ethical arguments for students to analyze is a primary need. In general, parents and 
teachers need to promote care beyond the classroom and teach conflict-resolution respecting their 
student’s personal environments (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
The benefits of co- education in adolescence 
Young adolescents deserve educational experiences and schools that are organized to address 
their unique physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, and social 
developmental characteristics and needs. Practitioners, parents, and others who work with young 
adolescents need to be aware of their developmental needs. Such changes give adults insights into 
the challenges facing young adolescents and elucidate possible reasons for shifts in young 
adolescents' ability and behavior (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). 
Many researches have been conducted to find out the benefits of co-education. There are several 
questions to answer, like, why did authorities combine sexes into co -education What were the 
goals, were these goals achieved? According to the Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in 
History and Society in its article “Coeducation and Same-Sex Schooling” the pre modern 
societies assigned different roles to men and women, giving them a role in society. Boys were 
trained for work, politics, and war; while girls were prepared for the domestic chores. The idea of 
coeducation wanted to unify human rights abolishing any hierarchy. Co-education appeared 
during the eighteenth century. It was first linked to religion as there were more women 
participating in church, they also needed to have a role in the community. New England was the
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first country which adopted co-education. After the American Revolution, there was a new 
movement to give women the role to socialize the children of a new republic. The nineteenth 
century spread co-education in the northern and western regions. The new trends of co-education 
also were associated to women's rights in the public mind (Society, 2008). 
There were several currents against co-education, moral grounds implying that it was dangerous 
to place boys and girls in close proximity, there was also an argument implying that school 
leaders was necessary for the success of secondary institutions. On the other hand, some 
educators suggested that girls represented a calming or "civilizing" influence on the boys , which 
was also stated in the research “The advantages and disadvantages of coeducational and single-sex 
schooling” where Smith (1998) determined that some parents preferred single- sex schooling 
for boys because it had a “civilizing effect” on their behavior. Contrary to what girls’ parents said 
that boys distracted girls in schools. In general, according to this study, students in single-sex 
schools tended to be more high-achieving. Boys typically attracted more of the teacher's attention 
than girls do in coeducational classes. Girls are reluctant to express their views in front of boys 
in the junior secondary grades. Talking about their classroom behavior, boys asked more trivial 
questions than girls in order to gain the teacher's attention but girls were more likely to seek 
clarification. Girls expressed increased confidence in being able to learn and use mathematics 
when they attended single-sex classes (Smith, 1998). However, the presence of young men in the 
classroom may have helped to outgrowth their female classmates to greater success (Society, 
2008). 
In the late nineteens and twentieth centuries there was a movement of claiming promiscuity and 
unhealthy competition as a result of co-education. Ronald Reagan redirected the course of 
education as his concern about sexual freedom. There was an increase in unmarried teenage
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 14 
pregnancies, and the growth of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. At the same 
time feminists voiced their rights of equity in different fields such as mathematics began to 
question the logic of coeducation as the principal means to educational equity. 
It was also discussed how females were ignored in class discussions and subjected to threats of 
sexual harassment in a co-educational environment calling to the “invisible women” (Society, 
2008). A recent study about the perceptions and attitudes of Canadian students toward their 
Academic and Social Experiences in Schools demonstrated that co-education provides students a 
context for developing real world learning. These students researched felt confident expressing 
their ideas in front of member of their opposite sex, which also built leadership skills. 
Additionally, there was more collaboration between both sexes as they were reassuring their 
personality building their self-image. In sum, being part of co-education prepares students to be 
part of real-world experiences and situations (McLean, G., Howie, D., Raafluab, C., 2006). 
The results of this 18 year longitudinal study suggested that children who attended single-sex 
schools had greater success in high stakes tests. They also showed higher reading scores, greater 
school retention, and they were less likelihood of leaving school without qualifications, and less 
exposure to unemployment. These achievement differences were evident for both boys and girls 
(Woodward LJ, Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ., 1999). 
(Smithers, A., & Robinson, P., 2006) also xplained that there is not much difference in the 
efficacy of an outstanding performance of co- education over single sex education. This 
separation was more related to parent preferences. The researchers emphasized existence of 
excellent single- sex schools and co-education institutions that provide quality education for life.
