The impact of surface and reflective teaching and learning on students' academic success was studied with 178 students in grades 6 through 8 at a middle school in Tennessee. Students were surveyed to determine their experiences in the classroom with regard to surface or reflective teaching in their Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies classes, Each student completed the Surface or Reflective Teaching Survey (SORTS) in each class. Teachers were encouraged to participate and asked to compete the SORTS from a teacher perspective. The teacher participation rate was 98%. Teachers received class level averages from their classes, which enabled them to reflect on student perceptions of their teaching and make any pedagogical adjustments they deemed necessary. The survey process was repeated in April to see if the feedback had any effect on surface and reflective teaching and learning. Students' semester grade reports were obtained, and the relationships between students' level of learning, teachers' level of teaching, and student academic outcomes were determined, as was change in student perception to see if this was related to learning outcomes. The surface learning environment, or transmission of data approach, in mathematics and science was significantly associated with successful student learning outcomes. The reflective learning environment, or construction of knowledge approach, was significantly associated with successful student learning outcomes in Social Studies and Language Arts. Teachers believed there was a linkage between reflective learning environments and higher student learning outcomes, and the study supports this belief. (Contains 13 references.) (SLD)