Primary-secondary School Transition Research Articles

Supporting the mental health of young people from ethnically diverse groups during the transition from primary to secondary school

Background: The transition from primary to secondary school is a pivotal period in young people’s lives and can significantly impact their mental health. However, the experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during this crucial period of physical, social and emotional development are under-researched, limiting the evidence base for meaningful support. Objectives: This study explored the experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during primary-secondary school transition and co-designed ideas for culturally sensitive support. It explicitly focused on the intersection between ethnic and cultural identity, primary-secondary transition and mental health. Methods: The study employed participatory design to collaborate with seven young people from ethnically diverse groups and a peer researcher. Four online workshops mapped participant experiences and ideas concerning the primary-secondary transition, identity and mental health. These were developed into implications for practice, policy and research. Results: Participants highlighted feeling unprepared for the transition, with some experiencing poor mental health and difficulty navigating their ethnic and cultural identity during this time. Participants’ ideas for future transition experiences included: supporting a longer transition period, schools promoting diversity among students and staff, enabling education on ethnicity and culture, breaking stereotypes, enabling mutual learning among staff and students and enabling an open and caring environment to support mental health. Conclusions: The study provides an in-depth understanding of experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during primary-secondary transition and suggests ways of supporting multi-faceted transitions and mental health, with a key focus on ethnic and cultural identity formation.

CRISIS SITUATION AND THE CHALLENGES OF PRIMARY SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSITION IN THE ENGLISH SPEAKING REGIONS OF CAMEROON

The study aims to identify the challenges that affect primary secondary school transition in crisis situations in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. The attacks on students and teachers, forcing schools to close, destruction of teaching and learning facilities by Anglophone non-state armed groups have affected the transition from primary to secondary schools. Several hundreds of school children and students have dropped out of school as a result of the crisis that started in 2016. The dropout of students from schools because of the crisis motivated the researchers to carry out this study. The study made use of a qualitative research design. An interview guide was used for individuals and for focus group discussions to collect data. The sample was 60 participants including school dropouts, heads of households, school administrators, civil society, and religious authorities. The purposive sampling technique was employed to select the respondents. Data collected from the respondents was analysed using thematic content analysis. The results indicate the social and cultural norms, economic and systematic factors that limit primary secondary school transition, programmes implemented, and ways to prevent students from leaving schools before completing their studies. All children after finishing primary school would like to enroll in secondary education. The ministries of education should formulate policies and take appropriate measures that will meet international expectations and standards for effective transition from primary to secondary school in Cameroon. Children get the best of their future through education.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Intersecting Identities and Adjustment to the Primary-Secondary School Transition: An Integrative Review

The primary-to-secondary school transition is a milestone for children because of the multiple changes they must navigate. Although most adjust successfully, approximately 30% of children have difficulties during this transition. Intersecting identities are also likely to influence how children navigate the adjustment of the school transfer, but there have been no syntheses of existing evidence relating to the impacts of intersectionality. We conducted an integrative review using eight databases (Education database, ERIC, ProQuest Education, PsychInfo, Scopus, SocIndex, Sociology Database, and Web of Science) and searched for quantitative or qualitative studies that examined how intersecting identities impact children’s self-concept, mental health, and adjustment of the primary-to-secondary school transition. We initially identified a total of 3,193 studies through database searches, with 1,790 remaining after deduplication. After we screened the titles and abstracts, 83 studies were included for full-text screening, of which eight met the review criteria. The studies included in the review were published between 2000 and 2018; no studies were found after 2018. Syntheses of the included studies (three quantitative studies, four qualitative studies, and one mixed methods study) revealed three themes: (1) academic and social discord; (2) defining and constructing negative identities; and (3) the female body. Our findings from the review highlighted how children with minority intersecting identities are faced with additional challenges during the transition to secondary school and how these can have negative ramifications for their self-concept, mental health, and adjustment to the transition. Future research needs to be directed away from prioritizing identities, such as gender and ethnicity, to include intersectional identities.