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 15 
However this separation was more related to parent´s preferences related to their previous 
misconceptions about the two systems. (Smithers, A., & Robinson, P., 2006) 
Personal Application. 
(Kingen, 2000) Suggests the acronym TARGET as a form to represent new ways to motivate and 
enhance middle scholars (Task, Authority, Reward, Grouping, Evaluation, Time). Teachers can 
meet students’ needs by encouraging engagement in learning manipulating tasks to make them 
more interesting, giving them the opportunity to control some of the aspects of their learning, 
increasing personal satisfaction by rewards, helping them to socialize by grouping them, 
evaluating and giving feedback and providing then enough time to encourage successful 
achievement (Kingen, 2000). 
This is a good summary of the things that I consider the adolescent students from my country 
need. First of all, I will align my planning with the national standards which require the English 
instructors to improve understanding of the language as a system of communication. In order to 
reach this goal I need to apply different theories of language acquisition looking for new ways of 
teaching to my students to help them meet the criteria defined in the Ecuadorian ESL curriculum 
to achieve a “B1” which is that a student has competent proficiency and can understand and 
respond to clear speech on familiar topics. “B1” level also allows students express orally or 
written in simple connected text on a familiar topic at the end of high school, according to the 
“Common European Framework. 
I will look for new instructional approaches to help my students meet their students’ needs and 
expectations during the teaching - learning process varying the pace of my lessons to make sure 
everybody gets the same goal. I will pay special attention to my students needs in terms of
Running head: CO-EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 16 
differentiation. Their cognitive development needs according to their age require teachers to 
begin lessons with concrete concepts to create intense lessons and develop abstract thinking 
where students can participate and interact with the material. I will use exploratory questions to 
help me develop higher order thinking skills in my student. Besides the use of authentic material 
and experiential demonstrations will enable ESL middle school learners develop their language 
skills. 
I will organize group work and class work projects where students can participate and develop 
their social skills encouraging their peers’ acceptance. As I know most of them are mestizo, and 
a few are part of the indigenous community, sometimes it is difficult for them to accept students 
coming from different backgrounds. 
I also promote their physical care using ethical arguments which students have to analyze apply 
to their own lives. Overall, I will understand that adolescents go through a big change and that as 
a teacher I have to be wise enough to guide them with love and respect. I will be a careful 
watcher of my students needs to offer developmentally appropriate practice to my students in 
Ecuador. 
I will also include authorities, parents and community in this process of education. The 
educational institutions have to ensure a student oriented curriculum with emphasis on both 
cognitive and affective development where teachers are organized in teams. There should be 
additional programs with academic and nonacademic classes where students can develop their 
skills. All of these considerations will help me provide my students with quality a instructions to 
go along with what is stated in the national constitution, ensure students have an inclusive
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educations that prepares students for being part of the Ecuadorian democratic life, for work or to 
continue with their studies at the university. 
References 
Brown, D. &. (2007). What every middle school teacher should know. United States: Heinemann. 
Caskey, M. &. (2007). Young Adolescents’ Developmental Characteristics. AMLE (then NMSA) Board of 
Trustees, 1-13. 
Chip, W. (2007). Yardsticks, Children in the classroom ages 4-14. Massachusetts: Northest Foundation for 
Children, Inc. 
John, S. (2012). Adolescence. Dallas: Mc Graw Hill. 
Kingen, S. (2000). Teaching Language Arts in Middle Schools. Connecting and communicating. Mahwah, 
NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 
Lerner, R. (2002). Adolescence, Development, Diversity, Context and Application. New jersey: Pearson 
Education. 
McLean, G. H. (2006). Selecting an independent school, The benefits of co-educational environment. 
Canadian Independent co-education schools, 1-8. 
Osguthorpe, R. (2009). On the possible forms a relationship migt take between the moral character of a 
teacher and the moral development of a student. Teachers´College records, 111, 1-26. 
Smith, I. (1998). The advantages and disadvantages of coeducational and single-sex schooling. REACT, 1- 
5. 
Smithers, A. &. (2006). THE PARADOX OF SINGLE-SEX AND CO-EUCATIONAL SCHOOLING. Buckingham: 
Carmichael Press. 
