Educational Transitions Research Articles

Dietary intake and occupational status among female youths of Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.

Adolescence is a sensitive transition time that affects rights, roles, and responsibilities in food choice, yet limited evidence exists on dietary intakes during this critical period. This study assessed the food consumption pattern and the adequacy of energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intakes among female youth belonging to three occupational groups in Vietnam. Dietary intakes were measured for 1001 participants aged 16-22 years using INDDEX24's 24-h recall method. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine differences in diet outcomes among the three occupational groups. Dietary diversity was similar across groups but workers, compared to high school and college students, consumed less baked/grain-based sweets and fast foods, and more soft drinks, other sweets, and processed meat. Two-thirds of the sample showed energy intake lower than the estimated energy requirement, while a substantial percentage had insufficient or excessive intake of carbohydrate and fat. The mean probability of adequacy of nutrient intakes was low (0.33) and not different across all three occupational groups except for folate, which favored workers. Our study provides novel evidence supporting the development and implementation of interventions to achieve national targets, with emphasis on female youths who undergo special transitions in education, occupation, and lifestyle.

A multilevel analysis of educational transition rates at secondary level in sub-Saharan Africa

Estimates show that, in 2019, only 41 per cent of students completed lower secondary and 28 per cent upper secondary education in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region (UNESCO, 2021). One of the reasons for the low completion rates is the poor transition across secondary education due to the significant impact of factors at individual, household, and community levels shaping demand and supply constraints. This article employs a three-level logit to investigate the key determinants for transitions and their variability across countries and communities, and explores whether less wealth inequality is at odds with increasing countries’ and communities’ performances. It finds that variation on transition rates is 40–50 per cent larger between communities within countries than between countries themselves, and that heterogeneity is larger for upper secondary transition. Leading sources of inequality are wealth, gender, and communities’ prevalence of early marriage. Further, the article finds that the equity–performance trade-off does not hold across countries, but it does at the community level where communities with stronger rates of transitions are more unequal. The analysis suggests policies to improve SSA youth chances to move up to the next level of secondary education, starting for narrowing heterogeneity across communities, boosting chances for the poorest groups and female youth living in communities with weak social norms, and measures to diminish the impact of community wealth on their transition performance.

The Sustained Effects of Achievement Goal Profiles on School Achievement across the Transition to Secondary School.

Achievement goals play an important role in activating and sustaining students' ongoing motivation, emotional well-being, and achievement attainment over time. However, little is known empirically about the sustained effects of achievement goal profiles on students' subsequent school achievement, especially for early adolescents during the educational transition. Based on 1764 German students (Mage = 10.47, SD = 0.56; 50.6% female) who participated in a 3-year longitudinal study from Grade 4 to Grade 6, the present research aimed to examine the role of students' achievement goal profiles in the final year of elementary school in predicting their school achievement one year and two years after the transition to secondary school. Results of regression models showed that endorsing a mastery-oriented profile (vs. a high multiple profile or a low mastery profile) at the end of elementary school predicted higher German grades one year and two years after the transition to secondary school even after controlling for their prior achievement and basic cognitive abilities. Moreover, the sustained beneficial effects of a mastery-oriented profile (vs. a low mastery profile) on students' achievement gains can be explained by their higher joy of learning. These results indicate that a mastery-oriented profile in elementary school can be considered an important personal factor that facilitates students' smooth sailing after the transition to secondary school.

Children’s technologies of the self within neoliberal governmentality at the educational transition to Gymnasium in Zurich

ABSTRACT Over the last two decades, research in children’s geographies and governmentality studies have contributed significantly to the study of children’s experiences in neoliberal educational contexts. This paper furthers this debate by examining the ways children govern and are governed within the neoliberal governmentality at the educational transition to Gymnasium: the only school that offers a direct path to university education within the state-funded school system in Switzerland. Drawing on an ethnography with eight students aged 13–15 during their preparation for the selective entrance examination to Gymnasium in Zurich, this article makes two points: Firstly, it demonstrates how Zurich’s education system thrusts students into taking individual responsibility for their educational success at this transition. Secondly, the article draws on Foucault’s later work to explore the particular ‘technologies of the self’ that children adopt coping with this individualized responsibility. This paper argues that these technologies reveal insights into the neoliberal governmentality of this educational transition. Finally, the article argues to critically examine children’s technologies of the self to understand their relationships with the education systems they navigate. This line of inquiry serves as a pathway to answer and expand earlier calls to grant children an active voice in research on education.

