Factors facilitating a positive transition to secondary school: A systematic literature review

ABSTRACT A positive transition to secondary school is pivotal to adolescents’ mental health and success. However, the school transition research has mainly focused on transition-related adversities rather than adolescent wellbeing and adaptation. While the disturbing consequences of a difficult school transition are known, little attention has been paid to the key breadth factors that enable adolescents to thrive during the school move. A systematic review was undertaken to determine the factors that predict positive transition to secondary school. A novel conceptual framework of positive school transition, based on a positive education paradigm, was proposed to group the findings. School ecology, organized activity involvement, spirituality, character strengths, self-efficacy, feeling safe, personality, physical fitness, and birth order are some of the relatively less researched aspects in transition literature that were found to be significantly associated with positive transition to secondary school, besides other popular school and social support factors. The results from the present review can stimulate and inform future research investigating the correlates or causes of a successful transition to secondary school. Improved understanding of the facilitators of positive transition will inform the invention and application of school transition programs.