Educational Transitions Research Articles

Beyond subjects and skills or crossing the divide? From additionality to complementarity in college enrichment

ABSTRACT This paper reports a longitudinal study, organized around national surveys and institution-based case studies, of ‘enrichment’ in post-16 colleges across England and Wales. These institutions transect general and vocational education pathways, whose curricula are organized respectively around subject disciplines and employment skills. Drawing on social justice perspectives and understandings of curriculum theory and cultural reproduction, the study initially analysed enrichment practices positioned as additional to subject-based curricula. However, extending thematic analysis through cross-case comparison, the study uncovered an additional, complementary role of enrichment: in some specialist/general education settings, teacher-led, practice-based extensions of subject curricula, complemented by agentic networking opportunities, facilitated middle-class higher education transitions; vocational enrichment, responding instead to ‘learner support’ imperatives and socializing young people into employment routines, sustained the normative transitions to work that characterize vocational pathways. These distinctive complementary logics mirror the inequalities of epistemic access identified by curriculum theory, suggesting that these extend beyond formal curricula. On the other hand, some marginal practices, including broader, more critical preparation for adulthood and work, suggest possibilities to advance social justice, transgressing the academic/vocational divide. Whilst unequal societies persistently sustain this divide, activities outside formal curricula may support more agentic and socially just transitions to adulthood and working life.

Exploring the Role of Recreation in Rural NH Youths' Negotiation of Master Narratives

Rural youths often feel compelled to leave their home communities to seek new opportunities, especially at the secondary-postsecondary educational transition. These decisions are driven in part by perceived developmental imperatives to leave rural regions given messages that success is best achieved elsewhere. The present study used the framework of identity master narratives to explore recreation’s role in facilitating youth postsecondary planning in the rural northeastern state of New Hampshire. The study extends and deepens prior research seeking to understand some of the structural-psychological factors connecting recreation involvement in adolescence, postsecondary decision making, and broader developmental patterns among the 15-19 and 20-24 age cohorts. Findings suggest that recreational involvement is associated with postsecondary plans, and that a strong educational and vocational identity can also provide clarity for the future. Recreation and youth professionals inevitably engage with developmental processes and can support postsecondary planning by exposing youths to broad possible futures.

Tracing the educational journey of Indian women across generations: A study of multigenerational education mobility in India

This study investigates intergenerational mobility and socioeconomic disparities in women's education in India, utilizing data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1. It uniquely examines three generations of women: the second generation (G2), aged 45–75, who reported on their own education, their mother's education (G1), and their daughter's education (G3). Despite India's economic growth over the past three decades, women's educational status remains poor, influenced by enduring gender discrimination. The study constructs educational transition matrices and measures two mobility indices: M1, which represents the expected proportion of daughters transitioning from their mother's educational level, and M2, which measures the extent of transitions between educational categories. M1 is further broken down into upward and downward mobility. The findings highlight significant progress in educational mobility across generations, with notable increases in upward mobility from the grandmother-mother to the mother-daughter generations, indicating a positive trend. Urban women show significantly higher levels of educational mobility compared to their rural counterparts. However, the study also identifies a decline in multigenerational educational mobility among Muslim women. Persistent caste-based disparities in education are observed, although there is a promising trend of narrowing gaps in recent years. Additionally, the study reveals substantial progress in educational attainment among the most economically disadvantaged groups compared to previous generations.

The influence of educational transitions on loneliness and mental health from emerging adults’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Educational transitions can influence loneliness and increase mental health issues for young people transitioning between educational stages. The aim was to explore the link between educational transitions and emerging adults’ loneliness and mental health and how they perceive they can alleviate and/or improve these issues. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with a total of 12 emerging adults, 10 females and two males aged 18–29 (mean age, 22.91) were conducted. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Emerging adults’ loneliness and mental health across educational transitions could be influenced by changes to their sense of security, for example concurrent transitions, increased academic demands, changed social network, insufficient attachment, lack of community, or changed physical environment. Transitions can be associated with positive expectations and self-development but also worry, emotional turmoil, loneliness, and mental health issues. A better transition experience can be enabled by increasing resources and activities and promoting a secure environment.

Adaptive educational expectations: How do parental educational expectations respond to child academic performance in various family contexts?

