Children's agency during transition to formal schooling

Children's transition to school is a key issue in early years of education. Research in this field points to the counterintuitive possibility that the transition to school may actually lead to a reduction rather than a facilitation of children's agency. The paper presents findings of a longitudinal comparative ethnography on children's transition from fields of early childhood education to primary school in England and Germany. Building on theoretical concepts of the sociology of childhood, the study uses the concept of children's complicity to explore how children's agency is embedded in institutional, interactional orders and how it changes during transition. The findings indicate the importance of the structure of keeping the group of children together during transition. Not only is children's participation in the new social situation in school mediated by peer cultural routines. The paper presents the argument that the complicity children develop with their teachers' expectations takes different forms when they can rely on peer cultural routines.     

Continuities and Discontinuities: The transition from pre-service to first-year teaching

The study outlined in this paper is one element of a research project that was designed to determine, from the teachers' perspective, how their teacher preparation program influenced their development as teachers and how this development progressed in their beginning years within the profession. This paper then explores how a group of student-teachers who had completed their Dip. Ed. at Monash University described their own development during their transition into the teaching profession as they re-considered their pre-service teacher preparation program.     

Formal education,mismatch and wages after transition: Assessing the impact of unobserved heterogeneity using matching estimators

This paper studies the incidence and consequences of the mismatch between formal education and the educational requirements of jobs in Estonia during the years 1997–2003. We find large wage penalties associated with the phenomenon of educational mismatch. Moreover, the incidence and wage penalty of mismatches increase with age. This suggests that structural educational mismatches can occur after fast transition periods. Our results are robust for various methodologies, and more importantly regarding departures from the exogeneity assumptions inherent in the matching estimators used in our analysis.     

体制机制创新推进教育跨越发展——改革开放30年的教育体制改革

本文简要回顾了改革开放以来我国教育体制改革的历程,分析了经济、政治体制改革和社会转轨对教育体制变革的巨大推动作用,总结了30年来教育管理体制、办学体制和经费体制改革取得的6个方面的历史性成就,提出了若干重要的基本经验和发展方向.     

Continuity and Discontinuity in Perceptions of Family Relationships From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

The present 8‐year longitudinal study examined how multiple aspects of family relationships change across the transition from adolescence (M_age = 15 years) to young adulthood (M_age = 22 years) among 821 individuals. Results showed that there was more discontinuity than continuity in family relationships across this transition. Whereas a normative decline was evident in all measured aspects of family relationships during adolescence, this decline persisted for only a few dimensions of family relationships during young adulthood. Other aspects of family relationships stabilized or rebounded. There was little variation in these trajectories as a function of ethnicity or gender, suggesting that these changes in family relationships are generally normative. Results suggest that the transition to adulthood is a period of significant transformation in family relationships.     

Adjustment to college and prediction of depression during post-secondary transition

Many studies have reported an increase in mental health problems during post-secondary transition, often originating from high school years. The present study examined how depressive symptoms during the 2 years following the post-secondary transition could be predicted by, on the one hand, school performance, externalized and learning difficulties, and depressive symptoms before the post-secondary transition, and on the other hand, personal factors, family functioning, and adjustment to college after the transition. From a sample of 438 participants (M = 16.20, SD = 0.87) at time point 1, an integrated model was elaborated using structural equation modeling. The statistical analyses showed that the five constructs fit the data well. The path coefficients showed a negative relationship between externalized and learning problems as perceived by the teacher (ELPT) before the transition and academic performance (AP). Personal characteristics (PC) negatively predicted academic adjustment (AC) over time, whereas the path coefficients between the family factor (FF) and AC were not significant over time. ELPT and AP negatively predicted depression at time point 1. At time points 2 and 3, PC positively predicted depression, and depressive symptoms were positively related over time. The percentage of variance accounted for by the depressive symptoms increased over time.     

Using educational transitions to estimate learning loss due to COVID-19 school closures: The case of Complementary Basic Education in Ghana

Learning loss is expected for millions of children who have been out of school as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it is uncertain how much learning will be lost and how wide the gaps may be for disadvantaged children. This paper uses a unique longitudinal dataset to estimate learning loss during a three-month transition from Complementary Basic Education to government schools in Ghana. Our results show an average learning loss of 66 % of previous learning gains in foundational numeracy during this transition period. More importantly, we estimate widening gaps in learning loss according to lack of home learning support, as well as lack of home learning resources. Our results have implications for the provision of learning activities and support at home, not just during current school closures due to COVID-19, but also during transitions between academic years.     

