A horizontal approach to school transitions: a lesson learned from Finnish 15‐year‐olds

Abstract

Various school transitions provide both challenges and opportunities for pupils. The ways in which pupils cope with these transitions can have a significant impact on their everyday lives and futures. This study focuses on exploring the kinds of transitions pupils face during their comprehensive school path. The aim is to gain a better understanding of horizontal and vertical school transitions faced by Finnish ninth graders (n = 518) who are 15‐ to 16‐years‐old during their school careers. These transitions are empirically examined through two complementary aspects: (1) determining the horizontal and vertical transitions in the pupils’ school career; and (2) identifying the challenges faced by the pupils in these transitions. By introducing a horizontal and vertical school transition model and exploring the transitions in this framework we aim at contributing to breaking down the complexity of the transfer process.

Keywords:

• school transitions
• horizontal and vertical transition

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Finnish Ministry of Education and the Finnish Work Environment Fund for funding the research project Learning and Development in the Comprehensive School.

Notes

1. Within the Finnish comprehensive school system all comprehensive school teachers must have a masters degree either in educational sciences or some other domain such as mathematics or biology, with compulsory additional studies (35 credits) in educational science. The class teachers who typically work in Grades (0)–1–6 (primary school) must have an MA degree in educational science, with the main subject being applied educational sciences or educational psychology. Subject teachers, who typically teach in Grades 7–9 (lower secondary school) usually have an MA in another subject with an additional compulsory one year of study in educational science.

2. After comprehensive school about 50% of all adolescents enter senior secondary schools and 42% vocational education while 2% stay on for a voluntary tenth grade and about 6% exit from formal education (Statistics Finland, 2008).

3. For more detail see Pyhältö, Soini, and Pietarinen (2010).