Running head: Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 1

Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence

A Comparative Analysis of the Observable Behaviors of Middle School Students

Jacquelyn M. Smith

Chesapeake College
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 2

Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence

A Comparative Analysis of the Observable Behaviors of Middle School Students

Middle school cafeterias are a rich observation ground to examine the measurable

differences in development of young people as they transition from middle childhood into

adolescence. Observing their complex social behaviors and varying appearances, we can find

evidence of the rapid changes occurring within them related to their physical, social, emotional,

cognitive, and cultural development. Contrasting the data culled from observing sixth grade

students with the data from observing eight grade students demonstrates how rapidly their

development moves at these ages.

Physical Development

Middle school students typically range in age from 10 years to 14 years of age. This

phase of physical growth places most of them solidly in the throes of puberty. In “Puberty:

Physical Change and its Significance in Early Adolescence”, the authors provide a

comprehensive list of the physical changes that transpire during this time of rapid development.

• height and weight changes • voice deepening

• growth of pubic and • acne and skin disruptions
underarm hair • sebaceous and apocrine gland
• growth of facial hair in boys production
• growth of breasts in girls

(Boxer, Tobin-Richards, Peterson, p.86)

Sixth-grade students observed were shorter than the staff supervising them, for the most part. A

few students had experienced the dramatic height changes that come with puberty, but they were

the exception. Girls were generally leaner than boys, with several of the girls taller than their
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 3

average male classmate. For each lunch table of approximately 16-20 students, one student could

be classified upon sight as obese or significantly overweight. Almost no students exhibit signs of

the uptick of sebaceous or apocrine glad production, which would manifest in greasy skin, oily

hair, or body odor. A few students show signs of acne or other skin disturbances, but they are in

the minority. Breast development in female students was widely varied, from no breast

development at all to ample development. Physical movements for all students are broad,

confident, and exaggerated. When students run across the cafeteria, it is purely for expediency.

Several students wore cartoon character t-shirts or shirts that were embellished with glitter and

were dressed in a child-like fashion. Few students had dyed hair that was in the non-natural

spectrum of colors.

Typical Sixth-Grader Outfits

www.sears.com

Eighth grade students are vastly different in outward physical appearances. Nearly three-

quarters of students are as tall as or taller than average-height staff. Boys are significantly

different in height, and many are more physically bulky than their sixth-grade counterparts. The

rate of students at each table of 16-20 students who were visibly classifiable as overweight or

significantly obese rose to three students. Acne was visible on several students and hygiene

issues related to sebaceous and apocrine gland production were observed on several others. Some
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 4

male students exhibited the first indications of mustaches or beards. The pace of breast

development for girls is significantly greater in eighth-grade. Physical movements are more

controlled and purposeful, yet occasionally hesitant in eight-graders. There is far less of the

frenetic energy of the sixth-grade students. When they run across the cafeteria, it’s purely for

comic relief. The eight-grade students appear to be more tired and possibly sleep-deprived. Their

clothing tended toward solid, dark colors emblazoned with brand names. Most of the clothing

observed would look perfectly at home on a college student at Chesapeake. A marked increase in

dyed hair and a wider diversity of hairstyles was observed. A few males had hair that was past

shoulder-length.

Typical Eighth-Grader Outfits

www.amazon.com

All physical observations are in line with what is expected for the transitioning ages from

middle childhood to adolescence. The National Center for Health Statistics places the 50%

percentile height and weight range for boys aged 10-14 at 54.5 inches to 65 inches and 70

pounds to 86 pounds. For girls, the 50% percentile for these ages are 54 inches to 63 inches and

73 pounds to 84 pounds (CDC, Clinical Growth Charts). The observed increase in overweight or

obese children aligns with the averages provided by the CDC. They list 18.4% of children aged

6-11 as obese, and 20.6% of children aged 12-19 (CDC, Overweight and Obesity). Marked

increase in growth and signs of puberty may present themselves at different points in time for

these young people, but inevitably they will arrive. Some students may move into high school
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 5

still in a prepubescent phase, while others will enter high school looking much like they will as

young adults. The influences of hormones, heredity via genetics, and even nutrition can all play a

role in when those changes arrive.

