A longitudinal study of psychological functioning and academic attainment at the transition to secondary school
Abstract
This longitudinal study of adolescents in the first year of secondary school, examined the relationship between psychological functioning at the beginning of year 7 (mean age 11.25 years) with attainment at the end of year 7 (mean age 11.78 years). Depressive symptoms, school liking and conduct problems predicted lower attainment across time having controlled for the temporal stability in psychological functioning and attainment. School concerns predicted lower attainment for boys only, and the effects of depressive symptoms on later attainment were significantly stronger for boys compared to girls. School liking - and school concerns for boys - remained significant predictors of attainment when controlling for conduct problems. The transition to secondary school may represent a window of opportunity for developing interventions aimed at improving both pupil psychological functioning and attainment.
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Within transition literature, there is a general dominance of top-down quantitative survey-based designs.
“Within transition literature, there is a general dominance of top-down quantitative survey-based designs (Riglin et al., 2013) where participants are asked to respond to predisposed quantitative facets of adjustment.”
From What emotional‐centred challenges do children attending special schools face over primary–secondary school transition? (2021) · cites this paper as Riglin et al., 2013
Cites
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Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries
Fazel, M., Hoagwood, K., Stephan, S., & Ford, T. (2014) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(14)70312-8 · Cited by 730 · see citing works
A review of the academic and psychological impact of the transition to secondary education
Evans, D., Borriello, G. A., & Field, A. P. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01482 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
van Rens, M., Haelermans, C., Groot, W., & Maassen van den Brink, H. (2018) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-017-0063-2 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Neal, S., Rice, F., Ng‐Knight, T., Riglin, L., & Frederickson, N. (2016) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.04.003 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationBagnall, C. L., Fox, C. L., & Skipper, Y. (2021) · Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs · doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12507 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
- Authors
- Riglin, L., Frederickson, N., Shelton, K. H., & Rice, F.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Cardiff University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Rice, Frances
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescence
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-04-10
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 507-517
- ISSN
- 0140-1971 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9254
- OpenAlex
- W2146899779
- Cited by
- 125
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 6.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- World Bank Group
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychosocial Factors Impacting Youth
- Keywords
- transition to secondary school, academic performance, depressive symptoms, school liking, conduct problems, gender differences, temporal stability, adolescents, early secondary school
- MeSH terms
- Achievement, Adolescent, Affect, Anxiety, Depression, Education, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Factors, Social Adjustment, Students, Models, Statistical, Conduct Disorder
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