Curriculum Continuity and Transfer from Primary to Secondary School: the case of history

The transfer of children from primary school to secondary school has long been seen as a problematic area. The National Curriculum was depicted as offering a solution to some of the transfer problems by providing for curriculum continuity across the primary-secondary divide. This paper reports the results of a study of curriculum continuity in one subject, history, now that a National Curriculum has been in place for several years. It reports that teachers continue to see problems with the transfer and that secondary school teachers still incline to a ‘fresh start’ approach to year 7 pupils. There is also some evidence of a lack of curriculum consistency within the secondary schools involved in the research, there are differences between primary and secondary schools in the range of teaching and learning methods employed, there is some decline in pupils’ ratings of their experience of secondary education across year 7 and there are signs of some gender differences in these ratings. The conclusion is that there is a case for saying that the new arrangements have not alleviated the problems associated with the transfer.     

Affiliation to school: measures and interventions

The degree of affiliation which pupils develop towards their schools is an important factor in their engagement and success. It has also been a matter of concern at the time of transfer from primary to secondary school. This article describes the development of a brief method for identifying the degree of affiliation which pupils feel, and also identifying any points of concern. Data from 670 pupils in a London secondary school is reported. Concerns about pupils’ experience of transfer are often addressed through interventions which are teacher-centred. An account is given of a pupil-centred intervention to improve affiliation, and its apparent long-lasting effects. There also seems to be an improvement trend over years, reflecting the school’s paying attention to this theme.     

Transfer to and study at secondary school in Finnish school culture: developing schools on the basis of pupils’ experiences

This chapter is a based on a study that examined, first, Finnish comprehensive school pupils’ transfer to secondary school and, second, the ways in which pupils’ experiences of schooling can contribute to the development and planning of an undivided comprehensive school system. Traditionally, Finnish discourse on the flexibility of the transfer has concentrated on the teacher's role as the central transformative force in bridging the gap between primary and secondary school. The voice of the pupils, who experience the changes, has tended to be regarded as of minor importance. When moving towards a fuller understanding of the transfer experience, it is important not only to include the pupils’ perspective but to examine, first, the school community and the factors promoting and/or preventing its functioning and, second, the learning environment of the adolescent. The results of the study clearly show that the pupils are able to assess the qualities of their school as a learning environment and to cope with the changes that result from the transfer to secondary school. Pupils were also ready to participate in developing a more unified comprehensive school system, but expressed their school experiences in a manner reflecting their developmental stage of adolescence and the prevailing school cultures. Thus, it remains the professional task of the teacher to analyse and interpret these messages in order to identify the key ingredients needed for developing such a system.     

‘Bridging work’ and its role in improving progression and continuity: an example from science education

Science in English primary schools has been judged a success, yet few pupils make the progress in secondary schools that their performance at the end of primary school suggested. Projects where pupils start science work at the end of the primary school and complete it at the start of secondary school—known as bridging units—have been suggested as one solution. This article reports an evaluation of bridging work in science in the north‐east of England. Pupils' and teachers' views of bridging lessons were collected and data on pupils' performance before and after bridging lessons compared. Claims that pupils find this type of work repetitive and that their teachers would rather teach something else either side of transfer are challenged. Findings highlight areas that are still problematic, including the use made of transferred assessments and progression in pupils' abilities, to comment on relationships between variables and patterns in data. The future for bridging work is discussed.     

When and why do initially high-achieving poor children fall behind?

In this paper, we examine the trajectories of initially higher- and lower-achieving children from lower and higher socio-economic status families from primary school through to university in England for the first time. We also explore what explains these trajectories. This enables us to provide new insights into when and why the performance of children with similar initial achievement diverges on the basis of their socio-economic background. Our results indicate that pupils from poor backgrounds who are higher achievers in primary school fall behind their better-off but lower-achieving peers during secondary school. This suggests that secondary school may be a critical period to intervene to prevent poor children from falling behind their richer peers. Our analysis suggests that there is less divergence in performance between pupils from different socio-economic backgrounds who attend the same schools. This result is particularly strong for children with low initial achievement. While we remain cautious about the implications of these findings, they provide suggestive evidence that schools (or the sorting of pupils into schools) play an important role in explaining why the test scores of richer and poorer children diverge over time.     

The relevance of media education in primary schools in Hong Kong in the age of new media: a case study

In this age of new media, children are exposed to media messages at an early age. What can we do when the mass media exert such a great influence on children? One proposal has been for the introduction of a new school subject: media education. Though media education has not been part of the official curriculum in Hong Kong, some schools, both primary and secondary, have tried it out. This paper argues for the desirability of introducing media education in primary schools in Hong Kong, with regard to social change, recent education reform and learning initiatives of primary pupils. It then draws on the findings of a study conducted in a local primary school to examine the views of pupils, parents, and teachers on the effects on pupils of the implementation of media education lessons and campus radio projects in this age of new media.     