Primary–secondary school transition experiences and factors associated with differences in these experiences: Analysis of the longitudinal Growing Up in Scotland dataset

AbstractPrevious research suggests that primary–secondary school transitions can be problematic, with some children experiencing a negative impact on academic outcomes and a decline in wellbeing. The negative impact of primary–secondary transition experiences can be long term and lead to young people not completing high school with implications for their subsequent education and employment. However, there are several gaps in existing studies as a result of weak research designs, small samples and the timing of data collection. To better understand children's primary–secondary school transition experiences and the factors which may impact on them, we undertook secondary analysis of data from the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study. The analysis focused on data collected when children were in the penultimate year of primary school (Primary 6/P6) and then when they were in the first year of secondary school (Secondary 1/S1). This led to a final sample size of 2559 children and their parents. Results contradict many previous studies which tend to find primary–secondary transitions as overwhelmingly negative. In contrast, we found that 36% of children experienced a positive transition and 42% a moderately positive transition, with only 22% children experiencing a negative transition. This is the first large‐scale, longitudinal and contemporaneous study able to provide a clear proportion of children with positive, moderate and negative transition experiences. Several factors seemed to play a part in children's transition experiences, namely gender, religion, household composition, socioeconomic status, child expectations, schoolwork, and relationships. Implications and recommendations for research, policy and practice have been outlined. Context and implications Rationale for this study: Primary–secondary school transitions are considered to have a detrimental impact on educational and wellbeing outcomes. However, previous studies have several limitations and a more robust analysis of a longitudinal dataset with a large sample was required. Why the new findings matter: This study has highlighted that the majority of children had a positive or moderately positive transition experience. It clarified which factors might influence whether children will have positive or negative transitions. Implications for practitioners, policy makers and researchers: Findings suggest the importance of practitioners and policy makers acknowledging the myriad factors occurring alongside and potentially influencing a child's transition experiences. Similarly, it is important to be mindful of strategies to promote children's positive relationships in both primary and secondary school, especially with their teachers. Further, children's participation in sports, clubs and youth groups should be encouraged. Children's anxieties and misconceptions about transitions should be addressed in a timely manner, including enhanced transition for those with higher levels of concern or anxiety. Fostering and maintaining good school–parent relationships, through timely and relevant communication can facilitate positive transitions.The findings suggest the importance of undertaking research to understand how children from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can be better supported. Similarly, research should be undertaken to understand why some children have negative expectations and are less positive about secondary school. Further, future research should focus on analysing GUS data, including that from S3 and S6, and linking it with administrative data related to attainment and wellbeing.

What do students need to support their transition to secondary school?

ABSTRACT Background The transition from primary to secondary education can be difficult for children. This paper reports on an intervention in the Netherlands known as the Talent Classrooms (TC), which aimed to support students’ primary-secondary school transition. The goal of TC was to increase the match between the personal environment of the student and the school environment to facilitate a successful transition, and to help students achieve their potential at secondary school. Purpose With the needs described in the review by Symonds and Galton (2014) taken as a starting point for this investigation, we sought to explore the extent to which TC supported six specific needs during students’ primary-secondary transition period, according to participants’ longer term reflections about their earlier TC experiences. Methods In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten former TC students, four to five years after they had participated in the intervention. Data were analysed qualitatively. Findings The analysis suggested that, according to the participants, TC had fostered most needs and this helped to support their transition experience. In particular, participants reported that, via their involvement in TC, they had become more familiar with the physical environment and routine of secondary school, were able to form lasting friendships and enjoyed a challenging curriculum and extracurricular activities. However, findings also indicated that the intervention did not fully succeed in supporting some needs, mainly in the areas of autonomy, competency, and identity development, as it did not seem to have prepared all participants sufficiently for the requirement for independent working they subsequently encountered in secondary school. Conclusions This study highlights how emphasis on the development of autonomy-related skills might be beneficial for interventions designed to assist students with the transition to secondary education. Moreover, it draws attention to the importance of tailoring support to individual students’ specific, varied and evolving needs during this stage of development.

Teacher Perspectives on Primary-Secondary School Transition Projects During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Opportunity areas are primarily selected to improve the social mobility of citizens using education. This paper explores teachers' perspectives on school transitions, particularly emphasizing the role of school transition intervention activities in supporting students' resilience, behavior, academic understanding, and positive parental involvement. Informed by Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions (MMT) theory, the paper focuses on the outcomes of school transition intervention activities applied to new Year 7 students in a UK opportunity area. Data was collected through document review, teacher survey, and semi-structured interviews. As a result, 14 interventions were identified, such as a summer school program, peer mentoring, and interschool visits, aiming to make primary to secondary school transition smoother. However, the findings suggested that many schools did not employ some of the school transition intervention projects. Moreover, the data indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the implementation of many of the school transition projects. The paper contributes to understanding the impact of school transition projects on students' confidence, wellbeing, and academic achievement.

