The educational transition from Primary Education to Compulsory Secondary Education is one of the most relevant transformations processes that take place within the educational system. Some studies show that these processes, in some cases, appear as coherent and, in others, as discontinuous ones. In any case, researchers agree on the change perspective of this educational transition. Gimeno Sacristán (2007) defines this process as

            […] a critical moment, valid, because it is an expression of social diversity and of different organizational models and differentiated professional styles, and also a potentially problematic puzzle for subjects who have to move between different schools or territories (p. 19).

            In Spain, researchers (Bharara, 2019; Gimeno Sacristán, 1996; Monarca et al., 2013; Tarabini, 2020) focussed more on the discontinuity than the continuity between institutional cultures, that is, more focused on the barriers than on the elements that favour them. In any case, the researchers agree about educational transitions as essential in the trajectories of students since they influence their personal, family and social development. The discontinuities of these transition processes are constituted as a selection process (Gimeno Sacristán, 1996; Monarca et al., 2013), associated or in convergence with the processes of dropping out and school failure, thus increasing the risk of social exclusion among adolescents and young people (Tarabini, 2020).

            The educational transition should be a gradual, flexible and reflective process, as multiple psychological, sociological and pedagogical factors are involved in (Santana-Vega, 2015; Hargreaves, 1996; Evangelou et al., 2008; West et al., 2008; Jindal -Snape, et al., 2020). For Sacristán (1996), the educational transition must be understood as a continuous process with 2 dimesions: a horizontal or transversal continuity (between teachers, areas and subjects in a course) and another vertical and temporal connection of didactic elements during the school time. The author also states that most of the discontinuities and inconsistencies that hinder the transit processes affect occur in different dimensions such as in the relationships that are established within the educational community, the curriculum, the climate, the spaces for participation, the evaluation, the distribution of school and family time and the school organization in general. Some studies confirm these elements, and add others associated with the coexistence such as: the compliance with the rules, or the role of teachers, the pedagogy or the number of teachers among others (Ávila Francés et. Al., 2022; González Lorente and González Morga, 2015; González-Rodríguez, 2019).

Nevertheless, there are few studies on some proposals for improvement: the construction of a common pedagogical culture (Carbonell, 2002) and the coordination of all the pedagogical dimensions that intervene in the educational processes in public schools, such as the construction of a common inclusive curriculum (Payá, 2019). 

This proposal is part of the research project, approved by the Spanish Ministry of Universities, called The Transition to Compulsory Secondary Education. Pedagogical Impact and Consequences whose general objective is to explore the process of transition to Compulsory Secondary Education and identify the conditioning factors involved in process. Delving into the elements that can generate social exclusion, and highlighting those that may be favouring the transition, allows us to suggest possible ways for improvement. 

In coherence with the objective, a Multiple Case Study (Stake, 2013) has been carried out, with the participation of four pairs of public schools of Primary Education and Compulsory Secondary Education from Andalusia (Spain). The selection of the cases was intentional, taking into account common criteria such as proximity, the diversity of the students and the voluntary participation of the schools, and that the pairs of them were of continuity between primary and secondary education as established by the public administration. The information gathering was undertaken using participatory observation (different spaces inside and outside the schools), in-depth semi-structured interviews (individual and collective with students, teachers, and families), focus groups (students and teachers), analysis of documents and audiovisual material (photography, audio, videos). The analysis was part of the research process from its inception. According to Stake (2010), “there is no specific moment in which data analysis begins. Analysing is about making sense of first impressions as well as final summaries” (p. 67). We start from some previous categories associated with: organization of spaces and times in primary and secondary schools, role of teachers and students, way of understanding the curriculum, didactic methodologies, evaluation, relationships that exist between the components of the educational community, socioeconomic factors and response to diversity; other categories have emerged throughout the investigation. The NVivo12Plus computer software was used for organization and categorization; for the analysis, the different sources of information have been triangulated.

We will present the positive and negative factors that have intervened in the transit processes, taking into account four dimensions: 1. The social dimension based on the participation of the educational community as well as different administrative and social contexts (City Halls, neighbourhood associations or other entities). 2. The political dimension regarding the political decision-making that shapes the educational system in general and the model of transition and educational guidance in particular. 3. The Personal dimension regarding the perceptions, the lived experiences and the expectations. 4. The Pedagogical dimension: It refers to the organization of spaces and times, methodologies, activities, relationships, rules, role of the teacher and the student body, evaluation system, response to diversity, curriculum, different training of primary and secondary school teachers, transition models from the practical dimension. In conclusion, based on these findings, we will make several suggestions that can contribute to the improvement of the current model of the transition from Primary Education to Compulsory Secondary Education.

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