The influence of interpersonal and family variables on student transitions from elementary to middle school

• Main Author: Greene, Ross
• Other Authors: Psychology
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2020
• Subjects: LD5655.V855 1986.G743; Adolescence; Junior high schools; Middle schools; Student adjustment
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/101116

The transition between elementary and secondary school occurs wholly as a function of grade level and not necessarily on the basis of specific developmental achievements. Researchers have found that a significant decrease in grade-point average occurs during this process, and that interpersonal changes may occur as well. The present study sought to determine (a) whether this decrease is fairly standard across students, or whether there are clear differences in student adjustment to secondary school; (b) whether changes also occur with regard to attendance and behavior; (c) whether students who make a poor academic transition continue to perform poorly in their second year of middle school; and (d) whether it is possible, based on interpersonal measures (locus of control, assertion, and popularity), teacher behavior ratings, and a family learning environment measure, to predict the pattern of students' transitions. Subjects for this study were 265 students attending one of two middle schools in southwestern Virginia. Results indicated that (a) there is a significant difference in grade-point average between the final year of elementary school and the first year of middle school, and that there are dramatic grade-point adjustment differences across students; (b) there are nonsignificant differences between elementary and middle school attendance and behavior, but differences in these areas across students; (c) in general, students who make a poor academic transition continue to perform poorly in their second year of middle school; and (d) previous level of functioning in each area is generally the best predictor of subsequent functioning, but significant differences were found between "good" and "poor" transition students when data was analyzed by gender, academic level, and previous level of functioning. These findings were viewed as a first step toward identifying students at-risk for poor transitions, and were discussed in this context. === M.S.