Children’s transitions in early childhood education and care: various combinations of dis-/continuities

ABSTRACT This longitudinal multiple case study explores children’s transitions within early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. In ECEC children typically transition from one group or center to another. This study explores how physical, social and philosophical discontinuities and continuities constitute these transitions. Five focus children’s transitions were followed in and between separate ECEC centers. The data include interviews with parents and educators as well as observations noted. Fabian’s discontinuity division, which argues that transition consists of physical, social, and philosophical discontinuities, was used for content analysis of interviews as primary data. Interpretations were reflected on and supplemented with fieldnotes as secondary data. Analysis demonstrated that children’s transitions in ECEC comprise various permutations of discontinuities and continuities. Based on our findings, we suggest that the dis-/continuities in children’s daily lives should be considered when identifying and planning transitions as well as in planning ECEC centers’ operation and grouping structures.

Selected Skill Sets as Building Blocks for High School-to-Medical School Bridge: Longitudinal Study Among Undergraduate Medical Students.

The high school-to-medical school education transition is a significant milestone in the students' academic journey, which is characterized by multiple stressors. Although this crucial transition has been repetitively explored, the concept of proactively intervening to support this transition is still novel. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a web-based multidimensional resilience building intervention in developing selected soft skills that are believed to drive the learner's success in any learning setting. The association between the students' academic performance over time and their proficiency in selected modules addressing skill sets, including Time Management, Memory and Study, Listening and Taking Notes, and College Transition, was also assessed to test the impact of the intervention on the students' learning. A longitudinal study was conducted on 1 cohort of students of a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program (MBBS). The medical students were offered a learning intervention around 4 skill sets during the first year of the 6-year program. Quantitative analyses were conducted using deidentified data, relating to the students' proficiency in the 4 skill sets and to the students' academic performance: grade point average (GPA). Descriptive analyses constituted computing an overall score of skill sets' proficiency (of all 4 selected skill sets). The mean and SD (and percentage of the mean) were also calculated for each skill set component, independently, and for the overall score of skill sets' proficiency. Bivariate Pearson correlations were used to assess the extent to which the academic performance of the students can be explained by the corresponding students' level of proficiency in each skill set component and by all 4 sets together. Out of the 63 admitted students, 28 participated in the offered intervention. The means and SDs of the annual GPA of the students for years 1 and 2 (GPA range 1-4) were 2.83 (SD 0.74) and 2.83 (SD 0.99), respectively. The mean and SD of the cumulative GPA toward the end of year 2 was 2.92 (SD 0.70). Correlation analysis showed that the overall score of skill sets proficiency was significantly associated with the annual GPA of year 1 (r=0.44; P=.02) but was not associated with their annual GPA of year 2. The cumulative GPA (toward the end of year 2) appeared to be significantly associated with the overall score (r=0.438; P=.02). Developing purposefully selected skill sets among medical students holds the potential of facilitating the high school-to-medical school education transition and is likely to improve their academic performance. As the medical student progresses, the acquired skills need to be continuously reinforced and effectively built upon.

