This insightful book presents and discusses the dialogues that took place in the New Directions in Middle Level Education Research session at the 2022 Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) conference. Carefully crafted and expert-led chapters draw upon four recent studies that were published in Research in Middle Level Education Online, the research journal of AMLE, and which were featured in a roundtable discussion at the 2022 AMLE conference. Each section of the book includes one of the four studies accompanied by two companion pieces offering different perspectives on the work. In the companion essays, the original authors enrich and extend their research by incorporating feedback from the conference session discussions, revisiting their findings and conclusions, considering alternative approaches to further research, and proposing new or clarified implications for practice. The book also comprises contributions from middle level education experts, who offer responses to each study, offering perspectives, critiques, and commentaries. Reflecting the generative, dialogic, knowledge-building process that took place at the AMLE conference, it showcases the collaborative work of middle level researchers who draw ideas and inspiration for their studies from prior research and accounts of practice, as well as their own experiences in the field. This book is an excellent resource for researchers, doctoral students, and academics in the fields of middle level education, educational research, and research methods in education.