International insights into how can we improve children’s emotional wellbeing over primary-secondary school transitions?

The transition from primary to secondary school provides children with opportunities and challenges that can impact their emotional experiences. Recognising that to date there is limited research which focuses on children’s emotional experiences of primary-secondary school transition, a group of Iransitions researchers participated in a symposium at the British Psychological Society Psychology of Education Section Conference 2022, addressing this important topic. The purpose of the symposium was to bring together four international studies, which used different research designs to examine children’s emotional wellbeing over primary-secondary school transition. Through these talks and discussions which occurred during the symposium, current thinking, developments, and practice in this area, in addition to considering some of the challenges and opportunities present within primary-secondary school transitions research, are explored in order to better understand and support children’s emotional wellbeing over primary-secondary school transitions.

Practices and programmes that enhance successful transition and participation in high school for Indigenous young people: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This systematic review reports evidence on practices and programmes that enhance successful primary-secondary school transition and participation for Indigenous students in Australia. A thematic analysis found three sets of practices: the school context; bridging practices; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students cultural recognition. Two narratives thread through the practices: centrality of relationships; and the entangled nature of Indigenous culture, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student’s identity and successful transition and participation in high school. Attending to relationships with students, their families, communities and local Elders supports cultural identity, belonging and improves participation in high school. Future research, program development and implementation should acknowledge students’ unique needs and collaborate with students, their families and community. School staff ought to acknowledge the colonised context of education in Australia and increase the use of decolonising practices to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to transition to and participate in high school.

Primary‐secondary school transition under Covid‐19: Exploring the perceptions and experiences of children, parents/guardians, and teachers

The transition from primary to secondary school is a major life event for eleven‐year‐old children in the United Kingdom, where they face simultaneous changes. Following the outbreak of Covid‐19, transfer children face additional uncertainty on top of this. Negotiation of the multiple challenges, combined with the reduced support associated with Covid‐19, could have a negative impact on children’s school adjustment and mental health. Given the rapidity of changes associated with Covid‐19, there are key empirical and practical gaps on how best to support children as they negotiate these two key events. To date, there is no published research which has explored the experiences of transfer children, and that of their parents and teachers during this time. The present research aimed to narrow this research gap by answering the research question: What are parents’, children’s, and teachers’ experiences of primary‐secondary school transition during Covid‐19? This research used a series of UK wide surveys to gather data from 101 Year 7 children, 88 Year 7 parents, 26 primary school teachers, and 40 secondary school teachers using a mixture of open and closed questions. The data were analysed using Thematic Framework Analysis, taking an inductive‐open coding approach. All three stakeholders reported negative impacts of Covid‐19 on the transition, for example, in terms of missed opportunities. There were also many comments about the emotional impact of Covid‐19 on children, parents, and teachers. Numerous strategies were reported that were used to meet children’s needs pre and post‐transition, highlighting areas of good practice, along with practical suggestions for how to approach transition in the future. The study has identified ways that transition can be managed more effectively, thus, having short term implications in providing an evidence base to support transfer children this year, and long‐term implications for future transition years.

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.

What emotional‐centred challenges do children attending special schools face over primary–secondary school transition?

AbstractPrimary–secondary school transition encompasses multiple social, academic and environmental changes which can negatively impact children’s emotional well‐being. Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) are believed to be especially vulnerable during this time. However, the voices of children with SEMH are heavily underrepresented in this field within practice and research. The present case study examined how children with SEMH difficulties within one special school experience primary–secondary school transition and how they are supported, in order to make recommendations to improve this period. The case study was qualitative and longitudinal, conducted over 18‐months and methodologies included ethnographic observations, child photo‐elicitation focus groups (with 11 Year 6 children) and three adult interviews. Findings demonstrated that over primary–secondary school transition children with SEMH difficulties (a) negotiate significant structural changes in support (often unanticipated) and (b) need to feel a sense of safety and belonging. To manage this effectively, transition provision for children with SEMH difficulties needs to consider their short‐term emotional well‐being whilst still in primary school, in addition to their long‐term well‐being looking ahead to secondary school. Greater collaboration and communication across schools and stakeholders can help ensure children receive continuity in standards and support.

