Coping with change in the middle years: How research can inform teaching pedagogy

From the earliest days of formal education, students have experienced a change of schooling at about age 13. The change in school coincides with psycho-physical changes associated with developing adolescence and marks a major rite of passage as students move from a more dependent, nurturing type of learning environment and enter an increasingly organisation-driven environment that is characteristic of most secondary schools. The change of school is usually anticipated with a sense of excitement and the expectation of new challenges. However a recent New Zealand study suggests that during transition to secondary school, students become aware of a dissonance between their expectations of the new institution and the reality. This is particularly relevant to students' experiences with cognitive challenge, how effort is valued and formative feedback. This paper analyses these and other themes associated with preadolescent transition and offers evidence drawn from interviews, classroom observations, and Picture Interpretation and Q-Sort surveys. It is of interest to researchers and teachers of middle years students.