Now and Then: Examining Students’ Concerns About the Primary-Secondary School Transition

Using a mixed methods approach, this study aimed to examine adolescents’ concerns about high school and the challenges they encounter after their transition to high school. Participants were recruited from 31 primary schools in metro Vancouver, British Columbia; most participants identified as female and were from a non-white ethnic background. Data was collected via self-report questionnaires from students in their last year of primary school and again 6 months after their transition to high school. The surveys used a combination of structured and unstructured questions, and thematic content analysis was used to identify the areas in which students’ express concerns about high school. Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to examine between-group gender differences in concerns about high school. Before high school, girls’ concerns were mostly centered around their social life and relationships with peers, while boys’ concerns were more varied. These findings underscore the importance of considering the unique experiences of students, by gender. In high school, boys and girls face similar challenges, with many students finding it challenging to adapt to the academic demands of high school. These findings suggest that certain key developmental assets for positive youth development, among other factors, may be lacking in schools and/or communities.