Transfer from middle to secondary school: a New Zealand study

Issues related to pupils’ transfer into secondary schools have been well-documented (Brown and Armstrong, in: M.B. Youngman (Ed.), Mid-schooling transfer: Problems and proposals, NFER-Nelson, Windsor, UK, 1986; Hargreaves, Two cultures of schooling: The case of middle schools, Falmer Press, Basingstoke, UK, 1986; Power and Cotterell, ERDC Report No. 27. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1981). A common feature of the research is the disparity between the environments of primary and secondary schools (Ward, NZ Principal, 27, (1997); Forbes and Ward, NZ Herald, 47, 11 December (1996)). The research suggests that the greater the difference between the two schools’ cultures, the greater the need for support for those transferring. In part, this need has traditionally been fulfilled in New Zealand by Intermediate Schools, two-year transition schools for Years 7 and 8. More recently, some of these schools have become four-year middle schools. By delaying transition to secondary school for two years (i.e., to Year 11), the middle schools offer an alternative route to secondary school. The research study described in this chapter tracked the movement of a class of pupils who chose to stay on at a middle school for Years 9 and 10, rather than transferring to secondary schools at the end of Year 8. Their perceptions of transition and those of a sample of school parents are detailed.     

Pupils' perceptions of practical science in primary and secondary school: implications for improving progression and continuity of learning

In spite of the introduction of a National Curriculum in UK schools and the improved progression and continuity that it promised, pupils still have problems with learning when they transfer from primary to secondary school. These problems are particularly acute in science. One approach is to provide a programme of ‘bridging work’, focused on practical science, that is started in the primary school and continued in the secondary school. The research reported here explored pupils' perceptions and experiences of science practical work before and after transfer to secondary school. The implications of the findings for the design of bridging work in science are discussed.     

Intervening to improve the transfer to secondary school

Evaluation data are reported on a Transfer Support Team (TST) intervention which supports pupils identified as vulnerable during secondary school transfer. Information about school concerns and broader adjustment measures were collected from TST supported pupils on three occasions and from a “typical benchmark group” on two occasions. Factors known to confer additional vulnerability around school transfer were also analysed: English as an additional language, free school meals eligibility and special educational needs. Findings indicate that this relatively brief transfer support programme impacts positively on targeted pupils’ levels of school concerns and illustrates the importance of differentiated monitoring of intervention outcomes.     

A four-stage longitudinal study exploring pupils’ experiences,preparation and support systems during primary–secondary school transitions

A longitudinal study was conducted over four stages of three school years across the primary – secondary transition. The purpose was to understand the dynamic transition experience of pupils, investigate the effectiveness of preparation by schools to support transitions and understand pupils’ most important support networks. Using online questionnaires, data were collected from pupils at four time points, twice from secondary school professionals and their parents, and once from primary school professionals. Results highlight the ongoing and dynamic nature of transitions. What pupils were excited about were still seen to be good once they were in secondary school , and aspects that worried them declined over time. Some pupils experienced problems and adapted at different times, whereas for some, problems emerged later. It seems that those who anticipated problems when in primary school were more likely to experience problems; this has implications for the discourse around transitions and its impact on pupils’ anticipation of transition experience. Although transition planning and preparation by schools were important and varied, they were not always effective, not provided in a timely manner and did not tap into their naturally occurring support networks in the home and community. This study makes unique contributions in terms of highlighting the dynamic transitions process and change in pupils’ experience over time; various aspects of transitions that children are excited and concerned about and how these changed over time; professionals’ conceptualisations of transitions; pupils’ and parents’ views of the effectiveness of transition practices at various stages; and pupils’ real support networks.     

A smooth trajectory: Developing continuity and progression between primary and secondary science education through a jointly‐planned projectiles project

This article reports on findings from a two‐year project—‘Improving Science Together’—undertaken in 20 primary and four secondary schools in and around Bristol, UK. The project was funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC as part of their national Science Teaching Trust initiative, and had as one of its aims the development of cross‐phase liaison between secondary school science departments and their feeder primary schools. Our findings suggest that, as a result of joint planning and implementation of a bridging unit, there had been an increase in the secondary school teachers’ understanding of both the range of the science curriculum covered in primary schools and pupils’ levels of attainment in the procedures of scientific enquiry. There was also evidence that transfer assessment information was informing planning and that pupils were experiencing greater continuity in their science education.     

