School Advisory Programs and Student Transition Theories

Introduction

As fresh student groups enroll in education, constant evolution in student affairs systems is needed to meet students' unique requirements. Student affairs practitioners must make student transitions easier through adoption of programs and policies that aid transition. Students face challenges when moving between educational levels. Recent literature has focused greatly on this topic, as transition is apparently related to "mental health crises" among students (Eisner, 2011). Students unable to cope with such transitions find it hard to complete their degrees or diplomas and achieve the educational requirements necessary for civic and economic security (Bonanni, 2015, pp. 1–2; Conley, Kirsch, Dickson, & Bryant, 2014; Mattanah, Ayers, Brand, & Brooks, 2010; Eisner, 2011). Generally, educational institutions' environment, culture, expectations, and structure differ across the nation, but implementation of transition initiatives in schools can promote student success. College and high school leaders can collaborate to aid student success. Systems and programs have been developed by educators to assist students with transitions from middle school to high school and from high school to college.

Numerous school advisory initiatives have been introduced across America to aid students with transition. McClure, Jones, and Yonezawa (2010), however, have described typical program-related issues. Researchers have highlighted, in particular, many reasons for teacher resistance to advisory initiatives and for their eventual failure. They have revealed that some administrators may show disinterest; a majority of teachers lack adequate professional development or formal preparation to serve as advisors; and teachers have little time to make advisory plans, preferring to devote their time to lesson preparation (Tocci, Hochman, & Allen, 2005). Other challenges to program success include: preparing teachers for the advisor role; creating time blocks for advisories; balancing teacher workload; describing and communicating the advisory program to parents; cultivating parent, student, and teacher input; and constructing program models on the basis of scholarly reports and research (Brown & Anafara, 2001; Johnson, 2009). This paper discusses transition-related issues, reviews related literature, and provides recommendations.

Literature Review: Transitional Theories and School Advisory Programs

Impact of Transitional Theories on School Advisory Program Practice

School advisors benefit from transitional theories in several ways. For example, Myrick (1990) observed three guidance approaches: (a) a prevention approach, whose basis is providing high-risk groups of students with special services; (b) a developmental approach, whose basis is individual needs as a response to cognitive development and stages of growth; and (c) a crisis approach, in which advisors deal with problems as they surface. The developmental strategy must be adopted to formulate advisory programs. Using this approach, teachers meet needs that emerge as students grow and progress (cited in Ornum, 2014, p. 2).

Among numerous relevant transitional theories, the Role Acquisition Model is most applicable to the area of higher education. College provides students several opportunities to acquire strategies for successfully navigating the dynamic role acquisition process. Nardi and Thornton's model, which comprises four steps — anticipatory socialization, informal role expectation acquisition, formal role expectation acquisition, and personal role expectation development — can ease transition as well. Magolda's self-authorship theory is also applicable for comprehending role acquisition. The author studied developmental tasks of individuals in their twenties, concentrating on ascertaining one's way across life and value exploration. She delineated four phases in defining the self between the external and internal: formula adherence, crossroads, authoring one's own life, and building one's internal foundation. Self-authorship and role acquisition theories may be applied to transition and career counseling in colleges and universities (Kraus, 2012, pp. 15–17).

Similarly, the socialization theory presented by Twale, Stein, and Weidman builds on Nardi and Thornton's model. It proposes a four-step professional and graduate student socialization theory: anticipatory, personal, formal, and informal. At each step, students integrate further into college culture, assuming increasing responsibility through faculty involvement, research, and mentoring other graduate students. The theorists address key socialization aspects linked to each phase. Beatrice Neugarten's work also helps inform transition-related assistance. She scrutinizes the significance of age and how age constitutes a key societal organizational dimension. People whose actions and behaviors do not conform to societal expectations and norms are regarded as "off-time," whereas conformists are "on-time" (Kraus, 2012, pp. 17–21).

Each of the aforementioned examples portrays practical models and theories applicable to student transition experiences, including very crucial and sensitive transitions to the post-education phase, often overlooked by higher education advisors. These works indicate that student transition represents a process, and that everyone must prepare for future transitions (Kraus, 2012, p. 25).