Announcements

  • Editorial Opportunities

    2024-12-09

    Professor Divya Jindal-Snape is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of IJELT as of the beginning of December 2024. We would like to acknowledge her significant contribution since the journal was established in September 2021. Professor Jindal-Snape had the original idea of establishing an international, interdisciplinary peer reviewed journal focusing on educational and life transitions.  Since its inception, the journal has gone from strength to strength under her leadership. We are delighted that she will continue to support the journal as a member of the Editorial Board. Dr Elizabeth Hannah will assume the role of Editor-in-Chief. Dr Hannah has been one of two Deputy Editors since the journal was established.

     

    We are now seeking expressions of interest for the role of Deputy Editor. We plan to appoint three Deputy Editors each with a specific remit.

     

    1. Deputy Editor for ECRs-provide ongoing training and support to ECRs to take on peer review and editing roles, and publishing in IJELT.
    2. Deputy Editor for communication- responsible for ongoing communication with Editorial Board members and peer reviewers, and promoting IJELT in various fora.
    3. Deputy Editor for multi-media and creative submissions and Editorial Board meetings-responsible for promoting and publishing multi-media and creative submissions (such as animations, poetry, comics, expert interviews); and for organising and minuting Editorial Board meetings.

     

    In terms of time commitment, it is anticipated that there will be regular meetings of the Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editors every 4-6 weeks. Editorial Board meetings will be held twice per year (Spring and Autumn) with two meetings each day to accommodate different time zones. This is in addition to the time requirement to take forward specific aspects of the role as stipulated in the remit.

     

    The advertisement for the Deputy Editor role can be found at this link. Deadline for submissions: 13th January 2025.

    Read more about Editorial Opportunities

  • SAVE the date: International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT), 21-23 August 2025, Dundee (Scotland)

    2024-11-15

     

    This interdisciplinary and cross-sector International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT) will be held in Dundee (Scotland) from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd August 2025! 


    Please read the newsletter to find out why it is important that you participate in this conference. This will be our opportunity to collectively make a difference to transitions research, practice and policy. 


    Please hold the dates in the diary and share the link to the newsletter with people in your network.

    We also invite you to register your interest today by using the form in the newsletter.

    More information to follow shortly! Any queries, please contact us on ICELT@dundee.ac.uk 

    Read more about SAVE the date: International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT), 21-23 August 2025, Dundee (Scotland)

  • Call for papers

    2024-04-10

    The International Journal of Educational and Life Transitions (IJELT) is welcoming submissions.

    IJELT is an international, open access, free to publish, peer reviewed journal focusing on educational and life transitions across the world. The journal is looking for articles and multimedia outputs of interest to researchers, practitioners and policy makers, to fit within the open issue or one of our select special collections.

    The Journal is interdisciplinary in approach and publishes research studies (theoretical, conceptual, methodological and empirical), policy reviews, literature reviews, protocols and multi-media and creative outputs.

    Examples of educational and life transitions topics include (but are not limited to) transitions:

    • to and through primary school
    • to adulthood of disabled children and young people
    • of international families
    • from paediatric to adult services
    • from hospital to community
    • of LGBTQ+ young adults to and through employment
    • of families who have experienced bereavement
    • to parenthood of mothers with preterm babies
    • of older adults towards age-friendly cities and communities

    As as well submissions to our open issue, on any relevant topic, IJELT is also accepting submissions into the below special collections:

    • LGBTQ+ Educational and Life Transitions
    • Ageing Through a Transitions Lens
    • Transitions from school and beyond
    • Early Years Transitions
    • Primary-secondary school transitions
    • Post school transitions for young people with disabilities

    The journal is widely indexed and has no submission or publication fees. Full submission details can be found at https://ijelt.dundee.ac.uk/about/submissions 

    Should you wish to discuss a submission, please contact Professor Divya Jindal-Snape (Editor-in-Chief): d.jindalsnape@dundee.ac.uk