Cognitive Development

The brain undergoes a great deal of change between the ages of 10 and 14. Students

refine their self-concept as they become more aware of the reactions of the people around them.

Their morality continues to develop and becomes less black and white as they understand that

classification can occur on more than one dimension. Their logical thinking and understanding of

cause and effect improves rapidly in this time. However, risk-taking and boundary testing

behaviors increase as they try to express their independence, despite being given clear cues and

direction from the authority figures around them regarding expectations.

The sixth-grade students at both schools observed were mainly oblivious to being

observed. They struggled with the task of self-selecting seating on a reward day, afraid to

commit to a seating option for fear they would miss their peers. Despite being given notice that

this choice was coming, they had not planned for it by determining a general area of the cafeteria

in which to meet their friends. Students also struggled to remember where they had chosen to sit

when they returned from the lunch line. They often were caught in the middle of misbehavior by

staff who walked in fixed patterns through the cafeteria, and occasionally tried to protest their

innocence or ignorance of the clearly posted rules. Despite the lack of access to a clock, they

instinctively seemed to know when their lunch sessions were ending and escalated the pace of

their conversation and eating as they approached the end of lunch. The sixth-grade students were
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 6

haphazard with their belongings. Items like hoodies lay on the floor throughout the lunch period,

getting stepped on. A stack of folders is left behind when students depart the cafeteria.

The eighth-grade students were far better prepared for both staff supervision and the

seating choice option. Students monitored the movements of staff and even the observer in the

cafeteria, warning other students upon their approach. Misbehavior was calculated for the times

that were least likely to get them in trouble. Several boys squeaked their shoes on the floors on

the way into the cafeteria, when staff were not present. Once staff had arrived, the same students

were careful not to squeak their shoes again as they moved into the lunch lines or toward they

bathrooms. When the students arrived in the cafeteria on seating choice day, most students had a

pretty clear idea of where they’d be sitting. They watched the doorways for their friends to arrive

and waved them over to their table. They took better care of their belongings and were more

likely to pick up another student’s dropped or forgotten item to aid the other student. One

similarity was the increase in volume and pace of activity near the end of the eighth-grade lunch

sessions, although they were much more obviously monitoring the time via their cell phones.

Evidence of the Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development were visible during the

observation. The Concrete Operational Phase that begins around 7 years and concludes around

12 years could be drawn from the treatment or lack thereof of the observer. Because they were

not engaged at all by the observer, the students paid absolutely no attention to them. Younger

students might have identified the observer as an adult and therefore an authority figure to be

wary of. Because the observer exercised no authority over the students, they understood this

person not to be a person in authority over them. This demonstrates the ability to classify

information by different levels. They might have drawn a hierarchy that had administrators at the

top level, then teachers and guidance counselors, and concluded with previously unknown
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 7

observers at the very bottom. Evidence of the Formal Operational Phase was shown in the

logical and strategic thinking the older students employed to avoid getting into trouble. They

calculated when the best times and circumstances to misbehave were to avoid punishment. This

requires logic and “systematic thinking” (Dunn & Craig, p. 16). The recognition, retention, and

application of lessons learned as younger students helps the older students better navigate their

environment.

Social Development

A great deal of social interaction takes place in a middle school cafeteria. The 30 minutes

spent in the cafeteria each day are some of the least monitored minutes in the daily life of a

middle schooler. Other unmonitored times of the day are during sports in physical education,

where instructors cannot logically be everywhere the students are, in the halls moving from class

to class, and on the buses to and from school. While students in the cafeteria typically have

assigned seating areas, they do have the freedom to choose their seats within the confines of that

area. This allows for some social choice to happen in a controlled setting.