Society, E. o. (2008). Coeducation and Same-Sex Schooling. New Jersey: The Gale Group. 
Woodward LJ, F. D. (1999). The effects of single-sex and coeducational secondary. The Australian Journal 
of Education, p. 142-156.
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STEM Project
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The teacher and students who were participating in “OUTDOOR BIOLOGY” 
Teenagers exploring the environment to write down information in their journals
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Student taking a close look at some marks on a tree. Seeing was not enough, “he touched it” 
Students completing information in their journal. “There was enough space, there were three 
students using the same tree as support”.
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One of the student´s journals fell down in the water. 
It was either because some of them showed payful and didn´t think the consequences of his /her 
acts.
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There are multiple behaviors and highlights which determine that a person is going 
through the process of puberty into adulthood. Yet, the intellectual, physical and emotional 
changes are profound; young children think in simple concrete terms according to their bodies 
and minds. Additionally, age and development make their thinking become more complex 
conversely; they see life from multiple perspectives. While it is true that parents feel reluctant to 
lose their children, they always question how their teenagers’ behaviors changed lately. “I was 
not like that when I was your age.” Given these points, it is confusing for parents and educators 
to see young adolescent demanding adult treatment, but still looking for care and protection. It is 
even more difficult to hear them questioning life and social conventions as they usually do in 
different settings.

Research paper.docx Middle School

  • 1.
    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Co-education in Middle School Ximena Naranjo Kansas State University EDCI 786 Curriculum and Pedagogy in Middle School June 20, 2014
  • 2.
    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Introduction Understanding how human beings develop their lives until they reach adolescence and adulthood is quite a difficult job for parents and educators. The Ecuadorian conventional wisdom calls the adolescence as “the zebra´s age”. It is a time in someone’s life which is difficult to handle and a little bit crazy. Psychologists and educators acknowledge that teenagers must accomplish certain steps in order to become adults. Additionally, they suggest that these steps reflect the adolescents’ physical, emotional, cognitive, moral and social development. Along the same line, many authors also provide different characteristics that help educators, parents and psychologists understand and differentiate between what is normal and abnormal in their children´s development. In the end, middle school teachers need to take their jobs with more objectivity. The adolescents´ teaching needs require multiple accommodations. Their capacities enable them to perceive the conflicts from multiple perspectives. It is easy to see students challenging teachers and parents´ authority, testing limits and exploring a wider intellectual emotional and geographical space. Therefore, teachers have to assure adolescents appropriate educational experiences that address these students’ special characteristics. In sum, educators have to meet the instructional student´s needs to support their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Altogether, the adolescents’ characteristics and the transition from single sex to co-education have made some parents and teachers doubt of the benefits of this system at the time of educating adolescents. Many people are still questioning the process as there is not enough evidence of the benefits other than to prepare students for the real world, which I think is a good reason itself. Co-education enables boys and girls have the same adaptability and understanding of one another, which is why these characteristics play a fundamental role in the students’ lives. Given
  • 3.
