Grounded Theory Analysis of the Parent’s Conception of Child Transition from Kindergarten to Primary School: An Interaction Mechanism of the Influencing Factors
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
Currently, there are issues with child education in the transition from kindergarten to primary school in China, including advanced implementation of the primary curriculum, senior kindergarten students being transferred to other educational institutions for pre-primary preparation, and parents’ biased understanding of the transition. Employing a grounded theory approach, this study aims to explore the factors influencing the conception of child education in the transitional period among parents of preschool children and develop a grounded theory model of the interaction mechanism of these factors. First-hand data on parental views on the transition were collected through interviews and underwent three-level coding via NVivo software analysis. Coding and analysis results reveal that the parent’s conception of the transitional process could be improved and grow increasingly scientific. Nevertheless, there remained contradictions in the parent’s conception of this subject, including contradictions between comprehensive habit cultivation and primary school knowledge training, between prioritizing healthy growth and forcing advanced learning, and between multi-stakeholder collaboration and reliance on the kindergarten as the sole provider of the education in question. The study concludes that the parent’s conception of the child’s kindergarten-to-primary school transition is modifiable, that their evaluations of kindergarten education inform their conception of the transition, that the interaction among the influencing factors drives the transformation of their conception, and that their biased attitudes towards child education in the transition largely stem from their psychology of comparison and vague perceptions of primary school. Recommendations are also proposed based on respective roles of various stakeholders.
Downloads
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Transition from Kindergarten to Primary School, Parent’s Conception, Grounded Theory Analysis, Home Education Guidance
No funding sources declared.
Baeck, U. N. K. (2010). Parental Involvement Practices in Formalized Home-School Cooperation. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 54(6), 549-563. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2010.522845
Benediktsson, A. I. & Tavares, V. (2025). Family-school cooperation in multicultural schools: a missing piece in teacher education in Norway. Pedagogy Culture and Society, 33(4):1261-1276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2356595
Besi, M. & Sakellariou, M. (2019). Teachers’ Views on the Participation of Parents in the Transition of their Children from Kindergarten to Primary School. Behavioral Sciences, 9(12). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9120124
Binasis, T., Kaplun, C., & Schmied, V. (2022). Parents' beliefs, perceptions and practices: Influence on child school readiness in Western Sydney, Australia. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(6), E4103-E4112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13804
Burck, C. (2005). Comparing qualitative research methodologies for systemic research: the use of grounded theory, discourse analysis and narrative analysis. Journal of Family Therapy, 27(3):237-262. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2005.00314.x
Chen, G., Oubibi, M., Liang, A., & Zhou, Y. (2022). Parents’ Educational Anxiety Under the Double Reduction Policy Based on the Family and Student Personal Factors. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 2022(15), 2067-2082. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S370339
Chen, X. (1999). The ideas and methods of grounded theory. Educational Research and Experiment, 1999(04), 58-63+73.
Chen, X. (2000). Qualitative Research Methods and Social Science Studies. Beijing: Education Science Publishing House.
China Youth and Children Research Center (2020). Report on Social Support for Home Education in Chinese Urban Areas. Tianjin: Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences Publishing House.
Crosnoe, R. & Cooper, C. E. (2010). Economically Disadvantaged Children's Transitions into Elementary School: Linking Family Processes, School Contexts, and Educational Policy. American Educational Research Journal, 47(2):258-291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209351564
Daines, C. L., Hansen, D., Novilla, M. L. B., & Crandall, A. (2021). Effects of positive and negative childhood experiences on adult family health. BMC Public Health, 21(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10732-w.
Daseking, M., Oldenhage, M., & Petermann, F. (2008). The problem of the transition from kindergarten to primary school from the perspective of complex systems. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 55(2), 84-99.
Elmore, A. L. & Crouch, E. (2023). Anxiety, Depression, and Adverse Childhood Experiences: An Update on Risks and Protective Factors Among Children and Youth. Academic Pediatric, 23(4), 720-721. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.11.013
Fan, X. M, D'Amico, L. K., Kilburn, J., Jones, A., Richard, C., Garrett, S., & Leverage, L. (2024). Kindergarten readiness: associations with a summer transition program and teacher/school level factors. Educational Research and Evaluation, 28(7-8), 495-517. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2024.2367493
Fassinger, R. E. (2005). Paradigms, praxis, problems and promise: grounded theory in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(02):156-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.156
Feng, Y., Zhou, X. Z., Qin, X. Q., Cai, G. Y., Lin, Y. Q., Pang, Y. L…, & Zhang, L. F. (2022). Parental self-efficacy and family quality of life in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in China: The possible mediating role of social support. Journal of Pediatric Nursing – Nursing Care of Children & Families, 63,159-167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2021.10.014
Fridani, L. (2021). Mothers’ perspectives and engagements in supporting children's readiness and transition to primary school in Indonesia. Education 3-13, 49(7):809-820. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2020.1795901
Friedman, H. P., Bilsky, S. A., & Luber, M. J. (2023). Parent Anxiety, Child Anxiety, Parental Beliefs about Anxiety, and Parenting Behaviors: Examining Direct and Indirect Associations. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(11), 3419-3429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02665-2
Glaser, B. & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company.
