Student Wellbeing and the Primary to Secondary School Transition: A Narrative Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20933/jhtw7b40Keywords:
primary to secondary school transition, student wellbeing, Multiple and Multidimensional Transitions theoryAbstract
Primary to secondary school transition is a significant yet normative milestone in the lives of young people. It is a time when children experience feelings of both excitement and worry, with student wellbeing potentially impacted by a multitude of simultaneous changes in their friendships, school environment and learning expectations. Research that has been published within the last five years points to four main structures that can assist students with moving into secondary school: 1. relationships with significant others (peers, parents and teachers); 2. belongingness; 3. school climate; and 4. school environment. However, whilst other studies have explored these structures, what appears to be missing in the literature is discussion from a holistic, multi-dimensional perspective that prioritises the perceptions of key stakeholders and is also underpinned with wellbeing theory. With wellbeing now identified as a matter of importance for Australian students (Department of Education, 2023), discussion that prioritises student wellbeing is potentially key to highlighting its significance and, ultimately, providing better support for students transitioning into secondary school. Here we review the current literature pertaining to student experience of the transition from primary to secondary school and the support for it in practice, with an additional focus on the potential of Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions Theory (MMT Theory; Jindal-Snape, 2016) to use a variety of perspectives in developing a better understanding of the multifarious complexities of this important time in the lives of students.
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