Transition club: Facilitating learning, participation and psychological adjustment during the transition to secondary school

The transition from the primary to secondary phase of education has been highlighted as an area of concern for policy makers, educators and researches alike in recent years. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that it is during this crucial phase of compulsory education that many pupils are at risk of becoming marginalized and disaffected — thus, it is a salient topic for consideration in the broader discourse on inclusive education. The current paper reports on the attempts of a secondary school in the north-west of England to facilitate the learning, participation and psychological adjustment of new pupils through an innovative process called Transition Club. Using participant observations, questionnaires and a focus group interview we examined the views of 38 pupils who participated in its pilot. Qualitative content analysis of our dataset indicated that Transition Club was successful in providing pupils with a sense of belonging, helping them to navigate the ‘maze’ of secondary school, and making learning fun. There was also evidence to suggest that pupils who did not participate directly also experienced some of the benefits of the process.     

Why are teacher recommendations at the transition from primary to secondary education socially biased? A mixed-methods research

The consequences of educational differentiation have been at the centre of research in sociology of education during the past decades. Processes of educational allocation have, however, received much less attention. Despite the fact that research has shown that teacher recommendations in France and Germany are partly determined by pupils’ social background, studies that inquire into the causes of this social bias seem to be virtually inexistent. This study aims to examine whether teacher recommendations at the transition from primary to secondary education in Flanders (northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) are also socially biased, and if so what causes these differentials in advice, using a mixed-methods design. We found the advice given by primary school teachers to be partly determined by pupils’ social background. Analysis of the qualitative data suggests that teachers tend to evaluate pupils from low socio-economic status backgrounds less positively, due to their emphasis on specific pupil characteristics.     

Track choice,school engagement and feelings of perceived control at the transition from primary to secondary school

The transition from primary to secondary education is regarded as a crucial phase in pupils’ school careers. Changes in the school environment have a negative influence on pupils’ perceived control and engagement. However, until now little attention has been devoted to the role of the onset of ability grouping therein, which often coincides with the start of secondary education. Research has shown that students in non-academic tracks display lower levels of perceived control and engagement. In this study we examine the relation between pupils’ prospective track choice and feelings of perceived control and behavioural and cognitive engagement before the transition to secondary education. Stepwise multilevel regression models were run on data collected from pupils in their last year of primary education in 36 schools in the cities of Antwerp and Ghent (Flanders, Belgium) in May–June 2016. The results show that pupils who indicated that they would start secondary education in non-academic tracks displayed lower levels of perceived control and behavioural and cognitive engagement than pupils who indicated that they would start in an academic track. Further analyses suggest that teacher assessments of pupils’ competence play an important role in explaining these differences according to prospective track choice—with regard to perceived control and behavioural disengagement, this effect is established net of students’ actual competence. This study demonstrates that differences in perceived control and engagement according to track originate in primary education, and that primary school teachers play a vital part in labelling students according to their future careers.     

Improving progression and continuity from primary to secondary science: Pupils' reactions to bridging work

This article reports research from a project set up to implement ‘bridging work’ in science in England. Group interviews of 59 pupils in Year 6 (at the end of primary school) and 48 pupils in Year 7 (at beginning of secondary school) were carried out after pupils had completed bridging work. Twenty‐six of this sample were the same pupils. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out in groups to ascertain: their aspirations and fears concerning secondary science, their reactions to bridging work and their memories of investigations. Year 6 pupils were positive about studying science at secondary school and remained so after transfer. Pupils' reactions to bridging at both ages were very positive. Findings challenge recent critiques of bridging. The lack of progression in pupils' communication about the variables and findings from investigations suggest that the planned progression of work was not recognized by some teachers. Bridging work alone may not guarantee improved progression and continuity in science, but as part of a carefully planned and structured programme of collaboration it has merit.     

Preparing to transition to secondary education: perceptions of Dutch pupils with migrant backgrounds

Background: The transition from primary school to secondary school is a crucial period of time for children and this may be especially the case for pupils with migrant backgrounds. While there has been considerable research on the transition from primary to secondary school, more needs to be known specifically about the experiences of this group of pupils during their final year of primary school, as they prepare for their transition to secondary school.

Purpose: The study investigated how Dutch children with migrant backgrounds in their final year of primary school perceive the preparatory process for the transition to secondary school. In particular, we were interested in who the children felt were the important ‘actors’ (e.g. pupils, parents, teachers and others) in the preparatory process.

Sample: We collected data from 76 primary school pupils from three schools in an urban city in the Netherlands. The sample included pupils who, according to the Dutch system, were preparing to follow an academic pathway (i.e. the tracks known in this system as ‘HAVO’ or ‘VWO’) and those who were preparing to follow a vocational pathway (i.e. the track known as ‘VMBO’) in secondary education.

