Sense of Belonging Pre/Post Transition to Secondary School: Privileging Student Voice

Abstract

In Queensland, Australia, there has been a major reform shifting Year 7 from Primary to Secondary Schools and implementing the Junior Secondary initiative for Years 7-9 in government schools. Six Guiding Principles, including establishing a Distinct Identity, provide the framework. This study examined 317 students transitioning from Year 6 to 7, with a focus on how, and to what extent, they established a Distinct Identity, evident in their sense of belonging and connectedness, and of feeling safe and confident in their school. This longitudinal study was conducted in two Phases with data collected over a year. Phase 1, pre-transition, involved 471 Year 6 students in 18 primary schools. Phase 2, post-transition, involved 317 matched respondents now in Year 7 in 11 secondary schools. Student voice is featured in this study as a key point of difference to previous studies about young people’s transitions. The findings reveal that students’ sense of belonging at school remained mostly stable and positive across the Year 6 to 7 transition, with a small decline in mean scores. This finding is a positive reflection on the effectiveness of the Junior Secondary initiative, which set out to address declines previously reported in the literature.