    Read more about Call for papers

  • TCELT and International Journal of Educational and Life Transitions Webinar

    2023-11-17

    22nd November 2023, 5-6 pm UK time

    A brief introduction to constructive peer-review

    Abstract

    While the ways in which we publish research are currently changing at an accelerated pace, constructive peer-review is a part of most current and envisioned models of the publication process. Conducting peer-reviews well and efficiently is therefore a key skill for researchers. This webinar will give an overview of peer-review processes and principles. The webinar starts by presenting the general editorial processes and the production of a manuscript. Based on this, it will be described how the review(er) fits in. Next, we will discuss the practicalities of performing a review, for example when to accept a manuscript for review and key elements of a review. We will end with suggestions on how to evidence your activity. Throughout, examples will be used to illustrate good reviewing practice. Critical perspectives around peer-review models will be raised and there will be time for discussion and Q&A.

    Event link: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/events/tcelt-and-international-journal-educational-and-life-transitions-webinar

    Biography

    Dr Jan R. Boehnke is a Reader in the School of Health Sciences, University of Dundee, and he has been a board member of several journals for nearly a decade. He is since 2017 Co-Editor in Chief of "Quality of Life Research", a journal that specialises in the publication of research focusing on the experience of consequences of health, illness, and treatments, across disciplines and professions. Jan's own work focuses on health-related quality of life, quantitative methodology, and foundations of measurement in the social sciences.

    Read more about TCELT and International Journal of Educational and Life Transitions Webinar

  • We are recruiting peer reviewers

    2022-09-01

    Peer review is an integral part of the scholarly publishing process. IJELT is recruiting individuals to serve as peer reviewers. By registering as a reviewer, you are supporting the academic community by providing constructive feedback on new research, helping to ensure both the quality and integrity of published work in your field. We welcome international reviewers from all sectors with expertise in transitions research, practice and policy. We also invite those new to peer reviewing. We can offer training as well as pairing them with more experienced reviewers.

    Once registered, you will be asked to undertake reviews of scholarly articles that match your research interests. We take care not to overburden our reviewers with excessive requests. You will have the option to accept or decline but we ask you to do this in a timely manner. Your contribution will be acknowledged on the article if you agree for your name to be disclosed.

    To register as a reviewer, please:

    1. Go to https://account.ijelt.dundee.ac.uk/index.php/up/user/register
    2. Add your profile data (name, contact, affiliation)
    3. Ensure you click on the option 'Yes, I would like to be contacted with requests to review submissions to this journal'
    4. Add your review interests/subject specialism (this is really useful so please do not skip this)
    5. Click the complete button
    6. You will then receive a validation email (check spam if not received). Click the link in this email and your account will now be active.

    Please contact the editorial team if you have any questions.

    Read more about We are recruiting peer reviewers

  • Call for Articles: Special Collection

    2022-08-15
    Early Years Transitions

    Guest Editors: Associate Professor Rachel Takriti and Associate Professor Sally Peters

    Abstract deadline: 31st October 2022
    Submission deadline: 12th January 2023


    Throughout their early years, children experience multiple changes or transitions. These include, infants or young children starting at an early childhood education service, moving between levels within a service or to different services, moving classes or changing school.  However, it is argued that none of these are as significant as starting school for the first time as a young child. Internationally, this move occurs at different ages and there has been considerable debate in a number of countries regarding the appropriate age for school entry.  Overall, there is a general consensus that supporting the transition to school to go well is important for children’s academic and social development. The first move to an early childhood services or to school is not a move which children undergo in isolation, with key stakeholders, such as parents, family members, teachers, etc. playing a key role in the transitioning process and likely experiencing a transition of their own, especially in the case of parents and caregivers as they adapt to this new experience as a family. 

    Given the importance of transitions for young children, this special edition will aim to address key gaps in the literature, leading to international and interdisciplinary perspectives and the identification of recommendations for future research, policy, and practice. The focus is on infants and young children starting early childhood care and education services or children entering formal schooling although we recognise there are a range of other life transitions that are important and also welcome papers which focus on other early years transitions involving children and families.

