Pupils’ everyday transitions in school as a condition for social relations and activities in leisure time centres

Abstract

This article focuses on how pupils’ everyday transitions constitute a condition for pupils’ activities and relationships, and how pupils understand and give meaning to their everyday transitions between different school settings (school and Leisure Time Centre). To examine this, we made participant observations in three different educational settings. The focus of these observations is on pupils in their everyday life in school and LTC, thereby gaining insight into the experiences of being a pupil in these settings. In regard to social relations, the changes brought about by daily transitions between educational settings create conditions for different activities and changes in the group. The changes in groups that occur in the different contexts of everyday transitions in school can be both an opportunity and an obstacle, depending on the situation and with whom pupils wish to engage in social interaction. Thus, it is clear that the transition from school to LTC often involves changes in the group, thereby changing the conditions of pupils’ opportunities to form relationships with each other.

Keywords:

• Everyday transitions
• school
• leisure time centre
• peer relations
• peer cultures

Notes

1. Swedish 6-year-olds attend preschool class, which is a specific type of schooling, and begin primary school the year they turn 7. Both preschool class pupils and primary school pupils attend LTC. Henceforth, we use the term ‘school’ for both preschool class and primary school.