Evaluating a universal emotional-centred intervention to improve children's emotional well-being over primary-secondary school transition

The transition from primary to secondary school is a critical period for children, which, for most children involves stress and anxiety (Jindal-Snape et al., 2020). If negotiated poorly, this transition can have a significant negative impact on children’s short- and long-term well-being and mental health (White, 2020). Despite this, efforts to improve children’s emotional experiences of primary-secondary school transition are minimal in research and face challenges in practice. Very few interventions focus on supporting children’s emotional well-being and these are limited in number, sustainability, and reach. Talking about School Transition (TaST) is a universal, emotional-centred teacher-led support intervention, which was developed to fill this gap in the literature. The evaluation of TaST consisted of a longitudinal questionnaire-based design investigating the efficacy of TaST in improving 143 Year 6 (aged 10 and 11 year old) children’s coping efficacy and adjustment. It was assessed using the outcome variables: Emotional Symptoms, Peer Problems, Coping Efficacy and Transition Worries, in addition to a qualitative process evaluation. Results suggest that TaST had immediate positive implications for participating children who showed a significantly greater reduction in Transition Worries once at secondary school, compared to control group children. TaST has implications for educational practice and policy in elucidating the importance of supporting children’s emotional well-being over this period and demonstrating the viability and success of implementing emotional-centred support intervention in practice.

A Longitudinal Examination of Changes in Students’ Enjoyment of School and Influences of Teachers and Parents During the Primary-Secondary School Transition:

A Longitudinal Examination of Changes in Students’ Enjoyment of School and Influences of Teachers and Parents During the Primary-Secondary School Transition:

Professional dialogue in researcher-teacher collaborations: exploring practices for effective student learning

ABSTRACT The role of educational research, and schools’ and teachers’ engagement in and with research, changes when it is viewed as a form of professional development. The study presented in this paper intended to explore teachers’ practices for designing learning, instructing students and managing classrooms in the context of the primary–secondary school transition years, from Years 5–9 in Australia. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight teacher participants who were asked to reflect on their everyday practices. This research contributes to the understanding of the multiple teaching roles of teachers for supporting students’ learning, and it highlights the potential for professional learning associated with researcher-teacher collaborations. The Appreciative Inquiry approach adopted for the research established a professional learning culture within a safe and authentic environment that respected the teachers’ knowledge and experience. Professional dialogue through productive and respectful collaborations generated new insights for transformative practice.

Talking about School Transition (TaST): an emotional centred intervention to support children over primary-secondary school transition

ABSTRACTTransitions are an unavoidable part of life, often conceptualised as ‘make it or break it periods’. They are important for personal growth and learning but can also be damaging in terms of our psychological wellbeing. Primary-secondary school transition is no exception and can heavily draw on children’s ability to cope. However, support for children that pays attention to their feelings about the transfer is often lacking. Very few interventions focus on developing children’s emotional resilience. There are also problems with the sustainability of such interventions. Thus, the present emotional-centred intervention, Talking about School Transition (TaST), aims to narrow this gap. The evaluation of the intervention is ongoing and will be reported in a separate publication. Following an introduction of the limitations in supporting children’s emotional well-being over primary-secondary school transition within schools, this paper provides details of the TaST intervention, including a brief description of the lessons’ content. Attention is given to the design of the TaST intervention and how preliminary research, in combination with psychological theory and existing research, have informed the intervention content. The proposed research has short-term implications for present participating Year 6 children’s adjustment and provides professionals working in schools with the knowledge and resources necessary to deliver TaST. In addition to this, the research has long-term implications for the field in highlighting the importance of supporting children’s emotional wellbeing over this period.

Perceptions on the primary-secondary school transition from French students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents

ABSTRACTThe transition from primary to secondary school is a challenge, particularly for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). International studies report the perceptions and experiences of different involved stakeholders during the primary-secondary transition in this specific context. Since the 1980s, the French education system has put in place mechanisms to promote inclusive education.The research takes place in this context in order to contribute to the corpus of international studies.French students with ASD and their parents were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences regarding the transition. The semi-structured interviews were analysed through qualitative content analysis.The findings identify the perceptions of the different participants, as well as useful strategies and typical obstacles. However, the uniqueness of each case does not allow for one-size-fits-all recommendations, but rather to tailor the transition planning and procedure for each involved stakeholder.

