Ensuring soft transition of children from preschool to school (following: transition) contributes significantly to their better education outcomes (Wright, 2009; Bablett, Barrat-Pugh, Kilagllon, and Maloney, 2011; Ahtolaa, Poikonenb, Kontoniemic, Niemia, and Nurmi, 2012; Petriwskyi, 2013). According to the recent international OECD study (Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education, 2017), following actions need to be undertaken in order to make progress in this field. Firstly, researchers should proceed with additional studies and analysis of particular aspects of transition. Secondly, there exist explicit evidences (Dunlop, Fabian, 2007; Margetts and Kiening, 2013; Moss, 2013), which indicate that preschool and school professionals are key actors for ensuring successful transition, but work on different levels and are consequently not perceived equally, nor do they have a common understanding on transition. Based on this, it is of great importance to connect professionals from both levels and organise joint trainings and to build professional learning communities (following: PLC) and (Požar Matijašič, Štraus, Rutar, Cotič Pajntar, 2017). The project is aimed at raising awareness, interest and competencies of preschool and school professionals for ensuring transition between preschool and school environment. In the first phase, we will provide a snapshot of the situation on transition from preschool to school, which will be made on national levels and comparatively on the international level. The snapshot will comprise a representative sample of preschools and schools (10%) on each national level, answering the e-questionnaire sent to them. Obtained results will be complemented with data, which will be collected at focus groups with parents (2 in each country) and focus groups with children (2 in each country), who attend preschools and schools from the sample. The snapshot of the situation will greatly contribute to a more holistic and deeper understanding of the process of ensuring transition. In the second phase, we will intensively cooperate with partner preschools and schools in the process of developing the pilot module on transition. A professional learning community (following: PLC) will be formed at the level of each country. Each PLC will be facilitated by the national leading partner and will consist of preschool and school professionals, preschool and school counsellors and preschool and school managers (12 members per PLC). At the level of PLCs, a common understanding on the importance of transition will be created, as well as strategies and approaches to ensure transition, which will serve as a foundation for developing the pilot module. The pilot module will also be based on the exchange of experiences, examples of good practice and challenges on transition, which will be possible during three 3-day study visits. The developed module will enrich the offer of trainings on the topic of transition for preschool and school professionals, which is currently very insufficient. In the third phase, national leading partners will conduct trainings, based on the pilot module (4 5-day trainings for 30 participants - 120 participants per country), which is intended for both, preschool and school professionals. In this way, professionals from different levels will have the possibility to build PLC and ensure common understanding of transition. Based on the evaluation of conducted trainings and examples of good practice, identified during trainings, a Handbook for preschool and school professionals (O3) on ensuring transition will be developed. The Handbook will consist of the theoretical framework, the snapshot of the situation, strategies and approaches of ensuring transition and examples of good practice. In the fourth phase, the module will be revised, potentially modified and finalised, based on the final evaluation of trainings. The module and executed trainings will greatly contribute to raising competences of preschool and school professionals for ensuring transition within the project duration and beyond, as trainings will be incorporated in national training programmes and will continue also in the future. In the last phase, we will encourage potential trainers from organisations, which carry out trainings for preschool and school professionals, to implement the training based on our pilot module into their programmes. Moreover, we also want to raise level of their competencies by organising a Webinar. Through dissemination activities that will be carried out through all phases, we will encourage a wider discussion of the professional and general public about the importance of ensuring transition. We also aim at informing and raising interest of professional public for the training. Key findings, results and impacts from the project will serve as useful material for further research, dissemination and advocacy activities on the topic of transition.
In the first phase of the project, we wanted to analyse the situation in kindergartens and primary schools in Slovenia, Latvia and Croatia in terms of ensuring a smooth transition of children from kindergarten to primary school. Based on these results and preliminary insights into educational practice, we then aimed at designing an innovative multi-day training module on soft transition for teachers in both kindergartens and primary schools. In the final phase of the project, we wanted to bring together the findings of the research, training and intensive work with partner kindergartens and primary schools and develop a handbook which would combine all the results, findings and good practices.
We are aware of the fact that providing a smooth transition from kindergarten to primary school contributes to better learning outcomes for children. However, in light of recent international studies (e.g. OECD, 2017) and the perceived increase in school drop-outs in recent years, we saw a need to make certain progress in this field. It is clear that kindergarten and primary school teachers are key actors in ensuring successful transitions, but they operate at different levels and, as a result, often do not share a common understanding of soft transitions between different learning environments or are even perceived as professionals on different levels. Therefore, we find it of great importance to more intensively connect professionals from both levels, to organise joint trainings for them and to build professional learning communities. The project aimed to increase awareness, interest and competences of kindergarten and primary school teachers in order to facilitate a smoother transition for children between kindergarten and school environments.