Longitudinal study of individual, environmental and contextual factors predicting adaptation to the transition to lower secondary education

Transitions into higher educational levels are normative life events that challenge students' academic and socio-emotional development. This longitudinal study aims to examine outcomes of and determinants of students' adaptation to the transition from classroom (4th grade) to subject teaching (5th grade). The outcomes of adaptation were assessed by changes in students' GPA and learning self-efficacy from 4th to 5th grade as well as by the self-perceived adaptation. In addition, a number of individual, environmental and contextual determinants of the three adaptation outcomes were examined. Participants were 860 students aged 10–11 years from Zagreb, Croatia. They participated in data collection at the end of 4th grade, at the mid-term of 5th grade and at the end of 5th grade. The results showed that students' GPA and learning self-efficacy declined following transition, although they generally perceived their academic adaptation as successful. Several individual, environmental and contextual variables explained academic adaptation to transition operationalized as self-perceived adaptation, learning self-efficacy and GPA in 5th grade. The stage-environment fit model of educational transition was supported even when transition takes place within the same school building and class. •Transition decrease learning self-efficacy and GPA in both genders similarly.7•Students perceive educational transition more as academic challenge than threat.•Perceived teachers' support positively predicts self-perceived adaptation.•Outcomes of within-school transition support stage environment fit model.