Design and Validation of Inquiry-based STEM Learning Strategy as a Powerful Alternative Solution to Facilitate Gift Students Facing 21st Century Challenging

Engagement in STEM across the primary-secondary school transition has been widely investigated. However, integrated-STEM implementation had not shown practical packaging and could not reach all the skills that gift students needed in the 21st century. The main perspective of STEM education refers to the conclusion that the learning approach was student-centered. The concept of this point of view was like an inquiry-based approach, where the inquiry approach was oriented to fostering student inquiry skills through active experiments. The purpose of this study was to design and validated an inquiry-basedSTEM learning strategy design that could systematically guide instructors or designers in creating an appropriate gifted students learning activities oriented to 21st century skills. Using an established method for model development research, a theoretically constructed initial model was iteratively improved and underwent internal validation through expert review. In a field study of an inquiry-based STEM learning strategy , we examine the design and operational characteristics that were important for the expressive role of the learning strategy. The pilot study indicated that the inquiry-based STEM learning strategy could improve gift students' abilities in accordance with 21st century learning frameworks.

'You're in this world now': Students', teachers', and parents' experiences of school transition and how they feel it can be improved.

Primary-secondary school transition is a major life event for 11-year-old children in the United Kingdom and can also be a stressful period for parents and teachers. However, most research focuses on the impact of transition on children's academic performance and social well-being and we have a limited understanding of their emotional experiences in the lead up to and during the transition, from the perspective of key stakeholders: students, parents, and teachers. To explore transfer students', parents', and teachers' experiences in the lead up to and over the transition period, and how they feel it could be improved. The sample consisted of 45year seven students, 8year seven parents, 8year seven teachers, and 8year six teachers, recruited from five primary and five secondary schools. Students participated in face-to-face semi-structured focus groups and adults in asynchronous online focus groups. Transcribed audio-recordings were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Students, parents, and teachers were shown to navigate a similar process over primary-secondary school transition. All talked about managing their own and others' emotions, relationships, and expectations. These were shaped by shared communication across primary and secondary schools and between the stakeholders, and impacted by how good transition provision was seen to be. There is a need to understand the transition period from the perspective of students, teachers, and parents, to improve school transition. This information will allow us to design emotional centred support interventions that reflect these lived experiences.

Designing an Inquiry-based STEM Learning strategy as a Powerful Alternative Solution to Enhance Students’ 21st-century Skills: A Preliminary Research

In response to pedagogical challenges in 21st-century education, embedded STEM across the primary-secondary school transition had been widely investigated. However, integrated-STEM implementation had not shown practical packaging and could not reach all the skills needed in the 21st century. We proposed an inquiry-based STEM learning strategy to fostering student inquiry skills through investigation. The purpose of this study was to design a hypothetical model of an inquiry-based STEM learning strategy design that could systematically guide instructors or designers in creating an appropriate learning activities oriented to 21st-century skills. Before conducting the strategy design, we do need assessment survey teacher in Lampung Indonesia to describe teachers’ perceptions about STEM education and career as a starting point for designing a strategy that could follow up the 21st-century learning framework. We conduct a cross-sectional non-experimental descriptive survey approach using questionnaire to 75 teachers in Lampung, Indonesia. Based on data analysis, it indicated that all of the teachers realized about the importance of STEM in education and career dimension and they should take a part in overcoming the 21st-century challenges.

School connectedness and the primary to secondary school transition for young people with autism spectrum conditions.

Young people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) face many educational challenges, particularly in terms of academic achievement, social inclusion, and mental health. School connectedness is linked to many positive outcomes and may be of particular salience at the primary-secondary school transition, when young people with ASC are expected to cope in new and unfamiliar settings. This study explores for the first time school connectedness across the primary to secondary school transition for young people with ASC. Twenty-eight students with ASC (23 male, five female) and a comparison group of 21 students with no additional needs (16 male, five female) participated. A longitudinal design was used to measure school connectedness across transition at four time-points from the end of primary school, into the first and second years of secondary school. Students completed the Psychological Sense of School Membership (Goodenow, 1993, Psychology in the Schools, 30, 79) questionnaire at each time-point, with responses analysed statistically. Students with ASC reported positive levels of school connectedness across transition, although their scores remained lower than those of their typically developing peers. The gap between the two groups narrowed significantly during the first year of secondary school, with students in the ASC group reporting improving levels of school connectedness, although there were non-significant signs of a decline for both groups in the second year. Transition can be a positive experience for students with ASC. However, their consistently lower levels of school connectedness compared to those of their peers highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and support during secondary education.