The contribution of school transitions research on school orientation in compulsory secondary education

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This article, which is part of a larger investigation focuses on school transitions, presents only one of the cases approached, in this case, assuming a marked feature of a participatory action research. Its goal has been to a) identify the determining and facilitating factors of school success or failure during the first year of compulsory secondary education, in order to b) turn these into actions and programs to improve the given situation. These actions have been framed within the tasks and functions assigned to counsellors at establishments of compulsory secondary education. Findings show that, in the case approached, in line with previous studies, to a significant percentage of students the first year of the compulsory secondary education cycle has a negative impact on their school trajectories. This situation demands the involvement of the orientation department from an advisor model that centers on the school institution, its change and improvement, in particular, of the transition processes from primary to secondary education. This transition plays a key role in the realization of the young’s right to education.