While child development is well-recognized as a complex process which could hardly be decomposed into separate lines or domains in contemporary psychological theories, the decomposition approach is widely used in empirical studies. Based on the cultural-historical theory, this study argues for adopting the unit of analysis as a way to bridge this…

Contribution: A peer-mentoring plan designed to support engineering students during their transition from high school to university. This article addresses the adaptation challenges faced by first-year students in engineering programs. Background: The transition to university is a critical period for students, marked by significant lifestyle…

Transition to school experiences influence children's wellbeing, development, and learning at the time of transition and future transitions. Effective transitions require schools to engage with children and families in ways that connect and empower them in the transition process. In this study children aged 3-6 years and their teachers used a…

The transition into higher education (HE) is a particularly challenging process for students due to a large variety of difficulties and requirements. Moreover, increasing student numbers and diversity in European HE have complexified the issue of the successful transition to university. Consequently, it is important to further develop our…

The transition from preschool to elementary school requires high adaptive behaviours. Our study's aim is to analyze the reciprocal effects between self-regulation and behaviour problems during this transitional phase. Study results are based on longitudinal data collected at preschool and elementary school. Children's level of behaviour problems…

Autism is a neurobiological disorder characterized by impairment in social interaction, communication, and repetitive stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autism rates have continued to increase in the United States and a cause or cure has not yet been found. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the prevalence of…

Transition to school is a critical period in child development and has raised great concern among contemporary studies. However, most studies focus on vertical transition and only a few investigate vertical and horizontal transitions as a whole. To bridge the gap, this paper explores how an immigrant Chinese child makes the horizontal transition…

Using a dataset that includes over 17 million students from across all 50 states, we estimate the causal impact of making structural transitions into middle school (in grades 4, 5, 6, or 7) on student math and reading achievement trajectories. This dataset provides an ideal opportunity to engage in the valuable scientific practice of conducting…

Children's transition to school has been widely investigated, but most studies do not clearly define its starting point. By drawing on the cultural-historical concept of the social situation of development, and selecting 'role adjustment' as the unit of analysis, this paper seeks to clearly define the starting point of children's transition to…

Grades often decline during the high school transition, creating stress. The present research integrates the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat with the implicit theories model to understand who shows maladaptive stress responses. A diary study measured declines in grades in the first few months of high school: salivary cortisol…

The transition from secondary to higher education is a challenging process, in which the development of students' motivation plays a pivotal role. The current study examines whether self-efficacy--and how it develops--is able to explain the growth in motivation. The current longitudinal study included five waves, across a period of 25 months (i.e.…

Based on the temporal framework of transition experiences, this study tested time-graded patterns of family resource effects on children's and early adolescents' psychological adjustment during a time of multiple transitions. Using data of a longitudinal study including 2,020 German children covering the age span between 8 and 12 (n[subscript…

Endeavors supporting college students' positive psychosocial development are gaining attention and investment in various countries and social contexts. Higher education experiences provide new academic, social, and vocational advancement opportunities at a critical developmental stage. However, higher education can also cause distress due to the…

A child's transition from pre-K to kindergarten is an important time. It builds the foundation for academic, behavioral and social-emotional skills, as well as positive family-school connections, for years to come. Starting kindergarten is also a big shift for many children, one that requires them to adjust rapidly to new routines and…

Individual differences in 'adaptability' -- cognitive, behavioural, and emotional adjustment in the face of change, novelty, and uncertainty -- are theorised to influence students' academic achievement and course satisfaction; although the literature examining these relations in tertiary education is sparse. In the present study, first-year…