Group Interviews With School Students About the Transition From Primary School to Secondary School, 2022

The transition project at the University of Leeds examined the change in academic language encountered by school students when they transition from primary to secondary school. The project involved focus group interviews with school students spanning 12 months. There were four interview phases: when students were midway through their final year of primary school; just before the end of primary school; early in their first year of secondary school, and midway through the first year of secondary school. Five interviews with six students in each were conducted in the first three phases, and two in the final phase (which was interrupted by school closures due to Covid-19). Students were asked for their feelings about the transition and their views on the academic and language demands of their work at each stage.