Challenges, Complexity, and Developments in Transition Services for Young People with Disabilities, Mental Health, and Long-Term Conditions: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT Transition to adulthood for young people is complex and multi-faceted, with additional hurdles for young people who have disabilities, long-term, or life-limiting conditions or mental health problems. The challenges in providing effective transition support are not new; researchers, policymakers, commissioners, and service providers have been grappling with the problem for several decades, with varying degrees of success. The aims of this integrative review were firstly to build on previous research to synthesize and evaluate recently published evidence. Secondly to provide an overview of the effectiveness of interventions (in one or a combination of health, social care, and education transitions) designed to support transition to adulthood in these groups of young people. A search of a range of databases retrieved published literature from January 2015 to January 2021 demonstrating global interest in the topic. Fifty-one articles were included following an appraisal of quality and eligibility. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods studies, and evidence synthesis were included. Some studies were clinically orientated whilst others examined the impact of the transition process, or utilized participatory approaches which give young service-users and families a voice. Transition between children’s and adult health or care services as well as other life-course trajectories, such as life-skills development, education transitions, social inclusion and employability were evaluated. Thematic analysis and synthesis of articles retrieved in this review highlighted themes identified in previous reviews: timing of, and preparation for transition; perceptions and experience of transition; barriers and facilitators; transition outcomes. Additional themes included special considerations; dealing with complexity; advocacy, participation, autonomy, aspirations, and young people’s rights; future work, research, and evaluation. Novel perspectives and diverse data sources contributed to holistic understanding of an ongoing priority for international policy, service development, and research: the complexity of providing effective transition support and achieving positive outcomes for young people with long-term and life-limiting health conditions, disabilities, and mental health difficulties.

Profiles of early career insecurity and its outcomes in adolescence: A four-wave longitudinal study.

This study investigated the developmental profiles of perceived early career insecurity (ECI) and their outcomes among adolescents (n = 1416) during a critical educational transition from basic education to upper secondary education. We found three distinct latent profiles with varying amounts of ECI: Profile 1: Moderate and decreasing ECI before the transition (57%); Profile 2: Low-decreasing ECI before the transition but increasing ECI after the transition (31%); and Profile 3: High and stable ECI during the transition (12%). Moreover, the ECI profiles related to school and life satisfaction as well as to school stress and dropout intentions in a meaningful way consistent with the stressor hypothesis. Chronically high and increasing ECI was related to negative outcomes.

ЄВРОІНТЕГРАЦІЙНИЙ ВИМІР МОДЕРНІЗАЦІЇ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ ПЕДАГОГІВ У НАУКОВІЙ СПАДЩИНІ АКАДЕМІКА ОЛЕКСАНДРИ САВЧЕНКО

In her research work, O. Savchenko identified new conceptual foundations of pedagogical education related to its European integration processes: reforming the content of professional training of future teachers in the context of school education innovations and higher education standardization processes; introduction of the humanistic paradigm of education and upbringing of students; design of the individual educational trajectory of the applicants; implementation of a competence-oriented model of education in pedagogical higher education institutions. The scientist emphasized special attention on personally oriented professional education, designing the individual trajectory of professional development of each student during the of his studies. Unfortunately, this leading idea was not sufficiently implemented in practice for a long time. And only in modern conditions do we realize that the transition of university education to a student-centered model is becoming a through line of changes. This is reflected both in the development of educational programs based on the requests of education seekers, and in their more active involvement in the design of their studies, the creation of opportunities for choosing and constructing individual educational trajectories, and the development of a system of independent student evaluation of teachers' activities. In the scientific heritage of O. Savchenko, the problem of the formation of the «ability to learn» in future teachers, which she considered a meta-skill, is highlighted. The scientist claimed that mastery of this skill programs the acquisition of individual experience to become a successful teacher who knows how to prevent overloading of students, rationally use time, calmly and stress-free navigate in various life situations, independently search for sources of information, ways to solve non-standard problems. And in general, the ability to learn, according to O. Savchenko, changes the style of thinking, determines the ability to learn throughout life, creates guidelines for long-term and personally important learning incentives. The analysis of academician O. Savchenko's scientific heritage allows us to state that the scientist actively studied the experience of training future teachers in European countries. She had a unique ability to see better than others the examples of European practices of training future teachers and to submit her own ideas for their implementation in higher education institutions. The works of the famous pedagogue are an example of a successful combination of general theoretical provisions with practice, which testifies to high scientific achievements in the Ukrainian educational space. Key words: professional training of future primary school teachers, academician Oleхandra Savchenko's scientific heritage, European integration dimension, scientific achievements of an outstanding pedagogue.

