Character in Transition – Consistency in Values: The Transition from Primary to Seconday School

Consistency in Values enquires into the nature of and changes in pupils’ understanding of values in the transitional phase of school from primary to secondary education. Pupils in this project include 10- and 11-year-olds in their final year of primary education, known as Year 6 (Yr 6), and 11- and 12-year-olds in their first year of secondary education, known as Year 7 (Yr 7).

This project discusses pupils’ understanding of character and the moral values they hold. It also seeks to find out who or what influenced their moral values, and to examine which individuals, institutions and situations might have hindered or promoted their development.

The experience of transition from the familiar, nurturing and supportive ethos of what is very often a small primary school to the more impersonal, larger, and quite possibly intimidating secondary school can be a challenging phase in pupils’ lives. Essentially, the period of transition is a time when pupils will be removed from one secure environment, with its familiar values, rules, routines and structures, to a new environment with its own (and often very different) values, rules, routines and structures. Due to the importance of this period in the development of a child’s character, the Learning for Life project has chosen to research the transition from primary to secondary school as part of its focus.

Background

The Character in Transition research was undertaken over a two-year period during 2007 – 2009 in five primary schools and six secondary schools in a city in south-east England. It enquires into the nature of and changes in pupils’ understanding of values in the transitional phase of schooling from primary to secondary education, as well as the consistency of provision made by schools to support pupils’ character development.

An individual pupil’s values will develop as a result of a combination of personal and social interaction with parents, carers, siblings, other relatives, neighbours, teachers and friends, each of whom may espouse or model certain values and qualities of character.

The experience of transition from the familiar, nurturing and supportive ethos of what is very often a small primary school to the more impersonal and larger secondary school can be a challenging phase in pupils’ lives and is a significant milestone in the child’s development. It is also a time of considerable change and with the onset of the challenges of adolescence. Hence, this period of transition can frequently prove stressful.

There is a lack of clarity in the moral objectives that schools set themselves, especially in the area of personal responsibility and practice in this area is rarely evaluated. Government initiatives to enhance character education remain patchy, narrowly focused and marginal rather than brought into mainstream provision. There is little support or training for teachers. Socially excluded groups of young people are least likely to be involved in character development initiatives such as volunteering. Moreover, while employers repeatedly call attention to lack of skills and relevant knowledge in their new employees, they also point to the missing dimension of personal ‘character’.

Key Findings

All the evidence gathered from interviews with pupils and teachers, questionnaires, written reflections and school prospectus, suggests that 10 to 12 year olds were characterised by a strong sense of values and character. Pupils had high academic aspirations and a general awareness of the importance of caring for the environment.

The key findings of this project include: ‘Moral Awareness’, ‘The Role of Schools in Value Development’, ‘Key Values’, ‘Religion and Morality’, ‘Self-Image’, ‘The Role of Parents’, ‘The Importance of Friendship’, ‘Elements of the Transition’, ‘Enjoyment of School’ and ‘Academic Aspirations’.

Research Strategy

As far as possible, the research strategy was designed to explore the ways in which young people describe how they think, feel and behave. The project comprised a case study of five primary and six secondary schools in one community, including grammar and non-selective schools. The area that defines the locality was broadly typical, both of the region and the country as a whole.

The research began with preliminary group interviews with pupils and teachers and a questionnaire survey, the results of which were used to form the questionnaire used in the second phase. Further interviews were held in order to clarify provisional interpretations.

Observations

The evidence collected in this report conveys a sense that the pupils surveyed are genuinely interested in the development and formation of character and values. There are no obvious differences in the values held by Year 6 and Year 7 pupils, but younger pupils tended to have definite ideas of right and wrong. Older pupils, on the other hand, tended to look at moral issues in degrees of ‘rightness’ or ‘wrongness’.

Teachers interviewed believed that it was the role of the school to help pupils develop values. Secondary school teachers viewed their role in pupils’ values development within the context of the curriculum.

The most important values to the pupils were trust and honesty. Courtesy and tolerance, on the other hand, were seen as the least important of values.

Few pupils thought having a religious faith was an important characteristic of a good person.

The report provides key insights into the transitional phase between Primary and Secondary education. A number of the observations will provoke further conversations, due to their complex nature.

Downloads

• Character in Transition – Summary Report
• Character in Transition – Full Report