School context in the transition from the early years to the final years of Elementary Education

Cynthia Cassoni,Vanessa Barbosa Romera Leme,Edna Maria Marturano,Anne Marie Fontaine

doi:10.1590/1982-0275202037e190049

Abstract

Abstract The transition between the two cycles of Elementary School is a process with anticipations and expectations in the 5th as well as demands and adaptations in the 6th year. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of the transition taking into account the nature of the transition. A prospective study was carried out with two data collections (5th and 6th grade). A total of 379 public-school students (212 girls), with a mean age of 10.6 years (SD = 0.91), were enrolled at the beginning of the study. The instruments used were Brazil Test, Child Stress Scale, Social Skills Assessment System, Self-Concept Assessment Questionnaire, and Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale for Children. When comparing the two grades, children who did not change schools showed more stability, especially in academic self-concept; those enrolled in municipal schools showed a greater decrease in self-concept and satisfaction with life. School change seems to increase the demands of transition.

Highlights

Support: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Process no 99999.006432/2015-08) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Process no 462540/2014-6, no 301857/2015-6)
Students between the ages from ten to thirteen experience a period of significant physical, cognitive and interpersonal changes when changing from Elementary School I (ESI) to Elementary School II (ESII)
Most of the differences were found between Trans2 group, which consisted of students who were expected to change to another municipal school, and Trans3, the group of children who expected to change to a state school; when comparing the groups, Trans2 showed higher mean values in math, responsibility/cooperation, empathy, and total social skills, while Trans3 showed a higher mean value for stress symptoms

Summary

Introduction

Support: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Process no 99999.006432/2015-08) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Process no 462540/2014-6, no 301857/2015-6). Nas comparações entre os anos, crianças que não mudaram de escola apresentaram maior estabilidade, sobretudo no autoconceito acadêmico; as encaminhadas para escolas municipais apresentaram maior decréscimo no autoconceito e na satisfação com a vida. According to the 2017 School Census, changes are common and the municipal network, the main responsible for elementary education in Brazil, is responsible for 69.8% of schools in the early years of the cycle and 47.2% in the final years. In this context, it is assumed that the demands of the transition on students are greater, as they must adapt to a different school culture and build new relationships with peers and teachers. Longitudinal studies have either detected a decline in performance (Forrest, Bevans, Riley, Crespo, & Louis, 2013; Ryan, Shim, & Makara, 2013) or stability during transition (Sebanc, Guimond, & Lutgen, 2014). Akos, Rose, and Orthner (2015), following up students from the 3rd to 8th grade, interpret the decline as a momentary reduction in student achievement restricted to the post-transition period

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