'It's scary starting a new school': Children and young people's perspectives on wellbeing support during educational transitions.

Children and young people experience various transitions throughout their education. Theory and evidence highlight that these can be complex, and poor experiences of transitions can be associated with worsened outcomes, necessitating a need to develop and implement wellbeing support. However, children and young people's views are lacking in the literature, and studies tend to focus on specific transitions rather than on what matters for wellbeing during transitions generally. We explore children and young people's own perceptions of what would support wellbeing during educational transitions. We engaged with 49 children and young people aged 6-17 years, using purposeful maximum variation sampling to facilitate engagement of a diverse sample across a variety of education setting types. We undertook focus groups, using creative methods centred around a storybook, asking participants to make decisions as headteachers about wellbeing provision in a fictional setting. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We constructed four themes: (1) helping children and young people understand what to expect; (2) developing and sustaining relationships and support; (3) being responsive to individual needs and vulnerabilities; and (4) managing loss and providing a sense of closure. Our analysis highlights a desire among children and young people for a considered, supportive approach that recognizes their individual needs and their connection to educational communities. The study makes a methodological and conceptual contribution, demonstrating the value of adopting a multifocussed lens to researching and supporting transitions.

USING FORESIGHT RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY PRIORITY AREAS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the significance of foresight research in identifying priority areas for higher education development over the next 15-20 years. Developed countries such as the USA, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany employ the Foresight methodology for long-term forecasting at the national level. This methodology has proven to be the most effective tool for selecting priority areas for the development of science and technology. Foresight research is versatile and can be used to model problems in various fields, including medicine, education, natural sciences, technology, and more. Foresight forecasting and modelling can be used to determine the directions of university education development, funding sources for higher education, and demand for skilled personnel in different sectors of the economy.
 Scientific and prognostic support is vital in determining priority areas of scientific research and development for the coming years. By doing so, it is possible to determine the dominant scientific theories and branches of science that will shape the education of the future. Furthermore, the perspectives of the educational process participants must be taken into account when reforming education. The results of foresight forecasts on higher education improvements show the following trends: elite education, development of educational online platforms, lifelong learning, transparency of the university system, and gamification. Longterm forecasting in higher education enables the implementation of strategic educational management and science-based university development. Foresight studies help to predict the scientific and technical potential of a higher school, determine the optimal ratio between research and development in the field of education, and forecast the effect of obtaining and applying scientific and technical activities' results.
 The creation of new means of supporting learning technologies and their promotion in the educational process for the next 15-20 years and the determination of priority areas of scientific research and development depends on foresight studies of higher education development. Established forecasts indicate the strength of the scientific and technical potential and ensure the transition of higher education to an innovative new path of development. Further development and use of foresight studies are needed to determine the forecasts of higher education development.

Inner transitions in higher education in Sweden: incorporating intra-personal skills in education for sustainable development

PurposeHumanity is facing an unprecedented challenge of climate crises. Rapid changes to the physical environment and living conditions will be accompanied by challenges to mental health and well-being. Consequently, education for sustainable development should also include coping strategies for stress and anxiety. Adding intra-personal skills to the curriculum, such as self-reflection and mindfulness training, could aid in this education. This case study aims to explore the barriers to and drivers for fostering inner transitions through intra-personal skills training and mindfulness.Design/methodology/approachThis case study from Lund University, Sweden, constitutes a critical case for investigating inner transitions in education. Data collection was designed around semi-structured qualitative interviews, to investigate the barriers to and drivers for intra-personal skills and mindfulness in education for sustainable development at all institutional levels of the university.FindingsThe results indicate that education for sustainable development already includes elements of introspection, albeit informally. However, there is a lack in a fundamental understanding of intra-personal skills and how they relate to other key competences for sustainable development. To make intra-personal skills training a formal component of the education, it must receive the full support from all levels of the university.Originality/valueThe study outlines general recommendations for universities to challenge existing policies while also finding ways to work around them. In the meantime, universities should make intra-personal skills training an informal learning activity. Recognizing that the students’ prior knowledge in this area is a potential asset, universities should collaborate with their students to support student-led intra-personal skills training.

