Mind the Gap! A Joint Preservice Professional Learning Community Focusing on the P–S School Transition and Didactics

• In Event: Equity and Ableism in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

The transition from primary to secondary education is widely recognized as being challenging (Hanewald, 2013), for some students proceeding less smoothly, leading to study choice doubts, inclined achievement growth, a reduced school well-being, and/or grade retention (for reviews, see Hanewald, 2013; Hopwood, Hay, & Dyment, 2016; Korpershoek et al., 2016). This is also the case in Flanders, where students switch educational level and school at the age of 12 (after Grade 6). The purpose of this study is to present findings from a didactics-oriented PLC with 18 pre-service teachers teaching in Grade 5-6 (bachelor primary education) and Grade 7-8 (bachelor secondary education), who normally never meet during their separate study programs but now did as part of their bachelor thesis.

Authors

• Mieke Goos, KU Leuven

• Anne Decelle, University College Leuven

• Adelheid Spillier, University College Leuven