Student perceptions of primary to secondary school transition in a K-12 educational setting

Katherine J Stevens

The aim of this thesis is to develop a greater understanding of student perspectives relating to primary to secondary school transition. Ten Year 7 students at an independent Kindergarten to Year 12 (K-12) school completed a general wellbeing survey before participating in focus group interviews to discuss their experiences of moving into secondary school. Utilising relativist reflexive thematic analysis, student perceptions at an experiential level are explored, as are relationships between school transition and student wellbeing through the lens of the PERMA framework (Seligman, 2011). Chapter 1 provides a background to the project. Chapter 2 provides a narrative literature review of primary to secondary transition. Chapter 3 discusses the student perceptions of moving into secondary school. Chapter 4 explores the relationship between primary to secondary school transition and student wellbeing (Seligman, 2011). Chapter 5 presents an extended discussion of the methods and findings of the project. Chapter 6 discusses the implications, limitations and recommendations for future research. This thesis advances the extant literature surrounding primary to secondary school transition in several unique ways. Firstly, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to examine the transition period through the lens of a wellbeing-based framework. Secondly, the continuous K-12 school context, with a bespoke transition program appears to be unique. Thirdly, the coeducational nature of the K-12 context appears under-explored. Finally, student voice provides a rich insight into primary to secondary school transition. This study found that time to manage the transition challenges was important in assisting students to adjust to the new expectations and learning environment. Connections with others, particularly peers and family, were important to successful student transition. An increased workload was frequently discussed and the ways in which students coped varied. Clear links between student wellbeing (Positive emotions; Engagement; Relationships; Meaning; Accomplishment) and successful transition are reported.

Student perceptions of primary to secondary school transition in a K-12 educational setting

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