The Effect of Students’ Experience with the Transition from Primary to Secondary School on Self-Regulated Learning and Motivation

Abstract

The transition from primary to secondary school is more successful when students’ learning is consistent. Students are also more likely to enjoy school, engage with learning, and have a high academic achievement in secondary school when they feel motivated. This is a critical aspect, especially in cases in which global pandemic situations allow only online schooling opportunities. Students that are away from school lack the traditional sources of motivation and self-regulated learning skills; thus, research is needed to identify other important factors that can be developed in remote settings. The aim of this study was to find out how students perceive their experience with the transition from primary to secondary school and how such a transition influences students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) and motivation. Self-reported data were collected during the COVID-19 breakout from a total of n = 80 sixth and seventh grade students aged 12–14 years old. The results showed that students had a successful transition, especially when they were supported by their parents and teachers. Next, bivariate Pearson correlation analysis indicated that students’ perceptions about their experience with the transition from primary to secondary school, their self-regulated learning, and their motivation were significantly correlated. No gender differences were found among any of the main study variables. Teachers can foster students’ SRL skills by implementing effective teaching methods and by guiding them towards SRL-enhancing techniques.

School Engagement, Academic Achievement, and Self-Regulated Learning

“…Although we are dealing with differentiated constructs, looking at the effect sizes we found there does seem to be a strong interaction between self-regulatory skill and school engagement, at least in primary education students. In fact, according to Uka and Uka [71], both constructs appear to be relevant for successful school transitions. Primary school students with high self-regulated learning skills and emotional engagement might have a better experience when they move to secondary school.…”

School-Work-Transition of NEETS: A Comparative Analysis of European Countries

“…The detailed analyses of the data highlight that the STWT process depends on socio-demographic characteristics like gender (e.g., Daehlen, 2007;Struffolino & Borgna, 2021), personal decisions regarding school attendance, type of school, entering the labor market early or late (e.g., Boudon, 2016;Lucas, 2001), and skills and motivation (e.g., Pastore et al, 2021;Pinquart et al, 2003;Uka & Uka, 2020). In the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe, young women have a higher risk of becoming NEETs because of family responsibilities (see, e.g., Tosun et al, 2021).…”

Self-Regulated Learning and Digital Learning Environment: Its’ Effect on Academic Achievement During the Pandemic

“…Focusing on the 8 th grade students from four middle schools, Cai, Wang, Xu, & Zhou (2020) demonstrated that SRL of some subjects was evidently compelling under a particular pandemic period. Other researchers, Uka & Uka (2020), revealed that the student's experience with the transition from primary to secondary school might affect SRL and motivation. Involving physics students from five universities in Germany, Austria, and Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic, Klein, Ivanjek, Dahlkemper, Jeličić, Geyer, Küchemann, & Susac (2021) discovered that a digital learning environment promoted academic achievement.…”