Adaptive tasks: school transition from the 5th to 6th grade of elementary education

Cynthia Cassoni,Edna Maria Marturano,Marta R G Correia-Zanini,Anne Marie Fontaine

doi:10.1590/1413-82712020250307

Cynthia Cassoni, Edna Maria Marturano + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-82712020250307

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Abstract

Abstract Within the ages of ten and thirteen years, children experience changes in elementary school. Focusing on students from public schools, the aim of this study was to investigate whether, from the 5th to 6th grade, they change indicators of performance, social skills, self-satisfaction and support network, self-concept and stress dimensions from one grade to another. A total of 379 students (212 girls), with a mean age of 10.6 years (SD = 0.91), participated at the beginning of the study. Instruments: Social Skills Assessment System; Child Stress Scale; Proof Brazil; Questionnaire for Self-Concept Evaluation; Multidimensional Scale of Life Satisfaction for Children. The results indicate a decrease in social skills, self-concept and life satisfaction; indicators of stress symptoms and academic performance increased from the 5th to 6th grade. The results are partially in agreement with previous findings of adverse effects of transition.

Highlights

Within the ages of ten to thirteen years, the child undergoes substantial physical and cognitive changes
The results indicated a significant effect of time with respect to empathy that decreased from the 5th to 6th grade
The research reported in this article aimed to investigate whether indicators of performance, social skills, satisfaction with self and support network, dimensions of self-concept and stress, during transition from the 5th to 6th grade, change from one grade to another

Summary

Introduction

Within the ages of ten to thirteen years, the child undergoes substantial physical and cognitive changes. Cognitive and interpersonal changes, many children experience transition from elementary school (ES) to middle school (MS). School transition: Adaptive tasks and includes the transition from a loosely structured content to a highly structured one. When students change schools concomitantly with school grade transition, the social network among classmates may be affected. In Brazil, it is common to change schools when transitioning from the 5th to 6th grade. In the state of Sao Paulo, approximately 22% of children are enrolled in state schools in the 5th grade against 58% in the 6th grade (INEP, 2019)

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