This thesis aims to understand the multi-layered experiences of children with English as an additional language (EAL) in changing contexts by focusing on academic and social experiences in their transition from primary to secondary school. Although EAL is often linked with knowledge and proficiency in the English language as a means to access learning, this study builds on the complexity underlying the term that incorporates background, culture, agency and power in the ways children navigate their schooling. This is achieved through in-depth longitudinal accounts of children’s experiences and engagement co-constructed with participants and triangulated through interactive qualitative methods. The main focus is the active role of children in finding and embracing opportunities for social and academic engagement as part of their educational trajectories, identifying their agency in processes of change in the contrast between formal academic contexts and informal research discussions. In order to learn more about young people’s academic and social experiences, the study is theoretically informed by two perspectives. The first perspective is Bourdieu’s field analysis and the concepts of habitus, dispositions and agency. The analysis emphasises how and where children use their agency to engage with and manage expectations and options highlighted by institutional discourses and teachers. Looking at children’s engagement explicitly, the research highlights overlooked agency of children too easily categorised as EAL or ‘vulnerable’. The second analytical perspective explores engagement and trajectories in a classroom context and draws on Bernstein’s constructs of classification and framing with the aim to explain how children engage and reflect on their experiences across differently structured classroom contexts. Drawing on theoretical constructs and research in the area of EAL and diversity more widely, I present six case studies of experiences and show that in the case of children with EAL invisible agency, misinterpreted engagement and negotiating positioning both socially and academically are more complex than the notion of learning English to access learning. I argue that in the light of gaps in teachers’ understandings of children’s experiences, practical adjustments to classroom processes and communication could provide better understanding of the wider scope of EAL and schooling experiences.

Research suggests that the transition to adolescence and secondary school can be challenging and potentially disruptive to adolescent functioning. Large-scale studies on the effectiveness of peer support programs are currently lacking and those that have been conducted are compromised by methodological problems. The primary purpose of this research was to 1/ identify psychometrically sound measurement instruments for use with secondary school students; 2/ test the impact of the peer support program on espoused program outcomes and other aspects of students' psychological well-being and adjustment to the secondary schooling context; 3/ extend previous research by examining the effects of serving as a peer support leader on leadership ability and other psychological constructs; and 4/ identify students' perceptions of the impact, strengths and weaknesses of the program in order to further strengthen peer support intervention design. The findings have important implications for the provision of programs and techniques employed to address students' problems following the transition to adolescence and secondary school. In particular, they suggest that peer support programs have the potential to make a significant contribution to schools' efforts to orchestrate positive outcomes, not only for early adolescents, but also for older students who implement the program / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Research suggests that the transition to adolescence and secondary school can be challenging and potentially disruptive to adolescent functioning. Large-scale studies on the effectiveness of peer support programs are currently lacking and those that have been conducted are compromised by methodological problems. The primary purpose of this research was to 1/ identify psychometrically sound measurement instruments for use with secondary school students; 2/ test the impact of the peer support program on espoused program outcomes and other aspects of students' psychological well-being and adjustment to the secondary schooling context; 3/ extend previous research by examining the effects of serving as a peer support leader on leadership ability and other psychological constructs; and 4/ identify students' perceptions of the impact, strengths and weaknesses of the program in order to further strengthen peer support intervention design. The findings have important implications for the provision of programs and techniques employed to address students' problems following the transition to adolescence and secondary school. In particular, they suggest that peer support programs have the potential to make a significant contribution to schools' efforts to orchestrate positive outcomes, not only for early adolescents, but also for older students who implement the program / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study investigated students' perceptions of the generalist learning environment of the primary school compared to the same students' perceptions of the learning environments of the secondary school, with a particular focus on science learning environments. The role of student sex and school size pathways were investigated as factors Influencing changes in students' learning environment perceptions. The same students' perceptions of the learning environment were collected in the final stages of primary school and again after their initial term in secondary school. Data collected were both qualitative and quantitative in nature, with the quantitative data derived from short forms of the My Class Inventory and the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction. Insights were gained into how students' perceptions of learning environment, including the teachers' interpersonal style, changed during their first exposure to secondary learning environments and teachers, and how these changes in perceptions during transition depended upon school size and student sex. The study found that students' perceptions of the learning environments did change across transition, but that these changes on some scales varied with student sex and school size pathway.

