The Primary/Junior School to Middle School transition
Furthermore, in a longitudinal study of
had coped with formal school concerns.
by many students. Successful transition
more than 2,000 students in the West of
In comparison, peer concerns had a
is more likely to occur when schools
Scotland, West et al. (2010) found that
significant impact on self-esteem in the
promote relationships, personalisation,
the impact of the primary to secondary
earlier stages of secondary school and on care and autonomy, and when primary
transition extends beyond immediate
the long-term consequences of mental
and secondary schools collaborate on
post-transition anxieties to longer-
health. The researchers concluded that
transition activities (Wenden, 2015).
term effects on student wellbeing and
the importance of a positive experience
These transition activities may include
learning. The researchers used surveys
for students transitioning from primary to
school visits, orientation and induction
of the same randomised group of
secondary could not be underestimated,
activities, information exchange and
students at ages 11 (primary), 13 and 15
and that transition programs need to
record keeping.
(secondary) and 18/19 (post-secondary),
focus on both formal and informal
as well as surveys of their parents and
school systems.
teachers. Accounting for independent
According to the New Zealand Government Education Review Office
This idea is echoed in the Victorian DET
(2016), the responsibility for transition
Middle Years Transitions Framework
processes must be attributed to both
(MYTF, 2016) which outlines three key
primary and secondary schools; the
elements needed for successful school
former being responsible for preparing
transitions. These include:
students academically and socially and
1
Planning for learning continuity,
sharing information, and the latter being
(i.e. self-esteem, depression and anti-
differentiation, progression and
responsible for the culture of the school
social behaviour) across the years. In their
engagement,
and how well it welcomes and supports
variables such as socio-demographic, family and personal attributes as well as pre-secondary experiences, the researchers were able to track the impact of transitional school and peer concerns on academic attainment and wellbeing
study, the researchers divided transition
2
and
processes into two separate dimensions – the formal school system (i.e. factors such as the size of the school, the daily routine and timetable, and the amount of work) and the informal social system (i.e. peer relationships and friendships). They argued that to analyse transition experiences, it is essential to understand the transition as a dual navigation through both formal and informal systems. This means that students could potentially be successful in one dimension, but not in the other. Both systems, however,
Facilitating institutional adjustment;
3
Supporting students’ social adjustment.
students. Transition programs need to go beyond simply developing orientation processes for students to become familiar with the school’s environment, personnel and programs.
According to the MYTF, whilst social orientation is generally well-handled by
Whilst the processes and transition
schools, this is not always the case for
activities in place can vary from school to
academic orientation. This is primarily
school, the desired outcomes are largely
due to the lack of sharing of curriculum
the same. There is some consensus
information, teaching programs and
in the literature on the definition of
pedagogy between primary and
‘successful’ transition. This includes the
secondary schools, and the differing
development of new friendships, new
teaching expectations.
confidence and self-esteem, a feeling of being settled and accustomed to new
contribute to the long-term effects of
Primary and secondary curriculum
routines, engagement in learning, a sense
transition on wellbeing and learning
teams are rarely part of transition
of school belonging and the experience
outcomes. For instance, the researchers
support activities. McGee at al. (2003)
of a continuous curriculum between
found that how well students got on with
suggest that the lack of collaboration
schools (Evangelou et al. 2008; Measor
each other following transition had little
between primary and secondary
and Woods 1984; Wenden 2014).
impact on the educational attainment in
schools is largely responsible for the
the long run compared to how well they
educational discontinuity experienced
12
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