In my master's thesis, I explored the challenges of students with excellent academic performance transitioning from primary school to high school. Theoretically, I relied on the conceptualization of adolescence from a developmental and sociological perspective. I presented high school as a new system into which adolescents enter, and emphasized the importance of an accepting and inclusive climate and culture in the school environment. To better understand the adolescent transition, I included the concepts of personal crises and both risk and protective factors.
In the empirical part of my thesis, I qualitatively examined the experiences of a group of adolescents entering a new social environment – high school. I included 20 ninth-grade students from four primary schools across two Slovenian regions who enrolled in high school. The research was conducted through two focus group sessions over a nine-month period (the first before enrollment in high school and the second after enrollment). The analyzed data contributed to an understanding of the demands and challenges that come with the transition and how adolescents establish their new social roles in this new social environment.
The aim of the empirical part was to determine the experiences of a group of adolescents when entering a new social environment – high school. The research was conducted in the form of two meetings over a nine-month period, allowing me to track a specific group of adolescents during their transition from primary school to high school. I used a qualitative approach, employing focus groups to present the transition of 20 future high school students. I had a sample of ten students from each region. The analyzed data provided insights into the demands and challenges that the transition presents for adolescents. The results revealed that adolescents experienced the transition positively, receiving significant support from both the school and their families. The biggest challenge they faced was the difficulty of high school and the decline in their grades. They also mentioned having trouble adopting new learning methods and note-taking techniques. Entering the new social environment and connecting with peers was largely described as a positive experience, during which they made new acquaintances and gained new experiences.
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