    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 3 these points, This paper will describe how adolescents develop from childhood to adulthood considering their physical, emotional, social, moral, and intellectual development and how the schooling system either co-education or single sex education help them develop the necessary skills to be successful in life. Literature Review Physical Characteristics: These characteristics refer to certain physical developmental features associated with human growth. This transitional period from childhood to adulthood leaves behind life marking changes that make the adolescents see life differently. For instance, the rapid and uneven body development determines enhanced gross and fine motor skills and biological maturity. In addition, several authors state that both sexes experiment growth spurts, however they occur earlier in girls than in boys (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007; Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) Such characteristics like accelerated growing of bones compared to muscle changes makes teenagers sometimes be uncoordinated and clumsy. In fact, the adolescents’ developmental growth also includes significant increases in height, weight, and internal organ sizes as well as changes in skeletal and muscular systems. This rapid growth could give teenagers a feeling of discomfort and pain due to body development (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). There is an increase in the nutritional needs and lethargy due to the hormonal work. Alternatively, adolescents need 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep every day (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Furthermore, both sexes begin to develop secondary sexual features. Girls begin menstruation, their breasts grow and hips enlarge. In the case of boys, they begin to show facial hair and men voices deepen. Their body odor becomes more pronounced that is why these characteristics can
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 4 be sources of embarrassment, self – consciousness and distraction. (Kingen, 2000) (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) Adolescence is also characterized by a set of overactive glands which produce hormones that signal the development of primary sex characteristics (genitalia or sexual organs) and secondary sex characteristics (e.g., breast development in girls; facial hair in boys). Testosterone in men and estradiol or estrogens in women are the most important ones in the development of sexuality. The increased production of adrenal hormones affects skeletal growth, hair production, and skin changes. Additionally the melatonin regulates the sleep time (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Subsequently, the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain that handles executive functions including planning, reasoning, anticipating consequences, sustaining attention, and making decisions, is not fully developed in young adolescents (Caskey, M & Anfara, V., 2007). Also, the corpus callosum which connects the right and left brain hemispheres develop at this time giving the special adolescents characteristics. It tends to be thicker in females than in males making girls better at language art classes as they can use both sides of the hemispheres simultaneously. Whereas, boys use one hemisphere at a time lacking certain abilities that are later developed with teaching and experience (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) Implications about Teaching Educators have to base their teaching in comprehensive health programs that can let students adapt to their physical changes and develop the adolescents’ capabilities according to their specific needs. There is also a requirement of having institutional fitness. Health and hygiene programs that can help teenagers cope with their physical development. Parents and authorities are responsible for providing adequate diet as the adolescents´ nutritional requirements increase due to the intensification of energy use (Chip, 2007).
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 5 I observed a group of 11- 12 year old students who would go to 7 grade next year. According to my observation I can tell that adolescent students shared similar characteristics. Their physical complexion was similar. Boys and girls develop almost at the same time it doesn´t matter if they are Ecuadorian or American, I can compare to the students that I worked with back in my country. This particular group of adolescents was combined with boys and girls, still in the process of developing their physical characteristics; I would say most of them still looked children. There were three Chinese students who also shared the same human complexity. Cognitive development Lerner, 2002, emphasizes that adolescents have more quantitative knowledge in their brains but think about their world in qualitatively different ways (Lerner, 2002). The “blossoming and pruning” of the adolescents brain connections and the myelination of their brain cells help adolescents at better reasoning and problem solving as well as in their short- term memory (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Adolescents go through the process of cognitive development from concrete to abstract thinking. However, this transition to higher levels of cognitive function varies significantly across individuals as well as across and within content areas (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). This concrete operational thought, according to Piaget´s developmental process (seven to eleven years), enables teenagers to classify and order objects, understand reverse processes, think logically, arrange things in order from large to small, and conceptually combine objects to form categories (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). It is more important to note that the adolescents´ attention span is about ten minutes (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). Their minds still process concrete knowledge at this time, which is why abstract concepts are difficult to acquire if they are not presented properly in middle schools. In fact, they have a preference from active rather than passive learning styles.
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 6 Implications about Teaching Teachers have to look for the best strategies to create short, but intense lessons. However, most educators coincide on the belief that it is difficult to find the intermediate connection between teaching the essentials and understanding the developmental process. Most educators agree that teachers should encourage students´ intrinsic motivation; however, adolescents are more extrinsically motivated. Sharon Kingen suggests educators the use of commonly used rewards systems like gold stars, smiley faces stickers, special passes, food prizes, verbal praise and even grades to motivate adolescents. (Kingen, 2000). Kinger also suggests educators to pay attention to the individual characteristics of the learners to provide a more differentiated instruction based on the students realities. Additionally, adolescents look for respect of their individualities and ideally of their ability to learn (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). In general, middle school educators have to provide students with the opportunities to explore topics by themselves to ensure students rehearse and practice concepts. Teachers have to make topics interesting and challenge them to take safe risks. In addition, educators need to conduct classes with exploratory questions to develop higher level thinking. It is also suggested to take a look at the curriculum materials, the teaching methods, and the teacher´s characteristics to insert enthusiasm and dynamism in the process. Moreover, educators have to make connections between the content and the students learning experiences through a “Developmentally appropriate practice” (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 26). Indeed, teachers need to consider the changing intellectual developmental differences of young adolescents when planning learning experiences. To address this diversity, teachers need to provide a wide assortment of educational approaches and materials that are appropriate for their students' cognitive abilities (Chip, 2007).
