Der Übergang als kritisches Lebensereignis: Zur Rolle der Eltern für die Antizipation des Übergangs und das Wohlbefinden von Kindern auf der weiterführenden Schule

Transition to secondary school is supposed to be a critical life event in children’s (school) life. While the parental background during this period is well-researched with regards to social disparities, the parents’ influence on the way the children experience the transition has not been the focus of much research. Drawing on cognitive-transactional theory and empirical results regarding social support during potentially stressful periods, the current paper investigates the impact of parental variables on the transition experience (i. e. anticipation before and well-being after transition). Prior research is extended as parental influence is distinguished through structural and process variables. We studied a sample of pupils and their parents (before transition – grade 6, primary school and after transition – grade 7, secondary school) in the district of Berlin. Applying structural equation modelling, a significant influence of parental background on both the anticipation and the well-being was found. Particularly, the parent-child interactions appeared to be more important than the parental socioeconomic or educational background.