When the sixth-grade students arrive in the cafeteria, most of them walk in with a friend

from their class. Students, especially boys, engage in broad physically comedy to amuse their

peers. One boy walks like a penguin down the aisle. Notes are passed from table to table to allow

students who are not sitting together to communicate. They speak at full volume, even when

discussing topics that aren’t school appropriate. They struggle to cut themselves off mid-

sentence when the lights go out, indicating they should be silent. Many of them just continue to

talk until they’re finished, to the consternation of the administrators. When allowed the choice of

where to sit, they generally select seating with peers based on gender and race. At one middle

school, a significant number of students take their lunches out of the cafeteria to go eat in
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 8

teacher’s classrooms to make up work or to get assistance with content, missing out on the social

time in the cafeteria. The students are self-involved and often miss behaviors from other students

adjacent to them. A boy at one school danced in the aisle and no one paid him any attention. He

seemed unbothered by this. As staff move through the cafeteria, the students engage them

willingly and joke with them. While there is some entertainment of and interaction with peers,

much of the activity from the sixth-grade students seems self-serving and unselfconscious.

When eighth-graders enter the cafeterias, there are more separations in the social groups,

even within the classes. The observer can anticipate who students will sit next to based on how

they’re dressed or style their hair. Each clique seems to come with its own uniform. Despite

being the smallest grades of students in both schools, their voices are the loudest. The note

passing trend has survived into this grade as well. Students frequently adjust their hair and

clothing and look to see if their peers notice. They check in with each other about the clothing

choices they’ve made for that evening’s dance. There are clear indications of gossip and bullying

behaviors. When staff move through the cafeterias, the students don’t engage with them unless

directly spoken to. They accommodate the custodian without speaking to or acknowledging him.

The separation between staff and student is more keenly felt, and blatant disrespect and lying are

observed more than once. Students perceived as popular, and athletes in particular, seem to get

away with more misbehavior than other students. The eighth-grade students are direct and want

to know why they’re being observed. They also engage in a significant amount of flirting.

Increasing awareness of the social world around them is typical for this age of young

people. Students who would not have thought about lying to a staff member now do it with ease,

because they think of rules as less fixed and concrete and more malleable guidelines that can be

adapted to suit the situation. Their social groups become more defined as they experience a sense
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 9

of belonging to a peer group. They groom themselves nervously, often a reflection of a negative

sense of self compared to their peers, through “social comparison” (Dunn & Craig, p. 313). They

attach values to their identity, in the belief that some “social reference groups” (Dunn & Craig, p.

305) are inherently better or more acceptable than others.

Emotional Development

Middle school aged students begin to invest emotionally in their peers to a degree not

experienced before. They imitate and assimilate the behavior of others, adapting their schemas to

fit a new world of thought, socialization, and emotions. They may be experiencing grief over the

loss of the privileges and benefits of early childhood, like recess and class parties and field trips.

The expectations of them have suddenly risen, and students see very little positives to offset

these new responsibilities. This can lead to the perception of these students being on a roller-

coaster of emotions, with their parents and teachers as hostages on the ride. By age 14, “their

initial responses to events/demands/changes are likely to be resistant, and actions tend to be

stubborn and contrary (Levin, p. 233).” Who can blame them for this resistance? Within and

without, they are undergoing a massive shift in emotional development while navigating

tremendous change in their environment.

The sixth-grade students wear their emotions transparently. They call out to their friends

loudly and greet them excitedly and animatedly. The sixth-graders were the most empathetic

group when a speaker gave an impassioned speech about her experiences with her father’s

suicide and the support group she participates in at the school to help her process that event.

They loudly applauded at the end of her speech, and a group of Latina girls were the initiators of

that applause. Their overall mood is one of happiness and joy. They unabashedly express the
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 10

emotions they’re feeling without much editing or suppression. Flashes of insecurity move across

their faces, but they’re less common here than in seventh or eighth grade.

Eighth grade might well be a different species of humans altogether when contrasted

emotionally with sixth grade. The most commonly observed emotion is annoyance. They seem to

be irritated by staff and their peers on a regular basis. These students are far more closed off in

their interactions with staff, and work to stay composed and reserved. They speak more

intimately with their friends, and often behave secretively. Several students isolate themselves

and appear to be shut down. Insecurity is much more visible here, as they constantly assess and

reassess how they’re being received.