Hinojosa, M. S. & Hinojosa, R. (2024). Positive and adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes of children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2024,149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106603
Johnco, C., Storch, E. A., Oar, E., McBride, N. M., Schneider, S., Silverman, W. K., & Lebowitz, E. R. (2022). The Role of Parental Beliefs About Anxiety and Attachment on Parental Accommodation of Child Anxiety. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychology, 50(1), 51-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00722-8
Jose, K., Banks, S., Hansen, E., Jones, R., Zubrick, S. R., Stafford, J., & Taylor, C. L. (2022). Parental Perspectives on Children's School Readiness: An Ethnographic Study. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(1), 21-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01130-9
Knafl, K. & Swallow, V. (2023). Advancing Family Science Through Synthesis Research. Journal of Family Nursing, 29(4), 319-323. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10748407231202834
Konecki, K. T. (2021). Contemplative Grounded Theory: Possibilities and Limitations. Radical Interactionism and Critiques of Contemporary Culture, 52, 151-186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S0163-239620210000052010
LaRossa, R. (2005). Grounded theory methods and qualitative family research. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(4), 837-857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00179.x
Lee, D., McAlister, A., Ehlert, K., Faber, C., Kajfez, R., Creamer, E., & Kennedy, M. (2019). Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team. 2019 IEEE FRONTIERS IN EDUCATION CONFERENCE (FIE 2019), 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/fie43999.2019.9028469
Li, G. & Ma, Y. (2025). Exploring the influencing factors of teacher beliefs and their impact on teacher behaviors. BMC Psychology, 13(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03095-z
Lietavcova, M., Viteckova, M., Jost, J., Chova, L. G., Martinez, A. L., & Torres, I. C. (2018). Child Transition from Kindergaren to Priamry School as Experienced by a Kindergarten Teacher.11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (ICERI2018), 2018, 3885-3890.
Ligita, T., Nurjannah, I., Wicking, K., Harvey, N., & Francis, K. (2022). From textual to visual: the use of concept mapping as an analytical tool in a grounded theory study. Qualitative Research, 22(1), 126-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794120965362
Lin, H. L., Lawrence, F. R., & Gorrell, J. (2003). Kindergarten teachers' views of children’s readiness for school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18(2), 225-237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(03)00028-0
Luo, S. L. & Yuan, S. S. (2025). Young children's perceptions and experiences of school readiness during the transition from preschool to primary school in China. Children & Society, ,39(1):247-266. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12910
Miao, J. (2025). The role of the government in the formation of regional educational alliances. Jiangsu Education Research, 2025(06), 16-21.
Miller, M. M. & Kehl, L. M. (2019). Comparing Parents' and Teachers' Rank-Ordered Importance of Early School Readiness Characteristics. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(4):445-453. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00938-4
Morawska, A., Mitchell, A. E., Etel, E., Armstrong, R., Mcauliffe, T., Ma, T., Mcbryde, C., & Johnston, L. M. (2024). A Systematic Review of Parents’ Experiences during their Child’s Transition to School. Early Childhood Education Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01780-z
Prime, H., Andrews, K., McTavish, J., Harris, M., Janus, M., Bennett, T., & Gonzalez, A. (2021). The application of positive parenting interventions to academic school readiness: A scoping review. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 47(1), 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12810
Puccioni, J., Froiland, J. M., & Moeyaert, M. (2020). Preschool teachers' transition practices and parents' perceptions as predictors of involvement and children's school readiness. Children and Youth Services Review, 2020, 209. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104742
Qian, J. & Miao, J. (2021). Pathways to alleviating parents’ educational anxiety: Constructing an educational evaluation system that promotes student all-round development. Journal of the Chinese Society of Education, 2021(09), 38-43.
Radetic-Paic, M., Kadum, S., & Kopas-Vukasinovic, E. (2022). Susceptibility to Peer Pressure - Self-Assessment of Students of Primary School and Preschool Education. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 14(2), 1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/14.2/564
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. & Pianta, R. C. (2000). An ecological perspective on the transition to kindergarten: a theoretical framework to guide empirical research. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21, 491-511. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(00)00051-4
Riordan, J. P., Revell, L., Bowie, B., Woolley, M., Hulbert, S., & Thomas, C. (2023). Understanding and explaining pedagogical problem solving: a video-based grounded theory study of classroom pedagogy. Research in Science & Technological Education, 41(4):1309-1329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2021.2001450
Saldana, J. (2011). Fundamentals of Qualitative Research. Oxford University Press.
Strehlke, E., Bromme, R., & Kaertner, J. (2025). Whom to ask? Whom to trust? Parents' preferences for sources of advice on social-emotional parenting issues. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 38(1), 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2024.2331441
Van Beek, A., McCalman, J., & Saunders, V. (2025). Making Systems Thinking Accessible for Qualitative Researchers: A Primer on Systems Thinking and Introducing Inductive Systemic Analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2025, 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251348546
Zamora-Intriago, E., Patino-Garcia, J., Zambrano-Romero W., Cuenca-Alava, W., Moreira-Zambrano, C., & Moreira-Zambrano, C. (2018). Use of Mobile Application as a Means of Communication of Academic Activities Between Parents and Teachers. Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Information Systems and Computer Science (INCISCOS 2018), 2018, 221-226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/INCISCOS.2018.00039
Zhang, J., Wu, C., & Wang, M. (2018). Parents’ and teachers’ interactive behaviors in home-school co-education: An empirical model based on the theory of overlapping spheres of influence. Research in Educational Development, 38(02), 78-84.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.