An Interventive Collaborative Scaffolded Approach with a Writing Center On ESL Students’ Academic Writing

The expected transition in higher education from students’ school-level assignments to university-level assignments provides challenges and development prospects for students and the academic world. Academic support programs have been introduced in South African higher universities to assist under-prepared university students to benefit from lectures, writing centers, and tutorials. However, the problem of poor academic writing by university students persists. The study aimed to examine students’ academic writing difficulties. English Second Language (ESL) students’ university-level writing experience, and the impact of a collaborative approach between a lecturer and a South African university writing center, to support ESL students with their academic writing, was explored. The study used the Scaffolding theory as a lens. The mixed methods approach was used, with data collected in three phases, comprising a pretest, posttest, and questionnaire. A sample of 216 first-year Senior Phase and FET students were chosen. Findings revealed that ESL students experienced challenges in academic writing skills such as structure, organization, coherence, table of contents, paraphrasing, referencing, and in-text citations. The collaborative intervention between a lecturer and the writing center assisted students to progress in their academic writing. The paper recommends exploring more collaborative strategies between lecturers and writing centers, to optimally support students.

Factors influencing the use of ICT to support students' self‐regulated learning in digital environment: The role of teachers in lower secondary education of Shanghai, China

AbstractCurrently, Shanghai, China is facing a contradictory situation in process of digitalization in education. Supply and allocation of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure are relatively adequate and equitable, but the share of teacher‐supported classroom ICT use for student learning in digital environment is much lower than the Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development average. This study mainly analyzed the roles of school factors with focus on infrastructure and school climate for innovation as well as teacher factors on their professional preparation and development related to ICT, professional practices, and attitudes toward ICT use. The data from Shanghai sample in the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), which consists of 3976 teachers from 198 lower secondary schools which refer to middle school in China, were used to build multilevel logistic regression models for the investigation. The principal results indicate that teachers' self‐efficacy on ICT use, initial preparation, and professional development related to ICT use and implementation of teaching practice as prompt for ICT use are powerful predictors. Relatively, at the school level, ICT infrastructure and team innovativeness are not significant in attributing to teacher‐supported classroom ICT use. Based on findings, implications, and recommendations are presented to direct Shanghai education policy toward digital transition in education.

A longitudinal qualitative multi-methods study of new dental graduates' transition journey from undergraduate studies to professional practice.

New dental graduates' (NDGs) transition to professional practice is an important landmark and developmental stage in their career and in the UK it is supported by a formal educational transition process through a one-year salaried practice-based programme. However, little is known about graduates' experiences during this period. As part of a larger mixed-methods project, this study aimed to explore NDGs' experiences during their transition to professional practice, represented by Vocational Dental Practice. Sixty-six NDGs from one dental school were invited to participate. Two rounds of in-depth interviews were conducted: Interview 1 upon NDGs' graduation and then Interview 2 was a follow-up interview after they had spent six-nine months in vocational dental training (VDT). At Interview 1, a subset of participants agreed to record longitudinal audio-diaries (LADs) and continued these for 6-9 months into VDT. Data from the interviews and LADs were analysed together using a thematic analysis approach. Eleven of the 66 invited NDGs agreed to be interviewed at Interview 1 (16.6%), seven at Interview2 (10.6%), and six (9.2%) recorded LADs. Four topic summaries were developed around NDGs transition experiences: (1) conceptualisation of the process; (2) responses to the transition, (3) challenges and support and (4) relationships with stakeholders. NDGs' transition to professional practice was perceived as exciting and rewarding on personal and professional levels but carried challenges. VDT and related stakeholders play a vital role of supporting NDGs into their new professional life.

