Pupil Mental Health, Concerns and Expectations About Secondary School as Predictors of Adjustment Across the Transition to Secondary School: A Longitudinal Multi-informant Study

Frances Rice,Katherine H. Shelton,I. Chris McManus,Terry Ng-Knight,Lucy Riglin,Norah Frederickson,Victoria Powell,Graham F. Moore

doi:10.1007/s12310-021-09415-z

Frances Rice, Katherine H. Shelton + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-021-09415-z

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Abstract

The transition from primary to secondary schooling is challenging and involves a degree of apprehension. The extent to which pre-existing mental health difficulties, as well as pupil, parent, and teacher concerns and expectations about secondary school predict adaptation to secondary school, is unclear. In a three-wave, prospective longitudinal study, we examined associations between pre-transition concerns and expectations about moving to secondary school with mental health difficulties and demographic factors. We then evaluated whether these constructs predicted multiple indicators of adaptive pupil functioning at the end of the first year of secondary school (academic attainment, classmate behaviour rating, school liking and loneliness at school). We found children’s concerns reduced across the transition period. Concurrent associations were identified between both concerns about secondary school and lower parent and teacher expectations that children would settle in well at secondary school, with mental health difficulties and special educational needs. Investigating associations with multiple indicators of adaptive functioning at secondary school, multivariable regression analyses controlling for a range of baseline factors (e.g. special educational needs), found children’s concerns about secondary school to be specifically associated with loneliness. In contrast, children’s mental health difficulties and both parent and teacher expectations of how well children would settle into secondary school were associated with a wider range of indicators of adaptive functioning at secondary school. When examining all predictors simultaneously, primary school teacher expectations showed longitudinal association with a wide range of indicators of successful transition. These findings suggest that assessing primary school teacher expectations may be useful for monitoring and supporting pupils through this transition period and could usefully inform school-based interventions to support transition and mental health.

Highlights

IntroductionThe transition from primary to secondary school has been identified as a challenging period for children that has the potential to influence pupils’ later mental health and academic attainment (Gillison et al, 2008; Rice, Frederickson, & Seymour, 2011; Riglin et al, 2013; Viner et al, 2012; West, Sweeting, Young, 2010; Zeedyk et al, 2003)
In a prospective longitudinal study, we described children’s concerns about moving to secondary school and how these changed over the transition period
We identified some of the demographic, academic and mental health characteristics of children with higher levels of concerns about moving to secondary school and children whose parents and teachers expected them to settle in less well to secondary school

Summary

Introduction

The transition from primary to secondary school has been identified as a challenging period for children that has the potential to influence pupils’ later mental health and academic attainment (Gillison et al, 2008; Rice, Frederickson, & Seymour, 2011; Riglin et al, 2013; Viner et al, 2012; West, Sweeting, Young, 2010; Zeedyk et al, 2003). In addition to indicators of pupil achievement and classroom behaviour (Bailey & Baines, 2012; Benner, 2011; Galton et al, 1999) research on the transition to secondary school should consider areas of adjustment that are important to children such as social integration and connectedness to secondary school (Pratt & George, 2005; Rice et al, 2011) This argument is underscored by observations that schools play an important role in children’s academic, cognitive, social, emotional and psychological development (Fazel et al, 2014; McNeely & Falci, 2004; Resnick et al, 1997; Richardson et al, 2015) and by research indicating that school attachment (which includes a feeling of belonging to school, liking school and positive peer relationships at school; Libbey, 2004) is associated with indicators of school performance, such as academic performance and mental health (Libbey, 2004; Shochet, Dadds, Ham, & Montague, 2006; Viner et al, 2012)

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