Parental educational expectations are well-studied in sociology of education and social stratification and mobility, but most literature conceptualizes these expectations as static or considers how they change only at key educational junctures such as educational transitions. Whether parental educational expectations adapt to child academic performance more generally, and what might be the key theoretical components in adaptation, are not well-conceptualized or tested. To address these limitations, we posit and test the concept of adaptive educational expectations. Our concept encompasses three key propositions: adaptability – parental expectations adapt to child academic performance; relative responsiveness – the adaptive response of parental expectations to child performance is larger in magnitude than the responsiveness of child performance to parental expectations; and heterogeneity – the adaptability of parental expectations varies across family contexts. We test the concept using the case of China, the largest education system in the world, with analyses of longitudinal data from the China Education Panel Survey. Findings show that parental expectations are more adaptive to child performance in low-SES families than in high-SES families and in rural areas than in nonrural areas, but there is no difference in adaptability by child gender and sibship size. These findings indicate that the adaptation of educational expectations is more shaped by socioeconomic circumstances than family demographics. Furthermore, the use of this concept reveals a hidden form of educational inequality that prior literature often neglects: compared with high-SES parents, low-SES parents not only hold lower educational expectations but are more likely to decrease their expectations when child academic performance declines, which further reduces their educational involvement. These findings illustrate the relevance of all three features of the adaptive educational expectations concept.

Marketization of Shadow Education in Switzerland: How “Edupreneurs” Promote Preparation Programmes for a Selective School Transition

Private supplementary tutoring (PST) is a flourishing market for edupreneurs whose services relate closely to mainstream education. While international research elaborates on geographical variations in PST and edupreneurs’ marketing strategies, the PST market in Switzerland has been largely understudied. This paper contributes to fill this research gap by presenting a thematic analysis of the websites of edupreneurs offering preparation programmes for the highly selective central entrance examination (CEE) to the academically focused public school track of Gymnasium in Zurich. Conceptually, we draw on “problematization” and “commodificiation” as key terms elaborated by “geographies of marketization”. With this performative conceptualisation of the education market, we examine the marketing strategies of the edupreneurs offering CEE preparation courses. We offer two contributions to the existing research. First, the analysis elaborates that private CEE preparation courses are advertised as a market solution that compensates for an omission caused by public education. Second, we show how edupreneurs use rational and emotional arguments to convince families of the need of booking CEE preparation courses for their children. In the discussion, we engage with the findings of our local case study and argue that selective educational transitions have much wider relevance for policy and society elsewhere.

What the Literature Tells Us About the Transition of Second-Career Academics Into Higher Education

With the growth and evolution of the higher education sector in recent decades, universities have drawn on more diverse sources from which to recruit academic staff. One such route is for universities to recruit professionals from non-academic backgrounds to teach and research. The transition of career professionals becoming second-career academics is a growing phenomenon, but one that is under-researched in the literature. This paper summarises the findings in the literature on this topic from the last twenty-five years, drawing on forty-four academic articles. Common themes are discussed and presented in a chronological format from the decision-making process prior to transitioning, through the challenges and opportunities commonly experienced by second-career academics making the transition, concluding with a summary of the recommendations presented in the research. In the discussion section that follows, the author draws on their own experience as a second-career academic to summarise pertinent points and offer an additional perspective on the recommendations offered in the literature. The purpose of this article is to offer a summary of what is currently understood in the literature with a view to supporting further research into the transition of second-career academics as an important skills development issue for the higher education sector. The review finds that several recommendations are common in the literature (mentoring schemes, development of academic skills and agency, introduction of reference materials and cultural change) and the viability of these is discussed before recommendations are made for individuals considering transitioning to a career in academia.

Changes in mathematical skills among freshman engineering students

This study investigates the critical transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics education, focusing on students’ challenges and the impact of curriculum reforms in Sweden. Through an analysis of diagnostic test scores and admission data from Umeå University over the period 2006–2021, we examine the evolving mathematical competencies of incoming engineering students and the broader implications of these shifts for educational policy and student preparedness for higher education. Our findings indicate a significant improvement in students’ mathematical readiness in the latter years of the study, correlating with the implementation of curriculum changes and variations in admission statistics. This research documents the positive outcomes of these educational reforms on student preparedness. It places these findings within a global context, highlighting the universal challenges and responses in mathematics education transitions. The study underscores the complex dynamics of the secondary-tertiary transition and provides valuable insights into the specific mathematical areas where students have shown varying degrees of improvement.

