Adolescence: Change and Continuity

School Transitions

Adolescence is a time of change in many domains of an individual's life. One change in particular is that of the transition from a smaller junior high school to a larger, more diverse high school. As the change in academics occurs, many adolescents will experience biological and social changes which all have reciprocal effects on the individual. Yet these changes are not universal for all teens (Steinberg, 1996).

Academic transitions

Upon entering high school, an adolescent will encounter significant changes in the size of their classrooms, and the number of teachers they encounter (Simmons & Blyth, 1987) as they simultaneously are developing cognitive skills of abstract and hypothetical reasoning (Piaget, in Steinberg, 1996).

Advanced cognitions bring differences in the adolescent's academic abilities which, in turn, can lead to increased pressure to perform (Lansdown & Walker, 1991). Balance between home and school is important in both facilitating and supporting the academic endeavors of the individual. By taking an active helpful role in the teenager's academic achievements, both parents and teachers can broaden the student's horizons, increase one's self-esteem, and provide a foundation for the upcoming stage of higher education.

Biological and social transitions

Biological transitions, or puberty, also impact the transition to high school. These effects are seen differently in regards to gender, timing, and social relationships.

Boys who mature earlier, show greater social success yet may experience academic difficulty because social successes leave these boys with less need to develop creativity, multiple social solutions, and experiment with different roles (Steinberg, 1996). This may have a negative impact on their academic standing, as more attention is directed to older social crowds and more risk behaviors. Late-maturing boys are often less socially accepted because of their immature appearance, which may force them to develop greater leading to more success academically (Steinberg, 1996).

Early-maturing girls tend to engage in problem behavior, have lower self-images and more emotional difficulties. They also have older friends which may have adverse effects on their long-term educational success (Steinberg, 1996). Late-maturing girls, on the other hand, tend to be seen as more attractive, sociable and expressive. These biological and social changes are strongly related to the context in which an individual exists. In other words, the school environment and parental support both have significant effects on the adolescent's experience and perceptions of their socialization and biological development.
 

This site was produced by students taking HDFS 433: The Transition to Adulthood and HDFS 239: Adolescent Development at the Pennsylvania State University. Feedback can be sent to the individual authors or to Nancy Darling (darling@bard.edu).

Last updated 4/16/01.