This paper addresses one of the most representative situation of educational systems: School transitions of students from one level to another and specifically, the transition from primary to secondary school, this being considered a significant milestone into school, personal and social trajectory of students (Calvo-Salvador y Manteca-Cayón, 2016).

In Spain, Antúnez (2007) and Monarca et al., (2013) argue that the transition to Secondary School supposes a strong cultural discontinuity, derived from the evolution of the educational system that has generate diverse purposes and demands, differentiated pedagogical methods  and relationships, others than in primary school level.

Internationally, school transition have been a a persistent area of  interest. Differrent studies advance knowledge on the complex factors and dimensions that shape the processes of transition to secondary school, such as: psychological (social, emotional and personality development, well-being, identity and self-esteem of students); sociological (social class, gender, minority groups, race, ethnicity and place of birth), curricular or organizational (knowledge management,  pedagogical leadership, organization of times and spaces) and political (inclusive educational policies for social justice) ( Hargreaves, 1996; Evangelou et al., 2008; West et al., 2008; Jindal-Snape, et al., 2020) with a strong emphasis on supporting a successful transition from primary to secondary for all students.

One of the most important factors is the role of teachers and school professionals involved in transition processes (Azorín-Abellán, 2019). However, as reported by Hopwood et al. (2016) and Gro Marte Strand (2020) there are fewer studies that provides firsthand accounts and examine in close detail the daily practices of teachers and school professionals during the transition process, their role and involvement in pedagogical aspects such as: curriculum, teaching-learning methodologies, evaluation, relationships with pupils, school environment or specific programs to support transition.

In this paper, we briefly report the initial findings from an on-going research project known as: “Transition to Secondary Education. Pedagogical impact and consequences. (TESO.ICP). The project started in 2019 and it is funded by the Ministry of Science of Spain. The research project is carried out in several primary and secondary schools located in Andalusia (Spain) with the joint participation of teachers, school professionals, students, families, and researchers from University of Malaga (Spain).

Our project aims to study the processes of the transition from primary to secondary school to better understand the educational practice, the underline reasons of it, and how a whole culture is generated or built around certain beliefs, rites, and values of school activity.  Both in Spain and elsewhere, the education systems are immersed in great social changes (gender culture, cultural and ethnic diversity, globalization, social networks, and knowledge society), that generate new approaches, and educational practices that seek equitable models to ensure the right to quality education for all students. Therefore, if we really want to find solutions to this problematic situation, this moment of transition is of such importance that it requires new insights and possible solutions to the necessary coordination effort of all the elements involved in education (Hargreaves, 1990). That is why it is unavoidable to return to a problem that continues to raise the concern of the educational community and society in a context of increased complexity and uncertainty to advance research and possible suggestions for improvement.

Specifically, in this paper we explore how teachers and school professionals are perceiving and experiencing the transition practices to secondary school, the situations in which the practices are carried out, and what kind of challenges and solutions do they propose to foster a positive transition experience to their students and families.

Case Study methodology was used to to understand and analyze the transition process from primary schools (4 ) to secondary schools (4) from Andalusia (Simón, 2011). The selection of schools was based on criteria such as: proximity to schools, diversity of the student body, the voluntary participation based on the school needs to improve the transition to secondary school, and, finaly, possible innovative educational practices to promote the transition. Secondary schools were also selected based on the continuity or reference criteria for the students from the previously selected primary schools. The data collection instruments were both quantitative and qualitative in order to to overcome the limitations of each of these instruments and to enrich our findings (Forni and Grande, 2020; Piza-Burgos et al., 2019). However, for the purpose of this paper, we will present the qualitative data gathered through focus grups and semi-structured interviews with teachers, counselors and headteachers from primary and secondary schools, as well as observations in classrooms both in primary and secondary schools, the transition meetings and analysis of documents. Specifically, the participants were: 12 primary school teachers, 15 secondary school teachers, 8 school counselors and 8 head teachers. For the thematic analysis of data, the NVIVO computer program has been used, considering both theoretical and emerging analytical categories.

In this section we describe and evaluate the preliminary empirical findings of our study. Moreover, we will focus on identifying, comparing, and contrasting the most significant aspects of how the transition to secondary school is perceived and experienced by teachers and school professionals in Spain. Some of these findings are related to: - Conceptual understanding, role, and attitudes on transition - Teacher training on transition - Curriculum, pedagogy, assessment - Relationships with students - Institutional staff coordination, inter-schools’ communication, and leadership - Organization of time and space, innovation, democratic school life - The nature of the families involvement into school life and into the transition processes from the perspective of teachers and school professionals. We consider these findings potentially relevant to researchers and educators interested in similar discussions on challenges and relevant positive educational transitions in other parts of the world.

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