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 7 Teachers can also organize forums for this age group to explore the reasons for school, home, and societal rules. Serving as adult role models, teachers help young adolescents to connect intellectual and moral reasoning by teaching through example (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) (Chip, 2007) I observed a group of 11- 12 year old students who would go to 7 grades next year. According to my observation I can tell that adolescent students share similar characteristics. It doesn´t matter if they are Ecuadorian or American, when the topic is interesting they get engaged in class and participate. The class goal was to know about trees and the environmental factors that affect their growing. The instructions were clear. Students were asked to draw a tree and name it. It was easy to identify the ones who had more artistic abilities. They had to go outside Bluemont and take a look at the trees and distinguish them in categories, the tall, small or poor trees, additionally the ones that were surrounded by weed. So too, they paid attention to all of the environmental factors, like water, sun, space, animals affecting trees. The class kept students moving and engaged. The students’ body and mind were involved and questions were asked; however mostly girls asked questions, all of these helped them to develop metacognition. The class was organized with a second trip to the turtle creek where students will have a second opportunity to connect the trees and the environmental factors affecting them. The instruction was clear, they had to jot down their observations, feelings, smells, reactions to the creek´s environment in their journal book. The students showed curiosity, but at the same time they were playful and risky. Emotional Hall, (1904) as cited by Santrock (2012) defines the emotional development of adolescent as a time of “emotional turmoil”. It is described as a stage in life when there are frequent highs and
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 8 lows (Santrock, 2012, p 150). This transition age is characterized by impatience, variability and sensitiveness. Their self-esteem is easily broken (Kingen, 2000). Their emotional immaturity and vulnerability might make adolescents make decisions that have negative impact (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). It is difficult for young adolescents to find an appropriate way to express their feelings. However they are in the process of learning how to handle their emotional cycles and become conscious of their reactions. This awareness, which improves with the time, helps them cover their anger or guilt about their reactions. They are able to understand their peers’ emotions during the process of communicating feelings constructively. This characteristic contributes to a better quality of adolescents interactions (Santrock, 2012). This adolescents´ self-consciousness is at its highest level from ages 14-19 (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). During early adolescence, emotional and psychological development is characterized by the search for independence and identity formation (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). They are also often self-conscious, susceptible to to lack self-esteem, and are sensitive to criticism of their perceived personal limitations. They are still egocentric and involve themselves and their “imaginary audience” in their own thinking (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p.51). Finally, emotional situations prompt young adolescents to resort to childish behavior patterns, exaggeration of simple occurrences, and vocalization of naive opinions or one-sided arguments (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). Implications about teaching Teachers have to be careful watchers and focused listeners of adolescents. It´s the educators responsibility to be honest and model appropriate roles avoiding sarcasm. In general it is required by teachers to create a positive environment where they can feel accepted by their peers. Additionally, the curricular experiences, organization structures, instructional approaches, and
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 9 opportunities for exploration must be careful planned to address the adolescent emotional needs. Middle schools should have advisory and mentoring programs. Community support is vital to raise positive relationships among parents. Young adolescents need opportunities to form relationships with adults who understand them and who are willing to support their development (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). Teachers can explain to young adolescents how self-esteem affects their development and provide experiences that build students' self-esteem. Young adolescents need environments that are free from harsh criticism, humiliation, and sarcasm (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007 ; Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) According to what I observed, I realized the students’ need of feeling competent when they were drawing. Some of them asked for opinions about their work. The teachers reinforced and praised their feelings in front of their drawings. Posting students work on the wall also helped them to experience acceptance by peers. Social The social development of adolescents is marked by a huge need of being accepted and involved in a social group This is a stage when teenagers learn “how to make friends and how to act” (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 39). There might be times of self-consciousness and shyness. (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Teenagers are worried about who they are, but they are even more apprehensive about how others see them. They need to fit in and they look for new ways to be popular and make new friends (Kingen, 2000). Adolescents social development refers to their capacity for more mature interactions with individuals and groups (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007). Young adolescents show a rebellious attitude to parents and adults, but they still depend on them for care and protection, additionally some even look for models to take after (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007).
