A holistic understanding of primary-secondary school transitions

Every year millions of children around the world start secondary school or equivalent. Therefore, the <br/>significance of getting their transitions right internationally cannot be overstated. The overall aim of <br/>this symposium is to provide evidence-based insights to enhance primary-secondary school transitions <br/>policy and practice.<br/><br/>To achieve this aim, we will provide holistic insights into (a) what is happening for children during <br/>primary-secondary transitions, by undertaking secondary analysis of a large dataset, (b) how can we <br/>robustly measure their emotional wellbeing during primary-secondary transitions to inform school <br/>interventions that can support them, by discussing the co-creation of the first scale to assess children’s <br/>emotional wellbeing in the context of primary-secondary school transitions, and finally, (c) an <br/>overview of one such intervention, namely, a study that used drama conventions as a pedagogical <br/>approach to facilitate children’s primary-secondary transitions.<br/><br/>Jindal-Snape’s (2016, 2023) Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions (MMT) Theory underpins the <br/>three studies. MMT Theory takes a complex view of transitions where they are dynamic, incorporating <br/>multiple contexts (e.g., home, community, school) and multiple domains (e.g., physical, educational, <br/>psychological, social, cultural). It proposes that each child experiences multiple transitions and that <br/>their transitions can trigger transitions for significant others. Conversely, significant others’ will be <br/>experiencing their own transitions, and these transitions will trigger and/or have an impact on that <br/>child’s transitions.