This book draws on detailed case studies from three very different countries and school systems to explore the early adolescent learner and the middle years of learning, both of which are often overlooked in the literature. An abundance of research shows the importance of the middle years in putting early adolescent learners on the path to success in further education, careers, and general wellbeing. By focusing on bringing current research to life through the sharing of practical examples and lived experiences of practitioners, this book explores how issues such as curriculum reform, inclusive philosophies, instructional design, and assessment practices are supporting the conditions in which effective middle years learning can unfold. A comparative approach, using data from Canada, Germany and Finland, is utilized to critically examine the effects of the pedagogical methods employed by teachers, and the learning environments in which formal education takes place. The book makes a compelling case for the importance of fostering student voice and choice, and developing new ways of engaging the school community as a whole, and makes a valuable contribution to the discourse concerning early adolescent learners and the middle years of schooling. 

Brandy Yee completed her PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and currently works as a principal in a large middle school in Canada. She has devoted her career in education towards ensuring the adolescent learning experience in school effectively meets their unique developmental and learning needs. 
Anne Sliwka is Professor of Education at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Her research focus is on school improvement, diversity and inclusion in education and on education for citizenship and democracy. Her research includes international OECD research on formative assessment, teacher professionalism and innovation in learning. 
Matti Rautiainen has been working as teacher educator at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, since 1999, where he is currently Deputy Head of Teacher Education. He has previously worked as a teacher in secondary and upper secondary schools, and his research interests include educationfor democracy; learning in schools and teacher education; educational change; and experimental educational culture.

Chapter 1. Why comparative research on the middle years?.- Chapter 2. Setting the Stage.- Chapter 3. Multicultural and Multifaceted Canada.- Chapter 4. Germany: A System undergoing Change.- Chapter 5. Finland: Towards the Future School.- Chapter 6. Ecologies of Practice