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 10 Social maturity often overlaps with physical and intellectual development. Consequently, young adolescents may overreact to social situations, mock others, and feel humiliation. IAdolescents also develop interest in their opposite sex emerges, however they still enjoy hanging out with members of their same sex. (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). However, friendly relationships are different in both sexes. Girls seek for emotional support in their female peers contrary to boys who look for friends who can offer material care and who will stay by them in times of trouble (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007) Implications about teaching Teachers have to create opportunities for community involvement. School-based social activities like , field trips, intra mural sports, programs in music, art , drama. Social activities could give teenagers a place to feel acceptance by peers as well as try out the roles society expects of them. Educators could allow students to work in groups for peer teach, and help others with socially different backgrounds. (Caskey, M., & Anfara, V., 2007) Parents and educators have to fight with “developmentally inappropriate messages about behavior and dress” (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007, p. 48). In addition, The media and technology can create inappropriate patterns and expectations. Teachers have to address the impact these messages can cause in adolescents to erroneous information or gender roles and stereotypes (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). According to my observation, I saw how boys and girls gathered together to form groups. Students walked down in small groups specially girls; however, it was easily for girls to make groups than for boys. Boys showed a little bit disconnected. Some of them gathered together, they were playful and joyful jumping down on the shore of the creek. There was this special student who didn´t participate much, I can describe him as shy and disengaged. However he felt
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 11 like talking to me. He shared about his family and his life. He told me he had a 9 year old sister who he didn´t get along with. To put it in another way, he described her as evil. As far as I know, it is difficult for siblings to have a friendly relationship at home. As far as I know, adolescents look for people to share their problems so, adults have to listen to them to made them feel they are understood. Moral Lerner (2012) emphasizes that the adolescents moral development involves thinking and behaving “prosocially” The same author also states that a society must educate new generations committed to creating a “healthy, productive and successful” development of self, family and society (Lerner, 2012, p. 129). The adolescence moral development encloses thoughts, feelings and behaviors in front of the right and wrong. Teenagers might be determined by the reinforcement of punishment and imitation (Santrock, 2012). The moral development in adolescents may be a combination of moral thought, moral behavior, moral feeling, and moral personality (Sandrock, 2012) The same author describes Kohlberg´s stages in front of the dilemma of moral behavior. According to Kohlberg adolescents show a stage of pre-conventional reasoning when teenagers consider the social rules are absolute, wrong if they are punished and right if they are rewarded. The second stage explains the conventional reasoning which involves adolescents judgments according to what friends, family and society state is right or wrong. Finally, the post conventional reasoning considers the internal part of morality. The adolescents understand that there are options and decide according to the moral codes to meet the high standards trying not to be away of their individual rights and ethical principles (Sandrock, 2012). Adolescents perceptive conscience is based on self-chosen ethical principles that place the highest value on human life, equal opportunity and self-respect (Brown, D., & Knowles, T.,
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 12 2007). Schools could be a difficult place to reassure moral conduct. Some students are from homes that emphasize a very strict moral code, while others grow up with few restrictions, therefore both groups might face contradictions concerning character. Educators have to teach positive values that match the community and make them part of the curriculum. The use of discussions as ethical arguments for students to analyze is a primary need. In general, parents and teachers need to promote care beyond the classroom and teach conflict-resolution respecting their student’s personal environments (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). The benefits of co- education in adolescence Young adolescents deserve educational experiences and schools that are organized to address their unique physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, and social developmental characteristics and needs. Practitioners, parents, and others who work with young adolescents need to be