Social, Cognitive, and Motivational Changes in Students’ Transitions to Secondary School

Understanding students’ multifaceted changes during transitions from primary to secondary school is essential for promoting positive educational outcomes and lifelong learning. Theoretical approaches and evidence suggest the need for frequent adjustments of the transition offer. Therefore, the current systematic review aimed to provide an updated synthesis covering the period from 2020–2024, extending previous overviews of the multifaced social, cognitive, and motivational changes during students’ transitions from primary to secondary school. Grounded in the multiple and multidimensional transitions theory, this review integrates theoretical perspectives on students’ development and perceived school-related environments to explore the multifaceted dynamics of educational transitions. Following the PRISMA reporting guidelines, 12 studies with research results from n = 8,158 students from eight countries were included in the current synthesis. The results indicate that the students’ transitions to secondary school are socially related to changes in peer dynamics, teacher-student relationships, and identity formation. Cognitively, the transitions were associated with conceptual and abstract reasoning. Motivationally, the transitions were associated with goal orientation and psychological needs. The current systematic review highlights the heterogeneity of students’ transition experiences. However, these experiences seem to be more positive than previous syntheses suggested. Thus, a review of intervention effects that may make students’ transitions smoother, focusing on social learning, cognitive activation, and motivation would be valuable. Such a review could inform the development of targeted strategies to address students' diverse needs during this critical period. Additionally, examining the long-term outcomes of these interventions could provide insights into how they shape students’ academic and emotional trajectories.