Key themes and the future: reflections on the middle years of schooling

The middle years of schooling are the site of vibrant educational reform. This is exciting on a number of fronts: the development and implementation of innovative curriculum; the creation of robust teacher professional communities; and, a renewed focus on the relevance of educational research for classroom practice. Given the strength of middle schooling reform in this country, it could be expected that many of the key discussions should take place among networks of educators drawn from classrooms, professional organisations and tertiary institutions. The dialectic between practice and research is one of the most interesting features of middle years reform.