Listening to Students' and Teachers' Voices: An Ecological Case Study Investigating the Transition from Elementary to Middle School.

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the transition from elementary to middle school by listening to the voices of the students as they make the transition and the voices of the teachers on either side of the transition. A qualitative case study was conducted which included student interviews before, during, and after the transition. Teachers in fifth and sixth grade were also interviewed. The participants in the study were seven students and seven teachers. The study was conducted in an urban city in the southeastern United States. Data for the study were collected from May 2002 through October 2002. A triangulation of student interviews, teacher interviews, observations, and field notes provided validity.

The study reviews adolescent development and middle school philosophy. Five themes were found to be present throughout the data. (1) Students have mixed emotions throughout the transition. (2) The discovery of independence is welcome, but with it comes responsibility. (3) The importance of friendships for students was apparent in this study. (4) The new middle school learning environment provided several challenges for students: difficulty and amount of work, time management, lockers and locks, the size of the building and the increased number of people, organization of materials, and communication with many new people. (5) According to student and teacher voices, an absence of some of the elements necessary for successful adolescent development and successful transition was evident.

The findings conclude that the transition from elementary to middle school needs to be addressed for both students and fifth and sixth grade teachers. Some specific recommendations are made to provide this information.