Status and Trend of General Education, Technical Education, and Vocational Education by Persons with Disabilities in India: Reflection of three NSS rounds

Abstract : The present study attempts to estimate the status and trend in educational achievement, particularly in technical and vocational education among persons with disabilities in India across gender and social groups. 47th, 58th, and 76th round unitlevel National Sample Survey data were analyzed using the gender parity index, compound annual growth rate, ordered logit model, and binary logit model. Result shows that though the literacy rate among persons with disabilities in India gradually increases over time, still half of the persons with disabilities were illiterate compared to one-fifth of non-disabled peers. A large section of children with disabilities drops out. The transition of education from school level to higher education, technical and vocational education by persons with disabilities was very slow. Only 4.31 percent, 3.08 percent, and 1.08 percent of persons with disabilities received higher education, vocational education, and technical training in 2018. There was a gradual decrease in gender disparity against women with disabilities and turns in favor of women at all levels of general education. However, gender disparity persisted against females with disabilities, in the attainment of technical and vocational training. The attainment of technical education by males with disabilities was three times higher compared to females with disabilities. Strong caste discrimination still exists in all levels of educational attainment against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Educational achievement is negatively related to the severity of the disability, household size, and rural-urban areas, but positively to households' economic status. The study draws important policy implications to improve the education of persons with disabilities. Keywords: Caste discrimination, Gender discrimination, General education, Persons with disabilities, Technical Education, Vocational Education

Bridging the Gap: Addressing Educator and Caregiver Challenges in Transitioning Students with ASD to Higher Education and TVET - A Scoping Review

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with communication and social skills, necessitating significant support from family, caregivers, and educators. In Malaysia, while Special Education Needs (SEN) students are typically integrated into general education during their school years, their presence in tertiary education or TVET remains underrepresented. This scoping review aims to identify and understand the challenges general educators and caregivers face in facilitating the transition of ASD students from higher education to tertiary education and TVET. A comprehensive analysis of literature from Scopus, ProQuest, and Science Direct databases, focusing on studies published between 2013 and 2023, was conducted. The findings reveal mixed experiences, highlighting significant difficulties and areas for improvement. General educators and caregivers report numerous challenges, including inadequate training, insufficient resources, and a lack of tailored support systems, which collectively hinder the smooth transition of ASD students into higher educational settings. It suggests that targeted interventions and increased collaboration between educators and caregivers can lead to more positive outcomes. This study provides original insights into the specific needs and barriers faced by ASD students in Malaysia, offering valuable implications for policymakers, educators, and caregivers to create more inclusive and effective educational transitions. Future research on transitioning students with ASD to higher education and TVET should focus on longitudinal studies to track long-term outcomes, the development and evaluation of targeted intervention programs, and the role of assistive technologies in the transition process.

Career transitions in teacher education: ‘Stories’ from three teacher educators

Career transitions in teacher education: ‘Stories’ from three teacher educators

Adolescents in transition: experiences and appraisals of immigrant students in school education

ABSTRACT Compulsory secondary education is constituted as a stage of high risk or academic vulnerability for the immigrant population. This multiple case study examines difficulties and opportunities faced by seventeen immigrant schoolchildren in compulsory schooling education cycles as elucidated by the evaluative resources they employ as they construct a narrative discourse shaped by academic-professional transitions and expectations. Specifically, we focus on the semantic-discursive component of attitude, analysing its three levels of appraisal: affect, judgement, and appreciation. We conducted in-depth interviews with immigrants attending public high school in Chile and a collective participatory methodology, both of a biographical-narrative nature. The findings highlight the influence of various influential factors on student trajectories: the characteristics of the host country, the challenges posed by the pandemic, family support, racism, the role of teachers, and academic-professional aspirations. Regarding the obstacles, racist bullying is identified between the end of primary school and the beginning of secondary school, which coincides with the results of the literature reviewed. Regarding opportunities, the influential adult figure represented by parents and teachers is positioned as a decisive protective support in the development and progress of educational transitions. Similarly, the configuration of high academic-professional expectations functions as a predictor of educational success.