aware of their developmental needs. Such changes give adults insights into the challenges facing young adolescents and elucidate possible reasons for shifts in young adolescents' ability and behavior (Brown, D., & Knowles, T., 2007). Many researches have been conducted to find out the benefits of co-education. There are several questions to answer, like, why did authorities combine sexes into co -education What were the goals, were these goals achieved? According to the Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society in its article “Coeducation and Same-Sex Schooling” the pre modern societies assigned different roles to men and women, giving them a role in society. Boys were trained for work, politics, and war; while girls were prepared for the domestic chores. The idea of coeducation wanted to unify human rights abolishing any hierarchy. Co-education appeared during the eighteenth century. It was first linked to religion as there were more women participating in church, they also needed to have a role in the community. New England was the
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 13 first country which adopted co-education. After the American Revolution, there was a new movement to give women the role to socialize the children of a new republic. The nineteenth century spread co-education in the northern and western regions. The new trends of co-education also were associated to women's rights in the public mind (Society, 2008). There were several currents against co-education, moral grounds implying that it was dangerous to place boys and girls in close proximity, there was also an argument implying that school leaders was necessary for the success of secondary institutions. On the other hand, some educators suggested that girls represented a calming or "civilizing" influence on the boys , which was also stated in the research “The advantages and disadvantages of coeducational and single-sex schooling” where Smith (1998) determined that some parents preferred single- sex schooling for boys because it had a “civilizing effect” on their behavior. Contrary to what girls’ parents said that boys distracted girls in schools. In general, according to this study, students in single-sex schools tended to be more high-achieving. Boys typically attracted more of the teacher's attention than girls do in coeducational classes. Girls are reluctant to express their views in front of boys in the junior secondary grades. Talking about their classroom behavior, boys asked more trivial questions than girls in order to gain the teacher's attention but girls were more likely to seek clarification. Girls expressed increased confidence in being able to learn and use mathematics when they attended single-sex classes (Smith, 1998). However, the presence of young men in the classroom may have helped to outgrowth their female classmates to greater success (Society, 2008). In the late nineteens and twentieth centuries there was a movement of claiming promiscuity and unhealthy competition as a result of co-education. Ronald Reagan redirected the course of education as his concern about sexual freedom. There was an increase in unmarried teenage
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 14 pregnancies, and the growth of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. At the same time feminists voiced their rights of equity in different fields such as mathematics began to question the logic of coeducation as the principal means to educational equity. It was also discussed how females were ignored in class discussions and subjected to threats of sexual harassment in a co-educational environment calling to the “invisible women” (Society, 2008). A recent study about the perceptions and attitudes of Canadian students toward their Academic and Social Experiences in Schools demonstrated that co-education provides students a context for developing real world learning. These students researched felt confident expressing their ideas in front of member of their opposite sex, which also built leadership skills. Additionally, there was more collaboration between both sexes as they were reassuring their personality building their self-image. In sum, being part of co-education prepares students to be part of real-world experiences and situations (McLean, G., Howie, D., Raafluab, C., 2006). The results of this 18 year longitudinal study suggested that children who attended single-sex schools had greater success in high stakes tests. They also showed higher reading scores, greater school retention, and they were less likelihood of leaving school without qualifications, and less exposure to unemployment. These achievement differences were evident for both boys and girls (Woodward LJ, Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ., 1999). (Smithers, A., & Robinson, P., 2006) also xplained that there is not much difference in the efficacy of an outstanding performance of co- education over single sex education. This separation was more related to parent preferences. The researchers emphasized existence of excellent single- sex schools and co-education institutions that provide quality education for life.
