This study examined the effect of school-based
kindergarten transition policies and practices on child
outcomes. The authors followed 17,212 children from 992
schools in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten
sample (ECLS-K) across the kindergarten school year. Hierarchical
linear modeling revealed that the number of school-based
transition practices in the fall of kindergarten was associated
with more positive academic achievement scores at the end
of kindergarten, even controlling for family socioeconomic
status (SES) and other demographic factors. This effect
was stronger for low- and middle-SES children than high-SES
children. For low-SES children, 7 transition practices were
associated with a .21 standard deviation increase in predicted
achievement scores beyond 0 practices. The effect of transition
practices was partially mediated by an intervening effect
on parent-initiated involvement in school during the kindergarten
year. The findings support education policies to target
kindergarten transition efforts to increase parent involvement
in low-SES families.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Elsevier
B.V.
The present study was designed to investigate the relationships
between role strains following the transition to secondary school and
academic achievement. Academic engagement was hypothesized to mediate
between role strain and achievement. The sample consisted of 749 students
in their first year of secondary school. Four types of role strain were
investigated: parent, teacher, school and peer. Parent and teacher role
strains appeared to be negatively associated with academic achievement,
as mediated through academic engagement. Parent and school role strain
were directly and negatively associated with achievement. Results are
discussed in the light of parenting practices and the developmental
mismatch hypothesis.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group: www.tandf.co.uk
This paper reports on a research project involving a sample
of 19 state-educated students in their first year of a German course
at Oxford University. The project is one of a number of research studies
into widening participation issues funded by the Higher Education Funding
Council of England (HEFCE) and the Sutton trust. The paper describes
the students' motivation for applying to study German at Oxford and
their experiences of the transition from school to university. This
is part of a larger scale study looking at access and transition data.
The findings, based on data from semi-structured interviews, suggest
that the students had instrumentally oriented motivation for wanting
to do a language course which was qualitatively different from the one
experienced at A level. Although several factors might have alienated
the students, most managed to adapt to the academic requirements at
Oxford. It is argued that the students' ability to adapt and succeed
is due to a high level of preparedness and to a flexibility of motivational
orientation. The study contributes to the widening participation debate
in general by commenting on issues of transition in terms of how well
matched certain prestige university courses are to the aspirations of
the applicants.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group: www.tandf.co.uk
This article draws upon a Department for Education and
Skills (DfES) commissioned telephone survey of a nationally representative
sample of schools to investigate the challenges faced by those seeking
the successful implementation of the Foundation Stage (FS) (for 3-5-year-olds)
in reception classes. Its focuses on head teachers' and reception teachers'
own reported knowledge, perspectives, experiences, attitudes and views
about reception practice, as well as background information on provision
and teacher characteristics. A vast and rich amount of data was gathered
providing a snapshot of practices and opinions related to the second
year of implementing the FS. The majority of head teachers and reception
teachers had a positive view of the FS and progress made in implementing
it. In general, implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy
Strategies, transition to Key Stage 1 and planning opportunities for
children to engage in activities they had planned and initiated themselves
was not regarded as a problem. The survey highlighted the importance
of staff training and the need to extend this. Greatest concerns were
expressed in schools with mixed-age classes, teaching two curricula
with distinct pedagogies. It is concluded that schools in both urban
and rural/mainly rural areas have distinct, though similarly diverse
teaching groups. A wide range of teaching strategies, based on children's
diverse needs, will be required to motivate, support and extend them
appropriately. The results are interrogated from the perspective of
relevant research carried out during the same period.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group: www.tandf.co.uk
Students' transition from primary to secondary school
has been associated with negative psychological, social and academic
changes. In particular, students' self-concept has been found to be
adversely affected by the transition. Some have argued that transition
programs are effective and practical in easing the transition from primary
to secondary school. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of
one such program for targeting students' self-concept at the time of
the move into secondary school, for girls in an independent single-sex
school in Sydney NSW Australia. Results indicate that this specific
program was not effective in enhancing self-concept. It is concluded
that further quality research is needed to investigate the full range
of benefits of transition programs for students entering grade 7 before
ad hoc implementation in schools. The study did, however, identify interesting
effects of continuation from primary to secondary within the same school
institution. Initial lower entry self-concepts for 'new' relative to
'continuing' students had not recovered by mid-year 7, implications
of which are subsequently explored.
Previous research has suggested that children
making transitions from one setting into another have to
adjust to new sets of expectations and different cultural
contexts for teaching and learning. In particular, they
have to redefine for themselves 'what counts as literacy'.
In this article, Sue Pearson, a past President of NASEN,
an experienced teacher and currently a lecturer at Leeds
University, reports on her investigations into whether similar
adjustments may be required of some pupils as they start
secondary school.
The recommendations at the end of this article
are based on interviews with 24 11 to 12 year-olds and are
of direct relevance to practitioners in primary and secondary
schools and to parents and family members. Sue Pearson uses
pupils' perceptions to raise important issues about the
nature of the support that pupils experiencing difficulties
in literacy require as they make the transfer from Year
6 to Year 7.
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