Unintended consequences – Risk for bias in competency-based assessment

As nursing education transitions to competency-based education, careful attention to the assessment methodology must be considered. As nursing education contends with structural implicit bias and supports social justice, any transition to the education delivery model must consider the underserved and marginalized. Multilingual and marginalized students have long had inequitable experiences when taking standardized assessments influenced by the perspectives and values of the dominant culture. Resourced and under-resourced nurse educators must be empowered to access information to inform the competency-based assessment design. This perspective article aims to uncover the risk of bias in competency-based assessment when not properly implemented and to present strategies to reduce bias in competency-based assessment. Considerations for schools/colleges of nursing as they implement competency-based assessment are explored.

School-Based Occupational Therapists' Roles Supporting Transitions Into and Throughout Kindergarten to Grade 12: A Scoping Review.

Large educational transitions occur when students enter and exit school or move between grades or divisions within the kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) school system. For students with disabilities, the quality of large educational transitions affects academic and postschool outcomes, which is germane to school-based occupational therapists. To explore the school-based occupational therapy literature to describe the roles of occupational therapists in supporting large educational transitions and to identify relevant terminology. We searched six databases (CINAHL, EMCare, Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) for peer-reviewed publications in English with no date limitations. We included articles focused on children and youth with disabilities and school-based occupational therapy services supporting large transitions within K to 12 education. Using directed content analysis, we reported on publication characteristics, occupational therapy roles, and terminology. We included 46 publications spanning 37 yr that addressed transitions into school (n = 3), within K to 12 grades or divisions (n = 10), or to exit secondary education (n = 33). Occupational therapists assumed many roles in supporting large transitions, some much more frequently than others; 125 transition terms were used across included articles with few terms explicitly defined. School-based occupational therapists' involvement in educational transitions is extensive, with potential for expansion. Consistency in terminology would support future research and practice. Plain-Language Summary: A large educational transition occurs when students move between a school, grade, or division as part of their K to 12 education. For students with disabilities, the quality of a large educational transition affects their academic and postschool outcomes. This review provides an understanding of how school-based occupational therapists support educational transitions for youth with disabilities. The review found that occupational therapists took on many roles, with the potential for expanding their roles. The review also identified 125 transition terms that were used across the literature review and found that few terms were explicitly defined. Consistency in terminology would support future research and expanded occupational therapy practice in this area.

Quantitative analysis of student learning progress in online curses during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The pandemic of COVID-19 forced the transition of education to online platforms. This shift allowed for a more in-depth study of the learning process of students, as it provided access to information about their activities and interactions with the course’s contents [1-3]. In this work, we apply quantitative methods to analyze the student learning progress of students for two first year courses of the B.Sc. degree in Physics (Universidad Católica del Norte). The data are collected from activity logs of digital platforms during Academic year 2021, which were employed to characterize the student learning habits along these processes (experience, selectivity and workflow). Statistical analysis is based on the distribution of the time spent on learning activities, such as the daily time distribution and the cumulative attention per online materials. The results show that the learning process of students in online courses is complex and adaptive. We report statistical patterns similar to those found in financial markets. These empirical results provide evidence about the importance of economic principles and methods in the understanding of the teaching-learning process.

Language Policy of the PRC at the Present Stage (2021–2024): Main Directions and Features of Implementation

The purpose of the article is to identify the main directions of the language policy of the PRC at the present stage (2021–2024) based on the analysis of regulatory documents and the system of activities carried out in the field of language and writing, as well as the characteristic features of its implementation. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the main directions of the language policy of the PRC at the present stage are: 1) further popularization and dissemination of Putonghua; 2) further formation of the norms of the commonly used Putonghua language and the system of normative hieroglyphic writing and their consolidation in various standards; 3) improving the processes of inheritance and development of the Chinese language and culture; 4) development of a modern high-quality state system of language services provided to the population; 5) protecting China's linguistic and cultural diversity; 6) strengthening the spread of Chinese Putonghua abroad, strengthening the international status and influence of the Chinese language. The characteristic features of the implementation of the language policy of the PRC at the present stage were also identified, including the functioning of a new regulatory framework that determines the directions of language policy after 2020; intensive development of existing and implementation of new projects; expansion of the processes of normatization and standardization to all aspects and areas of language and writing; using a specialized exam/test as a tool for measuring language proficiency; complete transition of preschool education in national regions to the Putonghua language and transformation of the existing bilingual education system; the success of informatization and digitalization of the Chinese language and its hieroglyphic writing.