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 15 However this separation was more related to parent´s preferences related to their previous misconceptions about the two systems. (Smithers, A., & Robinson, P., 2006) Personal Application. (Kingen, 2000) Suggests the acronym TARGET as a form to represent new ways to motivate and enhance middle scholars (Task, Authority, Reward, Grouping, Evaluation, Time). Teachers can meet students’ needs by encouraging engagement in learning manipulating tasks to make them more interesting, giving them the opportunity to control some of the aspects of their learning, increasing personal satisfaction by rewards, helping them to socialize by grouping them, evaluating and giving feedback and providing then enough time to encourage successful achievement (Kingen, 2000). This is a good summary of the things that I consider the adolescent students from my country need. First of all, I will align my planning with the national standards which require the English instructors to improve understanding of the language as a system of communication. In order to reach this goal I need to apply different theories of language acquisition looking for new ways of teaching to my students to help them meet the criteria defined in the Ecuadorian ESL curriculum to achieve a “B1” which is that a student has competent proficiency and can understand and respond to clear speech on familiar topics. “B1” level also allows students express orally or written in simple connected text on a familiar topic at the end of high school, according to the “Common European Framework. I will look for new instructional approaches to help my students meet their students’ needs and expectations during the teaching - learning process varying the pace of my lessons to make sure everybody gets the same goal. I will pay special attention to my students needs in terms of
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 16 differentiation. Their cognitive development needs according to their age require teachers to begin lessons with concrete concepts to create intense lessons and develop abstract thinking where students can participate and interact with the material. I will use exploratory questions to help me develop higher order thinking skills in my student. Besides the use of authentic material and experiential demonstrations will enable ESL middle school learners develop their language skills. I will organize group work and class work projects where students can participate and develop their social skills encouraging their peers’ acceptance. As I know most of them are mestizo, and a few are part of the indigenous community, sometimes it is difficult for them to accept students coming from different backgrounds. I also promote their physical care using ethical arguments which students have to analyze apply to their own lives. Overall, I will understand that adolescents go through a big change and that as a teacher I have to be wise enough to guide them with love and respect. I will be a careful watcher of my students needs to offer developmentally appropriate practice to my students in Ecuador. I will also include authorities, parents and community in this process of education. The educational institutions have to ensure a student oriented curriculum with emphasis on both cognitive and affective development where teachers are organized in teams. There should be additional programs with academic and nonacademic classes where students can develop their skills. All of these considerations will help me provide my students with quality a instructions to go along with what is stated in the national constitution, ensure students have an inclusive
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 17 educations that prepares students for being part of the Ecuadorian democratic life, for work or to continue with their studies at the university. References Brown, D. &. (2007). What every middle school teacher should know. United States: Heinemann. Caskey, M. &. (2007). Young Adolescents’ Developmental Characteristics. AMLE (then NMSA) Board of Trustees, 1-13. Chip, W. (2007). Yardsticks, Children in the classroom ages 4-14. Massachusetts: Northest Foundation for Children, Inc. John, S. (2012). Adolescence. Dallas: Mc Graw Hill. Kingen, S. (2000). Teaching Language Arts in Middle Schools. Connecting and communicating. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Lerner, R. (2002). Adolescence, Development, Diversity, Context and Application. New jersey: Pearson Education. McLean, G. H. (2006). Selecting an independent school, The benefits of co-educational environment. Canadian Independent co-education schools, 1-8. Osguthorpe, R. (2009). On the possible forms a relationship migt take between the moral character of a teacher and the moral development of a student. Teachers´College records, 111, 1-26. Smith, I. (1998). The advantages and disadvantages of coeducational and single-sex schooling. REACT, 1- 5. Smithers, A. &. (2006). THE PARADOX OF SINGLE-SEX AND CO-EUCATIONAL SCHOOLING. Buckingham: Carmichael Press. Society, E. o. (2008). Coeducation and Same-Sex Schooling. New Jersey: The Gale Group. Woodward LJ, F. D. (1999). The effects of single-sex and coeducational secondary. The Australian Journal of Education, p. 142-156.
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 18 STEM Project
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 19 The teacher and students who were participating in “OUTDOOR BIOLOGY” Teenagers exploring the environment to write down information in their journals
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 20 Student taking a close look at some marks on a tree. Seeing was not enough, “he touched it” Students completing information in their journal. “There was enough space, there were three students using the same tree as support”.
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 21 One of the student´s journals fell down in the water. It was either because some of them showed payful and didn´t think the consequences of his /her acts.
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    Running head: CO-EDUCATIONIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 22 There are multiple behaviors and highlights which determine that a person is going through the process of puberty into adulthood. Yet, the intellectual, physical and emotional changes are profound; young children think in simple concrete terms according to their bodies and minds. Additionally, age and development make their thinking become more complex conversely; they see life from multiple perspectives. While it is true that parents feel reluctant to lose their children, they always question how their teenagers’ behaviors changed lately. “I was not like that when I was your age.” Given these points, it is confusing for parents and educators to see young adolescent demanding adult treatment, but still looking for care and protection. It is even more difficult to hear them questioning life and social conventions as they usually do in different settings.