Young people transitioning from middle childhood to adolescence begin to rely on fewer

friendships that are built upon mutual trust instead of the proximity friendships of early

childhood. They assess themselves for conformity regularly, which can damage their self-esteem

if they perceive themselves to be falling short. Erikson’s Industry Versus Inferiority crisis (Dunn

& Craig, p. 254) reflects their need to define themselves socially, academically, culturally, and

personally. This tremendous pressure on their self-esteem and self-efficacy often results in

outwardly sullen and frustrated behavior, clearly visible more in the students who are in early

adolescence versus the students who are moving out of middle childhood.

Cultural Development

Ascertaining the cultural beliefs of middle school students is easier than it might initially

seem. Middle schoolers tend to display what matters to them quite literally on their sleeves.

Students are easily sorted into their peer group with its associated values based on their

wardrobe. To the parent who cries out “Who cares what you wear to school?”, I would respond

with, “EVERYONE!”. The way students present themselves defines how they’re accepted by
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 11

their peers, how they’re often treated by school staff and their community, and how they carry

themselves. Their cultural identity is tied intrinsically to what they wear. Middle schoolers also

communicate their cultural affiliations by whom they choose to place themselves near. The old

adage “birds of a feather flock together” is very true for middle schoolers.

When given the option to self-select seating, a table of 16-20 Latino sixth-grade girls

seated themselves at the very fringe of the cafeteria in seclusion. Other cultural groups became

apparent on this day. There was an entire table of smaller boys, who, driven away from a central

table by larger bullies, found safety in numbers at another fringe table. Many students chose to

sit at tables with only their own gender, reflecting the development of more defined gender roles

as they shift into adolescence. They felt more comfortable with a group they identified with

culturally. Other minority groups clustered together.

Their older counterparts added more complex layers of sorting by appearance. The

eighth-grade girls were often separated into groups of girls who did and did not wear makeup.

Young black women who wore braids wore much more intricate styles than their sixth-grade

peers and clustered together within their assigned seating. A sole student wore a brightly colored

gay pride sweatshirt and was seated with students who wore equally colorful if less political

shirts. Several young men wore team jerseys, either for their school teams or professional teams,

and seated themselves clustered by the team. A whole section of the population in both eighth

grade and sixth grade wore clothing themed with the Maryland flag pattern. The eighth-graders

also grouped by values. Students who were inclined to lie to staff or misbehave surrounded

themselves with peers who had no moral qualms about backing them up and supporting their

lies. Economic status was apparent in some of the social clusters, as the students with the most

expensive brand clothes tended to sit together when possible.

Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 12

As much as middle school students don’t want to be defined by anyone else, they define

themselves quite starkly culturally. Style may seem superficial to adults, but in these ages, it’s

absolutely crucial. The style of clothing worn communicates to others their social status, political

beliefs, economic status, and what’s important to them.

Conclusion

Middle school students clearly communicate their progress through their physical, social,

emotional, cognitive, and cultural developmental changes in how they fashion themselves and

their behavior. The observable symptoms or signs of these changes are measurable and diverse in

this incredibly complex age group. Students are navigating the clear end of childhood and the

beginning of adolescent responsibilities as well as the physical and emotional difficulties of

puberty. They can appear contrary and difficult, but this is a manifestation of just how many

things they are rapidly reacting to in this age. They define themselves by both what they support

and what they don’t support. One student’s comment really reflected this.

Staff member: “Who do you want to sit with?”

Student: “It’s more who I don’t want to sit with.”

As adults working with students in this critical age, we do well to model the empathy, values,

respect, and self-esteem these students will hopefully arrive at when they transition into

adulthood.
Moving from Middle Childhood to Adolescence 13

References

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Boxer, A. M., Tobin-Richards, M., & Petersen, A. C. (1983). Puberty: Physical Change and its

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Clinical Growth Charts. (2017, June 16). Retrieved October 15, 2018, from

https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm

Dunn, W. L., & Craig, G. J. (2013). Understanding human development. Boston: Pearson.

Levin, P. (2015). Ego States and Emotional Development in Adolescence. Transactional Analysis

Journal, 45(3), 228–237.

https://doi.org.ccproxy.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0362153715599990

Overweight & Obesity. (2018, August 13). Retrieved October 15, 2018, from

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

Sears. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2018, from https://www.sears.com/