Effects of an Adventure Therapy Mountain Bike Program on Middle School Students’ Resiliency

ABSTRACT Early adolescence is an important developmental period marked by educational transitions and significant physical, mental, social, emotional, and cognitive changes. During this time, the prevalence of mental health issues begins to accelerate, and perceived support declines. Adventure therapy (AT), a group-based approach to counseling that uses kinesthetic activities to promote therapeutic progress, has the potential for increasing resiliency, thus protecting adolescents from these mental health issues and their potential long-term effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mountain biking on middle school students’ resiliency. Specifically, we were interested in comparing a mountain biking program with integrated AT concepts (AT-MTB) to the same mountain biking program without integrated AT concepts (MTB). Using a randomized-controlled design, we randomly assigned participants (n = 30) into a treatment group (AT-MTB) or a comparison group (MTB). Results of a multilevel growth curve analysis indicated that participants in the AT-MTB group experienced an increase in resiliency, while those in the MTB group experienced a decrease. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

A Physical Geography Lab’s Online Transition: Student and Instructor Insights Using iGEO Video Games during the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions around the globe to close or move to a remote format. This article focuses on the transition of an in-person undergraduate physical geography lab to online synchronous learning during the Fall 2020 semester. Findings suggest the importance of abundant learning materials as well as showing similar experiences across different groups of students. In addition, we captured the experiences of lab instructors over time. Ultimately, even as education transitions post-pandemic, these findings highlight the usefulness of extensive/intensive learning, and course flexibility in a synchronous, online, active-learning physical geography lab course.

An interview with Professor Barbara Comber

AbstractAs part of this special issue on ‘Literacy for social justice’, and at this moment of post‐pandemic transitions in education, we invited Professor Barbara Comber to reflect on the needs for and trends in critical literacy education, both in her local context, in Australia, and internationally. In September 2022, we met with Barbara online to discuss her thoughts about what critical literacy educators need, how scholars and educators can work together to produce change, and where we can see hope in critical literacy and social justice education right now, as part of promising anti‐racist, decolonizing, and intersectional literacy frameworks and practices.

How do university students perceive the educational transition in the COVID-19 era: A cross-sectional study from 15 Arab countries.

The viral agent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide, leading to a global pandemic. this may negatively affect students' mental health who have to maintain their learning efforts. Therefore, we aimed to assess students' perceptions of the online learning programs designed for university students in Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted on university students using a self-administered online questionnaire in 15 Arab countries, including 6779 participants. The actual sample size was calculated using the EpiInfo program calculator. The validated, piloted questionnaire assessed the effectiveness of internet-based distance learning applications used in these countries during the pandemic. The SPSS version 22 was used. Among the 6779 participants, 26.2% believed that their teachers diversify learning methods, 22.0% thought that their teachers were able to treat the weakness the students have, and 30.7% agreed that their teachers efficiently communicate with them through COVID-19 internet-based learning process. Around 33% of students participated in lectures effectively, 47.4% submitted their homework within accepted deadlines, and 28.6% thought that their colleagues did not cheat during exams and homework. Around 31.3% of students believed that online-based learning had a role in directing them towards research, and 29.9% and 28.9%, respectively, believed that online learning had a role in developing analytical thinking and synthesis skills. Participants reported many suggestions to enhance the process of internet-based distance learning in the future. Our study suggests that online-based distance learning in Arab countries still needs more improvement as students still are more inclined toward face-to-face teaching. However, exploring the factors that influence students' perceptions of e-learning is vital for improving the quality of online-based distance learning. We recommend exploring the perceptions of educators regarding their experience towards online-based distance learning during COVID-19 lockdown.

“More of a Kind of Patchy Transition into University as Opposed to the Kind of Smooth Story that People Expect.” Transitions to Higher Education for Care-Experienced Students

Despite an increased focus on supporting under-represented groups into Higher Education (HE), care-experienced young people are still significantly less likely to transition into HE than their peers who have not had this experience. With rates of children taken into care increasing in Wales, there is value in understanding how best to support care-experienced young people with educational transitions. Based on pan-Wales research into access to, and success in, HE for care-experienced young people, this paper presents the experiences of 13 young people in Wales regarding educational transitions and the support they have – or have not – had in their transitions to university. Recommendations are made for improving transition support and for creating better signposting to existing support.