Conceptualization Of Transition Research Articles

Conceptualising Primary-Secondary School Transitions: A Systematic Mapping Review of Worldviews, Theories and Frameworks

There is continued interest internationally in primary-secondary school transitions. Fourteen literature reviews of primary-secondary transitions have been published over the last 20 years, however none of them have systematically analysed primary-secondary school transition ontology, i.e., researchers’ worldviews, theories/models and frameworks. This is a major gap in these reviews and the papers published in this area; this is of concern as it is difficult to trust the robustness of a study if its foundation, such as researchers’ conceptualisation of transitions, is not visible. Therefore, using the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) approach, we undertook a systematic mapping review, of empirical studies published internationally between 2008 and 2018. Our objectives were to explore researchers’ and research participants’ conceptualisation of transitions, the conceptual framework used by the researchers and their discourse about transitions. Of the 96 studies included in this systematic mapping review, most had not clearly defined transition, and even when conceptualisation was explicit, it did not underline the research design or frame the findings. Most researchers adopted previously used theoretical frameworks.These theoretical frameworks can be beneficial; however, as the researchers did not adapt or develop them in the context of transitions research, it limits a meta-theoretical understanding of transitions. Further, the majority did not report study participants’conceptualisation of transitions. Similarly, a large number of researchers adopted a negative discourse about primary-secondary school transitions, with some using a mixed discourse and only two papers had a primarily positive discourse. This systematic mapping review is original and significant as it is the first study to provide a review of school transitions ontology and offers unique insights into the conceptual and methodological gaps that international transitions researchers should address.

A proposed theoretical framework for actors in transformative change

In this opinion piece we suggest a number of theoretical innovations related to the representation and conceptualisation of actors and agency in transitions studies. The research field has gained significant academic and policy popularity and reached a degree of maturity that belies its youth. Despite the ongoing advances and sophistications however, we argue that major lacunae remain regarding actors and agency. Because transitions are reaching advanced stages with more prominent roles for actors, addressing this issue is a prerequisite for progress in transition research – something which is widely acknowledged in the field.Rather than the archetypical way of conceptualising a transition as some kind of systemic fight between alternative systems (niches) and dominant systems (the regime), we present a transition as a fluid unfolding of network activities by diverse actors aligned with a particular stream, resulting in a transformed system. We emphasize that our framework is a proposition – to stimulate debate and suggest avenues of further research. The ideas in this framework have yet to prove themselves, empirically and theoretically as regards their merits for transitions research, but at least they provide a different conceptualisation of transitions with a central role for actors and agency.

A Parent-Professional Collaboration Model of Transitional Planning

The transitional planning model described in this article incorporates a broad conceptualization of transition that includes social skills, independent living skills, and overall competence in adjustment to the community with the specific needs of children who are blind, visually impaired, and have multiple disabilities, and their families.