The diploma thesis pursues a pupil's transition to a lower secondary school. The theoretical part describes the development of Czech primary and lower secondary school. It compares the compulsory education in European countries and describes a phenomenon of transition in view of its development in an international context during the past few decades. The empirical part explores main topics of pupil's transition to higher level of education. The research is based on the case study of the primary school with pupil's transition from the fourth grade and from the fifth grade. The research aim is to find out how the transition is viewed by the pupils and their teachers and to find out the reasons for an alternation of classic model of the transition in the fifth grade of primary school. It presents the advantages and disadvantages of this modification in a view of current pupils' development. The results show that neither pupils nor the teachers perceive any major differences in a timing of the transition. For all the pupils, with no regard to the model of the transition, the more important change is the entering to the sixth grade, which is connected with the change of the curriculum. The pupils transitioning according to a new model perceive the transition after the fourth grade as an advantage for...

Pursuing higher education after high school is a common practice in the United States, and for many individuals this process is expected. However, students in historically underrepresented communities still have a substantially harder time transitioning from high school to college, and there are currently an increasingly broad range and scope of college preparation programs that address this issue. This report examines how social and cultural capital frameworks highlight and explore the different aspects of a student’s life that can affect whether he/she is able to access college-related resources. Using these general constructs, this report attempts to illuminate elements that are currently missing in existing programs, and highlight current successful transition programs. / text

The transition from primary to secondary school is considered to be a challenging process for all pupils, but particularly difficult for those with social and emotional difficulties. Nurture groups aim to develop social and emotional skills and are seen to correspond closely with the recommendations made in transition literature. It is therefore proposed that nurture provision could be an effective means of supporting socially and emotionally vulnerable pupils in the transition. Previous literature adds support to this view, but no study as yet has focused specifically upon this topic. A small-scale case study design was used to explore the ways in which one secondary school applied nurture principles to support vulnerable pupils through the transition process. The research followed an embedded, single case design incorporating contextual and interview data regarding the school's nurture provision. Contextual information was gathered through the research diary and analysed in relation to the identified propositions. In addition, four illustrative case examples surveyed the views of the nurture facilitator and three pupils who received different levels of nurture support: these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. An integrated case description combines the findings from all data sources and offers a coherent account of the provision.The findings support the proposition that nurture provision can be an effective means of supporting socially and emotionally vulnerable pupils in the transition to secondary school. In line with nurture literature, the findings suggest that secondary schools need to adapt the primary nurture model to ensure provision meets the needs of their setting and cohort. While this promotes flexibility, secondary schools still need to adhere to a number of core principles to ensure they are delivering a true nurturing approach. A tentative model is presented, which proposes that secondary school nurture provision should aim to support social and emotional development through a range of provision that is firmly grounded in psychological theory. Provision should adhere closely to the six nurture principles, with effective identification of needs informing a personalised approach that is tailored to each individual pupil. The importance of relationships for learning and development is emphasised. The thesis concludes by suggesting that nurture provision can be an effective means of supporting socially and emotionally vulnerable pupils in the transition to secondary school, providing a number of core elements are in place.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is usually associated with deficits in Organization, Time Management, and Planning skills (OTMP; Pfiffner et al., 2013). Without adequate intervention, students with ADHD are more at risk of significant academic difficulties during the transition to secondary school mainly because of the increased organizational demands and expectations of greater autonomy characterizing this learning environment (Litner, 2003). The objective of this thesis was to better understand the factors associated with the effectiveness of the TRANSITION Project (Normandeau et al., 2011), a multimodal intervention aiming to support parents and ADHD children as they transition from primary school (Grade 6) to secondary school (Secondary 1). It includes a) a group intervention component for youths, targeting the improvement of OTMP and study skills, b) a group intervention component for parents, targeting the adoption of effective educational strategies to support their child