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 increasing student engagement focussing on transition from the middle years to later years Welcome. Transition is an important period of time between points of change, 'passing or change from one place, state, condition, etc to another', (Australian Oxford Dictionary).

Change is not always welcome, positive or comfortable, it can even be very daunitng. Effective transition can help change be; seamless, easy and make the next point of change exciting. Moving from the middle years in schooling to the later years can have a myriad of feelings depending on the individual in transitition.

I have seen a need for effective transition programs to be developed and implemented as student engagement in the initial years of the Later years is low, potential drop out rate is high and my feeling is, students who are disengaged are in need of nuturing and assistance in helping them change from being a disengaged teenager to an engaged learner.

In my action research I am reseraching the point of change from the Middle years to Later years in school. In my research I have certainly found the need for effective transition programs in a range of situations, but in the specific area I am researching there seems to be a gap in the research within this particualr age bracket. I will be and am researching transition and will apply findings to the action of developing an effective transition program for Ballarat High School. I intend to share the new found knowledge from the action and more research I will undertake, with others from within our school community and within a broader educational setting. .

I have started with looking at the specific definitions of words to gain a basic universal meaning to form the foundations of my research.

student: //n//. **1** person who is studying, esp. at a place of higher or further education. **2** //(attrib.)// studying in order to become. engagement: //n.// **1** act or state of engaging or being engaged. **2** appointment with another person. learning: //n//. knowledge acquired by study. transition: //n.// **1** passing or change from one place, state, condition, etc., to another (age of transition). Source: The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary. 5th edition. 2001.

Ballarat High School year 10 student responses to __'What do you think Student Engagement means to you?'__


 * 'Commitment to something'
 * 'Being connected and involved in something'
 * 'Doing your work'
 * 'Commitment to work, interested'
 * 'A connection with the school or students'
 * 'To be committed to and understanding the work'
 * 'Students get involved and interact with teachers and students'