Living the Transition — The Great Mortality Change Through the Lives of the Country Doctors

This paper works alongside other studies claiming the need for further elaboration of the theory of the demographic transition. A number of perspectives on the transition, some of them related to gender, democracy, education, and labour has, according to Tim Dyson, been insufficiently researched by social scientists. The most recently introduced material from the Demographic Database, forms from the Statistical Committee, have been used to chart the demographic transition in the northern-most counties in Sweden during the years between 1800–1850. The hypothesis being that even in these pre-urban and pre-industrialized societies, opportunities to connect with other parts of Sweden could be congruent to a faster progress through the demographic transition. This would lead to lower crude death rates and infant mortality in the coastal parishes. This was true to a certain extent, but this methodologically tentative study also affirms previous research on infant mortality and the need for smallpox vaccination and midwives.     

Break for Physical Activity: Incorporating Classroom-Based Physical Activity Breaks into Preschools

Engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is essential to lifelong health and wellness. Physical activity behaviors established in early childhood relate to physical activity behaviors in later years. However, research has shown that children are adopting more sedentary behaviors. Incorporating structured and planned physical activity breaks into classroom transition times is an inexpensive and effective technique to increase children’s physical activity during school hours. However, this approach has not been studied in preschool settings. The purpose of this paper is to provide a simple, cost-effective method that incorporates structured physical activity into the preschool curriculum through classroom based physical activity breaks. Results of a case study along with an overview of the implementation of physical activity breaks are discussed.     

社会转型期大学生感恩行为方式研究——以感恩父母为例

感恩意识作为炎黄子孙的传统美德,已延续有几千年历史。作为当代大学生,是否具有感恩意识也成为衡量其道德品质高低的重要标准。世间万事万物都是大家感恩的对象,但首先应该感恩的还是父母,因为父母对子女有生育之情、养育之恩、教育之泽。从古至今。人们对父母都持什么样的感恩观,处于社会转型期的大学生又持怎样的感恩观,这样的感恩观是否存在某种问题,存在问题又该如何解决。这篇文章就是以此展开陈述,并在此基础上提出一些实际可行的建议。     

Stuck in a mismatch? The persistence of overeducation during twenty years of the post-communist transition in Poland

This paper examines long-term changes in the persistence of overeducation among individual workers, focusing on the relationship between the rate of those changes and the general economic situation. All analyses are based on data from the Polish Panel Survey (POLPAN) conducted throughout the post-communist transition period, 1988–2008. The results suggest that being in a job with too low educational requirements is stable through time and raises the probability of experiencing the same situation five years later. The incidence of overeducation increased in the studied period, most rapidly during recession. The youngest cohorts, workers aged 26–35 in 2008, faced a higher risk of persistent overqualification than other cohorts. These findings are consistent with Thurow's job competition theory, as well as Sattinger's job assignment model.     

Disadvantaged young people accessing the new urban economies of the post‐industrial city

The aim of the paper is to examine current and evolving supply side transition policy initiatives in the light of (a) particular demand side needs of urban young people classified as those most disadvantaged and potentially marginalized; and (b) the emerging realities of accessing and operating within particular examples of high value‐added knowledge work arenas of the new urban economies in the UK. The paper is a synthesis of qualitative research undertaken by the author over the last five years that has examined notions of transition, development and learning for both young people and adults as they attempt to navigate their pathways in, and through, the new economies of the post‐industrial urban context. The paper communicates the importance of a number of sociocultural theoretical concepts as a way of illuminating transition choices, actions and opportunities for disadvantaged young people. These concepts also enable a broader set of critical questions to be asked about current 14–19 transition policy and practice, particularly with regards to Connexions and the Careers Education and Guidance in England 11–19 National Framework.     

Examining Change in Cortisol Patterns During the 10‐Week Transition to a New Child‐Care Setting

The transition to out‐of‐home child care brings a number of challenges for children, including complex peer interactions and extended separations from parents. Children often show a midmorning to afternoon rise in cortisol on child‐care days, compared to the typical diurnal decline seen at home. Changes in cortisol were examined in a wide age range of children (N = 168; 1.2 months to 8 years, M = 3.27 years) during the 10‐week transition to a new child‐care setting. Structural equation modeling using latent change scores showed that children experienced an increase in the cortisol rise at child care across the 10‐week transition. Furthermore, child age moderated the difference between home‐ and child‐care cortisol patterns. Findings are placed in a developmental context, and potential implications and future directions are discussed.     