Design and methods: We used photo elicitation (N = 76) and also conducted semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the pupils (N = 25) to examine the roles of the important actors in the preparatory process. Data were analysed qualitatively; responses were coded and underwent pattern analysis in order to identify and describe repeating structures in the data. Data were grouped according to whether the pupils received school recommendations for an academic track or a vocational track.

Results: Findings suggested that the pupils perceived the most important actors to be the pupil, the classroom teacher and the parents. Both teachers and parents were considered valuable resources for pupils in the preparatory process. Patterns representing the participants’ perceptions of the roles of three actors – namely, (1) the child, (2) the classroom teacher and (3) the parents, were identified. Six patterns were identified with respect to the child, four with respect to the classroom teacher and two with respect to the parents. For some patterns, it was apparent that the responses of children in the vocational group and the academic group had different emphases.

Conclusions: The study highlights the importance for teachers and parents of children in their final year of primary school to be aware of the pupils’ perceptions of and feelings about their preparation for secondary school, so as to be in the best position to support them collaboratively.     

Do low-cost private school leavers in the informal settlement have a good chance of admission to a government secondary school? A study from Kibera in Kenya

There are growing numbers of low-cost private schools in urban informal settlements in developing countries. It has been argued that these institutions may constitute alternatives for government schools, as they are able to meet the educational needs of children in urban informal settlements. This study explores the question of whether low-cost private schools can meet their needs, not only in terms of primary education but also with regard to access to further education. The study selected 12 private schools in Kibera and 2 government schools neighbouring Kibera, asking head teachers which secondary school each primary school leaver had joined. The findings show that whereas over two-thirds of primary school leavers in general went on to secondary school, pupils graduating from government primary school were more likely to be enrolled in government secondary school than those pupils who completed the low-cost private primary school in Kibera. Moreover, performance in national examinations was lowest among girls attending the school in Kibera. The study thus argues that while the low-cost private primary school can meet the educational needs of children in the informal settlement to some extent, it cannot represent an alternative to the government primary school.     

Die Öffnung des Schulsystems: Fakt oder Fiktion?

Opening up educational paths and especially decoupling educational courses and final school qualifications are seen as important aspects of the modernization of Swiss education. The study presented here investigates to what extent this de-linking actually took place in the case of the Swiss canton Freiburg. 525 pupils from German-speaking schools were observed in their progress from the end of primary school (year 6) to the transfer into the upper secondary level Gymnasium (year 10) or into alternative educational routes. Indeed, almost half of the young people, who went to the Gymnasium, previously studied at a middle-level general secondary school and not the preparatory Progymnasium; a strong indication of decoupling. Furthermore, the study shows that entry into the upper secondary level Gymnasium is still possible for pupils despite weak performance at primary level. Irrespective of the evidence for an opening of the education system, the findings also show that attending a Progymnasium has a significant effect on school biographies. The chance of transferring into the upper secondary level Gymnasium is twice as high for graduates, who attended a Progymnasium, as for comparative pupils, who did not. Additionally, a privileged social background correlates with a high chance of entry into the upper secondary level Gymnasium.     

Assessing English vocabulary and enhancing young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ motivation through games,songs, and stories

In Taiwan, English was only officially taught at the secondary and tertiary levels before 2001. Since 2001, English courses have been formally incorporated into the curriculum in primary schools. Research on teaching and assessing English in primary school education is relatively new compared with research on other levels of education in Taiwan. The present study investigated the degree to which games, songs, and stories helped increase primary school pupils’ English vocabulary size and encouraged learning in an intensive English course. It also explored how different test techniques influenced pupils’ performance on a vocabulary test. Seventy-two primary school pupils participated in the study. The results showed that games, songs, and stories had a positive effect on learning and increasing the pupils’ English vocabulary. In the vocabulary test, the pupils in higher grades outperformed those in lower grades and performed differently in terms of test techniques.     

Perceptions of behaviour and patterns of exclusion: Gypsy Traveller students in English secondary schools

This paper draws on a recent and unique longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller students in fifteen local education authorities in England. Gypsy Traveller students are less likely to complete secondary education than any other minority ethnic group and it is estimated that up to 12 000 young Travellers in England are not registered at any secondary school. The study tracked a sample of 44 students over a three-year period, using a multi-perspective, phenomenological design to explore the complex interplay of attitudes, expectations and relationships that might impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Findings indicate that, although the students' behaviour was perceived to be good by their primary school teachers, problems began to emerge during the first year at secondary school and twenty-four pupils had self-excluded by the age of fourteen. Furthermore, almost one in three of the students in the study were temporarily excluded by their schools on at least one occasion during the study. The research suggests that patterns of resistance to secondary schooling should not be solely attributed to cultural influences. In many cases, parents expressed positive perceptions of their child's school until relationships broke down. Above all, parents and students want assurance that racism will be challenged and dealt with effectively.