Support Strategies Life Orientation Teachers Use to Enhance High School to Tertiary Education Transition

Support Strategies Life Orientation Teachers Use to Enhance High School to Tertiary Education Transition

Strategic Management on the Preparedness of Selected State Universities and Colleges on the Implementation of Physical Activities toward Health and Fitness (PATHFIT) Courses in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

The Philippine government has implemented the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 39, series of 2021, to place a premium on improving student learning outcomes in Physical Education. With the rapid change and quick transition of Physical Education (PE) curriculum as a basic subject at the tertiary level, the higher education institutions (HEIs) need to respond on this reformation. Intuitively, this study desires to contemplate on the preparedness of the new Physical Activities toward Health and Fitness (PATHFIT) courses from selected state universities and colleges in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). This study employed a descriptive quantitative-comparative approach to assess and evaluate the level of preparedness of Physical Education curriculum implementers and their profile towards the implementation of the Physical Activities toward Health and Fitness (PATHFIT) courses along with course program, auxiliary services, and instruction. The reliability and internal consistency of the instrument were measured using Cronbach Alpha. Based on the results, indicators in the instrument fall between 0.70 to 0.90 which implies a good and acceptable questionnaire. For the main data, frequency and percentage distribution were used in treating the profile of the respondents while one-way ANOVA was used to determine the difference in the means of the different groups. T-test and F-test was also utilized to test the significant differences. From the results of the study, the level of preparedness of PE curriculum implementers in terms of course program – which refers to curriculum and auxiliary services like facilities, equipment and materials, and partnership and linkages when grouped according to their profile – is notably prepared. This implies that PE curriculum implementers are equipped when it comes to their knowledge and abilities to teach the different course menus that are stipulated in the CMO 39, series of 2021. Furthermore, the preparedness of PE curriculum implementers in terms of instruction – which refers to teacher competencies in knowledge and skills, instructional management and teaching modality when grouped according to their profile – is prepared. This implies that the implementers are ready and aware in their delivery instruction of course programs and contents.

Does Inequality Have Momentum? The Implications of Convex Inequality Regimes for Mortality Dynamics

AbstractFor decades, educational inequalities in mortality have widened and mortality among the least educated has stalled, even as overall mortality has improved, and an increasing proportion of young people have completed secondary and tertiary education. While researchers recognize that these trends are in part related to changing selection into education groups, there has been no unifying framework for understanding why the trends may be related. This article provides a unifying framework by introducing a concept called the “convex inequality regime,” a diminishing returns relationship between relative education and mortality. In populations where convex inequality regimes prevail, even without any changes in the institutions governing inequality or any changes in overall mortality conditions, education transitions result in an increase in mortality for the less educated and an increase in mortality inequality between education groups. The model also shows that lifespan variation increases for lower education groups because convex inequality regimes tend to increase relative mortality more rapidly at younger ages during an education transition. Even after an education transition is complete, inequality between education groups will continue to increase for decades due to the momentum of inequality, a cohort replacement phenomenon where younger more unequal cohorts replace older more equal cohorts.

Brief transition-focused education for families of autistic youth: preliminary mixed-methods investigation

Purpose The transition to adulthood is one of the most challenging and complex processes for autistic youth and their families. Few evidence-based transition support programs exist, and those that have garnered support require long-term commitments and resources that may prohibit participation by families with financial and time limitations. The current study investigated the feasibility and initial promise of a brief, caregiver-focused educational transition program for families of autistic youth delivered in the community over a single day. Methods Quantitative informant-report and qualitative interview data were collected from 12 caregivers of autistic youth before and after program participation. Using a partially mixed sequential equal status design, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to evaluate change in caregiver transition knowledge and empowerment, as well as caregivers’ perceptions of program feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness. Results Caregivers reported significant increases in knowledge of transition-related topics and sense of empowerment regarding their family life. Caregiver perceptions of the intervention suggest they found it feasible, acceptable, and useful. Conclusions Short-term transition programming may be a helpful option for caregivers who seek transition supports for autistic youth.