2009-2018年国际现代学徒制研究状况分析

现代学徒制在年轻人从学校到工作的过渡准备中发挥着积极作用,这已成为国际教育界的共识。文章旨在对2009-2018年国际上发表的关于现代学徒制的论文进行分析,归纳总结出国际学术界近10年对现代学徒制的研究趋势。研究结果表明,在过去的10年中,国际上对现代学徒制的研究呈上升趋势,现代学徒制已受到全球范围的学者的关注,欧洲是学徒制的中心,其中英国的研究实力最强。现代学徒制主要受到教育领域,尤其是职业教育领域的关注,但很多学科采用了学徒制的模式对学生进行职业教育培训。近年来,国际上以质的研究方法研究学徒制的增长趋势显著。研究学徒制的学者们对于探索学徒制的影响因素以及学徒制培训效果评价最感兴趣。"学徒制""教育""职业教育培训""工作本位学习""学校到工作的过渡"为近10年关于学徒制研究的主要关键词。     

The first semester of university life; ‘will I be able to manage it at all?’

This paper reports on an Irish study examining first year students’ recollections of their concerns, motivations, level of preparedness and perceived skills on entry to university. The study aims to investigate and understand the implications of the attitudes of first year students as they make the transition to university. It also explores students’ behaviour during their initial weeks at university. It is important to understand the anxieties of new students, their views on their abilities and their confidence in managing their new role as these factors will have consequences for their experience as first year university students. These findings are explored with a view to enhancing the quality of support for students during this key transition.     

Evaluating the Student Loan Fund of Thailand

The Thai higher education sector has expanded quickly during the past decade, making a transition from an elitist to a mass institution. A driving force behind the expansion was believed to be the Student Loan Fund (SLF), introduced in 1996. During the first 10 years of its operation, the SLF has lent to more than 2.6 million students, with the loan value totaling $5.7 billion. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of the scheme. This paper provides a very first attempt to evaluate the SLF. We found that it had serious weaknesses in terms of loan screening; delay in loan disbursement and low collection rate. We also found that it failed to promote enrollment in higher education, except for students from poor households.     

Transition Services for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study of a Public School Program on a Community College Campus

Students with intellectual disabilities aged 18–21 are increasingly receiving transition services on college campuses during the last years of public schooling. These students may attend college courses, work in the community, access community recreational activities, and engage in age-appropriate experiences with peers without disabilities. However, there is little research that documents the types of practices included, the perspectives of consumers, or the outcomes of these transition services. Results from this case study depict how one public school program on a community college campus incorporated recommended transition practices and how students with intellectual disabilities and their families perceived these practices.     

Understanding and Enhancing the Re-training Transition Process

This paper examines re-training transition processes as a basis for understanding adult learning and career change. The paper distinguishes between frame breaking and incremental change, describes learning methods associated with these levels of change, outlines phases of the transition process, and considers the relationships between degrees of change and likely coping styles during the transition phases. Variables reflecting career motivation and situational support are predicted to affect the transition process under different degrees of change. The concepts discussed here can be used as a basis for diagnosing situational conditions and individual characteristics to design more effective learning methods in organizations.     

美国大学校长遴选新趋势:过渡管理模式研究

近一二十年来,美国大学校长一职面临着越来越多的挑战,与此同时,校长领导在院校的发展变革中也发挥着越来越重要的作用。因而,每个院校不得不重视校长的遴选。本文研究了在此过程中出现的新变化及其原因,探讨了过渡期校长的作用,阐述了过渡管理模式的内涵与实践中的问题,并提出了其中的意义及启示。     

Pre-university prepared students: a programme for facilitating the transition from secondary to tertiary education

The expectations of first-year students are becoming more widely researched and understood. How to realign perceptions and prepare students for the transition from secondary school to tertiary education is less well considered. This paper presents an account of a pre-university preparation programme embedded in the senior years of secondary education (10–12), launched initially in 16 Queensland schools, and expanding to over 50 schools with 447 students. The programme provides students with a scaffolded experience, introducing them to the realities of university life while building a connection to the university as an institution and developing relationships with transitioning peers. Qualitative data collected from 198 pre-university prepared students (PUPS) suggest that they have more realistic expectations of what university life is like, and feel better prepared to make the transition from secondary school to the tertiary environment. Further research ideas are considered to address attrition during/after the first year of university studies.