Enhancing learner agency: Engaging appreciative inquiry to support school transitions

Abstract

There is a growing body of literature highlighting the various challenges both teachers and students face when students transition between schools, (e.g. from intermediate to high school), with very little focus given to transitions within school contexts. The nature of common transition processes frequently positions students within a deficit model as individuals needing to be fixed, reflects managerial rather than pedagogical decision-making, (e.g. fluidity, staffing considerations, time management, maximising time on task and minimising disruption), and can lack overall pedagogical focus. As a team of educators and researchers, we strongly believed that Appreciative Inquiry had the potential to be an innovative practice which can aid in creating coherent learning pathways for a more seamless education experience.