Creating a Middle Grades Environment That Significantly Improves Student Achievement

Stage-Environment Fit and Middle Level Virtual Learners: A Phenomenological Case Study

“…Since the inception of stage-environment fit theory, researchers have continued to examine the role such a fit plays in supporting student learning and engagement at the middle level. L'Esperance, Lenker, Bullock, Lockamy, and Mason (2013) examined stageenvironment fit in four public middle level schools collecting data from each school's principals, leadership teams, and teachers and found a decrease in autonomy, motivation, and self-efficacy ensued when there was a mismatch between classroom environment and middle level learner needs. Netcoh and Bishop (2017) also studied the negative repercussions of a mismatch in stageenvironment fit through a team of middle grades teachers as they implemented a personalized approach to learning in their classrooms.…”