Educational identity statuses: Stability and change across the secondary school transition

Abstract

The transition from secondary to tertiary education is important for educational identity development, as adolescents make choices regarding their academic track and vocational profile. The present study used Latent Transition Analysis to examine stability and change in identity statuses around the school transition, using questionnaire data from the Educational Identity Processes Scale in the Dutch educational context. Additionally, this study examined the extent to which the social context, characterized by positive relationship quality with parents and friends and school belonging, affects adolescents’ identity status and the probability of making a progressive shift toward identity coherence. These questions were examined in late adolescence ( N = 204, 75.0% female, Mage T1 = 17.7 years) across two time points 1 year apart. Findings indicated that most adolescents were in an identity coherence status, while a sizable minority was in an identity crisis status. Patterns of stability and change between statuses indicated that most adolescents remained in the same status, but when change did occur it was more often progressive from crisis into coherence than from coherence into crisis. Finally, a positive social context seemed to be an important factor to promote more optimal educational identity development.