Transition to Secondary School: Does it affect age-16 performance?

Publication Details

Competent Children, Competent Learners is a longitudinal study which began in 1993 and follows the progress of a sample of around 500 New Zealand young people from early childhood education through schooling and beyond. The transition to secondary school was focussed on during the previous phase of the study when students were aged 14 (refer Cathy Wylie, Edith Hodgen and Hilary Ferral, 2006). This report provides follow-up analysis of any statistical effects of the transition to secondary school evident at age 16 on students’ engagement and achievement.

Author(s): Cathy Wylie & Edith Hodgen [New Zealand Council for Educational Research]

Date Published: May 2009

References

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Cox, S. & Kennedy, S. (2008). Students’ Achievement as they Transition from Primary to Secondary Schooling. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Grolnick, W.S., Kurowski, C.O., Dunlap, K.G., & Hevey, C. (2000). Parental resources and the transition to junior high. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10 (4), 465–488.

Hawk, K., & Hill, J. (2001). Troubled transition: How to ensure that educational transition points do not interrupt student learning. set: Research Information for teachers, 3, 29–32. Available at www.nzcer.org.nz

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Wylie, C., with Ferral, H. (2005). Patterns of cognitive and personality development: evidence from the longitudinal Competent Children/Learners study. In Low, J., & Jose, P. (Eds). Lifespan Development: New Zealand Perspectives. Auckland: Pearson Education New Zealand.

Wylie, C., Hodgen, E., & Ferral, H. (2006). Completely different or a bigger version? Experiences and effects of the transition to secondary school. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Wylie, C. & Hodgen, E. (2007). Competent Learners@ 16: Competency levels and development over time. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Wylie, C. Hipkins, R. & Hodgen, E. (2008). On the Edge of Adulthood. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

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