Middle school is about the growth, potential, and change of adolescents. Students at the middle school age level, generally ages 10 to 14, struggle with the dynamics of making the transitions from recess and active learning in elementary school to multiple teachers, bigger workloads and campuses, and larger student populations (Alexander et al., 1969; Howell et al., 2016). For this study, the instructional practices, and strategies of project-based, experiential, and work-based learning are researched including challenges, measurements of growth and success, and recommendations for future educators using these instructional delivery methods (Dincer, 2021; Flannery & Smith, 2021; Kalkan & Dagli, 2021; Kurt, 2022; Molinari & Grazia, 2023). The middle school groups of education are considerably overlooked by students, parents, and educators as insignificant, however, research shows that middle school is the prime time for students to explore career options and be given autonomy and confidence in their choice-making skills (Duke et al., 2020; Fortus et al., 2005; Hamlin, 2021; Lovette-Wilson et al., 2020). Students in grades six through eight can benefit from this research as more and better ways to teach them are explored. Instructional professionals, teachers, and administrators can utilize the skills embedded in the research to further their professional practice. Some of the themes discovered in this study included within the instructional practices and strategies encompassed how social constructivism impacts middle school teaching and learning, as well as autonomy, also emphasized are how design thinking can be useful at the middle school level, alongside collaboration and creativity. This phenomenological appreciative inquiry study seeks to determine best practices for engaging middle school students in their learning through specific instructional delivery methods. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]