Figure 8: Concept map outlining the relationships between the concept of trust and the sub-categories. TRUST
Facilitation of the dvelopment of trusting relationships .
Promotion of a sense of equity, fairness and justice.
Positive shifts in perceptions of adults.
5.4.1 Trust
The concept of trust underpinned several variables throughout this study. This evolved as a salient concept with its roots running securely through all of the relational factors which emerged. This formed the core category of ‘early intervention which promotes the
development of trusting relationships and a sense of’. These relational subcategories being:
➢ Early intervention.
➢ Facilitation of the development of positive relationships ➢ The promotion of a sense of equity, fairness and justice. ➢ Positive shifts in the perceptions of adults.
Adults gaining and sustaining participants trust was therefore identified for the participants of this study as a significant factor which supported them in attaining successful transitions from year 6 to year 7.
5.4.2 Early intervention
Integral to the impact of interventions in terms of how participants responded to adults within their new school context, were factors related to participant’s levels of trust in both adults and peers. Once participant’s levels of trust in adults began to form and develop, they became more willing to engage with some adults within the school community. Previously expressed feelings related to not trusting adults showed signs of decline.
Intervention emerged as helpful. Participants discussed experiencing some form of intervention of support. For example, Maria stated, “It felt like some of the teachers and adults generally in the school knew me because they always check that things are okay with me”. Asif recalls the following interactions with school staff as he states;” at the end of break they would ask like did anything happen at break time? and like every day in tutorial my tutor would ask did anything happen yesterday?”.
Interventions mentioned by participants included:
➢ formal and planned interventions such as whole cohort transition days as organised by all schools for all post-transition pupils in year 6.
➢ Individualised, support interventions including pre- and post-transition meetings between schools, parents and participants to plan support for participants needs jointly.
➢ Intervention happening on an ad hoc and informal basis, such as staff members intervening at a critical time when participants were experiencing difficulties post- transition and the offering of a place and named person to go to when required.
The study showed that whether formal or informal the timing of this intervention was crucial. The data identified that early intervention by staff offering support post-transition resulted in early help-seeking behaviours displayed by participants. This, in turn,
contributed to participants feeling supported within school hence facilitating their readiness to develop trusting relationships and engage with adults in impactful ways.
The study revealed that for the participants interviewed, the establishment of trust was propelled by early intervention and support from school staff. This helped to set the
foundations for the development of trusting relationships within the school context. As well as trust and early intervention, two additional major factors which helped to facilitate the development of trusting relationships emerged as; the promotion of a sense of equity, fairness and justice, and the environmental factors around witnessing the
operationalisation of school policies and procedures.
5.4.4 The promotion of a sense of equity, fairness and justice.
Participant’s experiences of feeling that they were fairly treated in their new schools, and witnessing equal consequences to peers within school, supported their abilities to build trusting relationships with staff and peers. As peers were seen as being treated equally within a perceived fair school system, participant's perceptions of some peers also shifted in ways which helped them to foster new established positive relationships with peers. A key factor in promoting positive relationships in school was participant’s views of a school infrastructure which was perceived by them as fair and equitable. This helped to promote a sense of belonging for participants. This also contributed to facilitating further positive change and relationships.
5.4.5 A positive shift in the perceptions of adults.
Fundamental factors setting the foundations for developing participant’s levels of trust in adults within school were; early intervention and participant’s need for positive
experiences related to equity, fairness and justice within the school system. These factors emerged as being highly consequential to participant’s experiencing positive shifts in their perceptions of adults. Fostering positive shifts in perceptions of adults supported
participants to feel more willing and more likely to engage in help-seeking behaviours within their school contexts. By seeking out adult’s support in times of need participants levels of trust also increased.
5.4.6 The need to distance current from primary schooling experiences.
The sense that participants needed to separate their previous experiences in primary school from their current secondary schooling experiences was a consistent and prevalent category which emerged from the data. The origins of this need may have been linked to participants need for equity, justice and fairness.
5.4.7 Narrative of a new beginning
Participants set out to create new beginnings through a range of conscious and
unconscious means. This included the expression of a “new narrative” a narrative which was about promoting and executing a new beginning in year 7. Fundamental to this was the participant's deployment of coping strategies used, which helped to facilitate them in the process of adjusting to their new situation. Crucial to this process was the influence of internal and external factors which combined in ways which influenced participants’
transition experiences. The unconscious deployment of defence mechanisms along with factors related to the participant's internal locus of control played a key role in facilitating participants to develop trusting relationships.
5.4.8 Having choice and agency and academic aspirations.
This category was facilitated by and also influenced the development of trusting
relationships. External factors in the form of environmental school contextual influences evolved as fundamental to supporting participant’s experiences of successful transitions. Participants feeling that they had a wider choice of adults, peers and curriculum content and options within their secondary school setting to choose from emerged as a significant. For a full visual representation of this model, please refer to figure 6.