in their learning activities, and c) a mentoring component in participants’ homes, for individualized support for youths and parents in acquiring the targeted skills. To participate in the study, children had to present a diagnosis of ADHD confirmed during a diagnostic interview based on DSM-IV criteria and certified by a physician. Families were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a group receiving usual community services. Improvement in OTMP skills at the end of secondary 1 was measured using a two-dimensional questionnaire (Time Management and Planning skills; Memorization and Material Management). The first article verified whether some individual (sex, comorbidity, intensity of ADHD symptoms) or familial characteristics (parental depression, parental stress, stressful life events) modulated the effectiveness of the TRANSITION Project in improving children's OTMP skills. Moderation analysis showed that OTMP skills improvement is influenced by few individual and family characteristics. The benefits of the TRANSITION Project in terms of Memorization and Material Management skills improvement are particularly favored in children presenting more ADHD residual symptoms following pharmacological treatment. Parental depressive symptoms reduce the added value of the intervention in terms of improving Time Management and Planning skills. The second article aimed to verify whether the OTMP skills improvement at the end of secondary 1 occurred through an effect of the TRANSITION Project on parental practices. Multivariate regression analysis and test of indirect effects (using PROCESS software) showed that parents' participation in the TRANSITION Project was associated with greater consistency in the use of effective parenting practices, which contributed to the improvement of the child’s OTMP skills. Globally, the studies presented in the thesis support the effectiveness of the TRANSITION Project and the relevance of an intervention tailored to the needs of youths with ADHD and their family during the transition from primary to secondary school. / Le trouble déficit de l'attention avec ou sans hyperactivité (TDAH) est généralement associé à des difficultés d’organisation du temps et de l’espace, et de planification de l’étude (OTEPE) (Pfiffner et al., 2013) persistant même avec l’utilisation d’un traitement pharmacologique. Sans intervention adéquate, les jeunes ayant un TDAH sont à risque de difficultés scolaires importantes, et ce particulièrement lors de la transition primaire-secondaire où ils seront confrontés à une augmentation des exigences organisationnelles et des attentes d’autonomie (Litner, 2003). L’objectif de cette thèse était de mieux cerner les facteurs associés à l’efficacité du Projet TRANSITION (Normandeau et al., 2011), un programme d'intervention multimodal visant à soutenir les jeunes ayant un TDAH et leur famille lors de la transition primaire-secondaire par l’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE du jeune, et l’acquisition de stratégies éducatives parentales adaptées afin de soutenir la mise en pratique des stratégies d’OTEPE du jeune. L’intervention se déroule de la fin de la 6e année primaire à la fin du secondaire 1, et comporte deux volets de groupe (jeunes; parents) et un volet de mentorat à domicile. Afin de participer à l’étude, les jeunes devaient présenter un diagnostic de TDAH (attesté par un médecin) et être sous traitement pharmacologique (dosage optimal). Les familles ont été assignées aléatoirement entre un groupe recevant l’intervention et un groupe recevant les services usuels de la communauté. L’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE à la fin du secondaire 1 était mesurée à l’aide d’un questionnaire à deux dimensions (mémorisation et organisation du matériel; gestion du temps et de planification). Le premier article de la thèse visait à vérifier si certaines caractéristiques présentes chez les participants avant le début de l’intervention (sexe de l’enfant, problèmes co-occurrents, intensité des symptômes de TDAH, dépression parentale, stress parental, événements de vie stressants) modulaient l’efficacité du Projet TRANSITION sur l’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE des jeunes. Les analyses de modération ont mis en évidence que l’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE chez les jeunes est influencée par peu des caractéristiques individuelles et familiales étudiées. Les bénéfices du Projet TRANSITION pour l’amélioration des habiletés de mémorisation et organisation du matériel sont particulièrement marqués chez les jeunes présentant davantage de symptômes résiduels de TDAH suite au traitement pharmacologique. À l’inverse, la présence de symptômes dépressifs chez le parent réduit la valeur ajoutée de l’intervention au niveau de l’amélioration des habiletés de gestion du temps et de planification. Le second article vérifiait si l’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE à la fin du secondaire 1 se produisait notamment par le biais d’un effet du Projet TRANSITION sur les pratiques parentales. Les analyses de régressions linéaires et tests d’effet indirect par échantillonnage multiples (logiciel PROCESS) ont mis en évidence que la participation des parents au Projet TRANSITION était associée à une meilleure constance dans l’utilisation des pratiques parentales efficaces, et que celle-ci contribuait à l’amélioration des habiletés d’OTEPE des jeunes. Globalement les résultats de ce travail doctoral appuient l’efficacité du Projet TRANSITION et soutiennent la pertinence d’offrir une intervention adaptée aux besoins des jeunes ayant un TDAH et de leur famille lors du passage primaire-secondaire.