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Abstract
The middle school transition is a developmental experience impacting all students. This study examined the correlation between the perceived difficulties associated with primary to middle school transition and the parental style (mothers ' and fathers ' responsiveness and control), stress, test anxiety and the importance given to school, grades, math and Romanian language; possible gender differences were also examined. Participants included 5th grade high-school students (N = 56; 60% boys, aged 10 to 12), who were assessed in the spring semester of their first middle school year. The results revealed important associations of transition difficulties in boys and girls, and parental styles, both from mothers and fathers; stress and test anxiety were also related to parental style and stress was associated with the importance given to Romanian language, grades and school. These results provide preliminary evidence for the need of sustained interventions at the beginning of middle school years.
Keywords: middle school transition; stress; test anxiety; parental style; academic achievement
Introduction
Transition can be defined as a period of change that can be both challenging and exciting, in which children and families adjust to new roles, identities and expectations, new interactions and new relationships (DEECD, 2011, as cited in Hanewald, 2013). The entrance in middle school represents an important step in the academic journey of pre-adolescents and this entrance comes after four or five years of elementary school, where they felt secured in a familiar environment (Maltais, Duchesne, Ratelle, & Feng, 2017).
Important literature refers to the primary to secondary school transition and a common point of view is that a special attention should be paid to the disparity between the two environments (Ward, 2000). Primary and secondary schools are described by different cultures and functions for their students. Primary school is a more child-centered learning environment and the organization is home-room-based, so the integration of the child is an important feature. The secondary school tends to be organization-driven, the learning environment is more subject-oriented and the teachers are specialists in the subjects they teach (Ward, 2000). In this new context, students perceive more pressure to succeed and adapt to school and teachers' expectations, to different styles of teaching, but also to new types of social relationships (Duchesne, Ratelle, & Roy, 2012). During...