Transitions-Care Research

Globally Grounded and Sea Change Mentoring present the latest report card on international schools transitions-care

On a mission to understand what is currently being done in international schools to address cross-cultural transitions-care, the reasons why some transition efforts never get off the ground and others do, Jane Barron and Ellen Mahoney embarked on an independent research project. The answers to these questions and more can be found in their 2020 report, Surveying the Landscape: Common Practices, Challenges and Opportunities in International School Transitions-Care. Access this latest report card on international school transitions-care below and use it to explore:

• What is being done in international schools across the globe to address cross-cultural transitions-care? 
• How does your school compare with international school transitions-care programs across the globe? 
• Given that the impact of cross-cultural transitions on well-being and learning remains a serious concern in the international school community, how can you lead your school towards optimal transitions-care for your students, parents and staff?

Data was collected from international schools across the globe enrolling a percentage, big or small, of foreign students, with the aim of equipping school leaders in forging a logical pathway towards providing optimal transitions-care to students, parents and staff. Our findings indicate that just over half of international schools have a transitions-care program but very few of them are flourishing. This may be exacerbated by the majority of Heads of Schools not feeling competent in their understanding of cross-cultural transitions-care as well as transitions-care not being a school wide priority within the school culture, operations or annual financial expenditure of most international schools. While arriving students, parents and staff are prioritised in many international schools, fewer than half support their leavers, stayers or local community members. Furthermore, the majority of international schools have no formal way of assessing the success of their transitions-care program.  

This research is important because it draws on the work from eminent researchers in the global mobility field – research that has been circulating since the mid-1990s, yet not widely known or embedded in the international school transitions-care landscape. For this reason, it is our priority to put this into the hands of school leaders rather than be overlooked in the catalogues of research papers. By surveying the current landscape in international school transitions-care, school leaders will gain insight into the common practices, challenges and opportunities faced by the international school community and be able to use this to evaluate their own understanding and that of their colleagues and educational institution. 

The COVID-19 Pandemic has thrust the world into transition, confirming that change is our constant companion and highlighting the need for individuals to actively engage in the process of transition in all contexts of life. International schools have both a responsibility and a platform to facilitate learning opportunities and care that equips their school community members in effectively navigating the triumphs and trials of transition, whatever the context. This investigation provides useful information for international schools seeking to improve the way they care for young people impacted by global mobility and provide optimal transitions-care for their entire school community. 

Access your copy of Surveying the Landscape: Common Practices, Challenges and Opportunities in International School Transitions-Care now. *