    Key questions which articles could address include:

    • How have early years transitions been conceptualized and theorized?
    • What can we learn from research about ways to support infants and their families as they transition to early childhood services?
    • What role does curriculum play in supporting early years transitions?
    • What is the evidence base for factors contributing to positive or negative early years transitions?
    • What strategies have been effective in supporting the transitions of children from different cultural backgrounds?
    • How do parents/carers experience their children’s early transitions and are there differences related to cultural background/geographical settings?
    • What are the links between transitions of the child and significant others (e.g., families, professionals, peers)?
    • How is the first school transition managed in different countries?
    • What is the evidence behind different positions in the debates regarding the age at which children should start school?
    • How is starting school for the first time experienced differently by children who have attended pre-school settings?
    • What impact do early years transitions have on later social, emotional and cognitive outcomes?

    We welcome contributions from authors from different disciplines and sectors. Articles could be based on literature reviews, empirical studies, analysis of key policies/legislation, or secondary data analysis, using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs.

    Submitted articles should comply with the journal author guidelines and submission procedures. The articles can take various forms, for example, texts, multi-media.

    Please submit your abstracts to r.takriti@uaeu.ac.ae and sally.peters@waikato.ac.nz by 31st October 2022. Should your abstract be selected you will be asked to submit the full article by 12th January 2023, when it will undergo peer review.

    Read more about Call for Articles: Special Collection

  • Call for Articles: Special Collection

    2022-07-05
    Transitions from school and beyond

    Guest editors are Dr Rhiannon Packer, Dr Amanda Thomas, Professor Bart Rienties and Dr Deepak Gopinath

    Abstracts deadline: 30.9.22
    Article deadline: 12.12.22

    Abstracts to be emailed to Rhiannon Packer (RAJPacker@cardiffmet.ac.uk)

    The transition from school and beyond can be both an exciting and daunting prospect for young people. It can be a time of complex multiple transitions for young people as they seek increasing independence and emerge into adulthood. Positive transition experiences can improve retention and engagement, reduce inequality, maximise student opportunity, enhance wellbeing, increase employability potential, and reduce the risk of becoming ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET).

    Further and Higher Education opportunities can offer opportunities in improving socio-economic outcomes and supporting social mobility for mature learners. Individuals from more disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to participate in FE and adult learning compared to other post-16 routes. Previous experiences of transition and education in general may impact upon learner perceptions of the FE/HE setting, thus enforcing the importance of a positive transition experience.

    This special issue will play a key role in exploring transitions from school and beyond, encompassing international and interdisciplinary perspectives, and supporting the identification of further research, policy, and practice. The issue will explore theoretical and conceptual perspectives of transition from school to new educational settings providing emerging insights into the expectations, experiences, impact, and outcomes for key participants in the transition process, namely young people, their peers, family and practitioners.


    Key questions which articles could address include:

    • What key elements contribute to a positive or negative transition experience from school into FE/HE?
    • What do we need to know about adolescent / mature learner experiences in the transitions post school? 
    • How does school prepare young people for future transitions (employment and FE/HE)?
    • What role does FE/HE play in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged learners in the transition to the workforce?
    • What role do key stakeholders involved with young people play in providing support from school to FE/HE?
    • What is the relationship between educational, social, psychological and/or cultural transitions related to the move from school to FE/HE?

    We welcome contributions from authors from different disciplines and sectors. We are especially interested in collaborative research involving young people and families, academics, professionals and policy makers. Articles could be based on literature reviews, empirical studies, analysis of key policies/legislation, or secondary data analysis.

    Submitted articles should comply with the journal author guidelines and submission procedures. The articles can take various forms, for example, texts, multi-media.

    Read more about Call for Articles: Special Collection

  • Call for Articles: Post school transitions for young people with disabilities

    2022-05-17

    Guest Editors: Dr. Beth Hannah; Dr. Geraldine Scanlon; Professor Divya Jindal Snape; Professor Daniel Mays and Professor Iva Strnadová

    Abstract deadline: 29th August 2022
    Submission deadline: 16th October 2022

    [dates updated - 17 June 2022]


    The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) articles have established a radical new ground on which to build inclusive policies for all people to access appropriate education and training regardless of ability. The Convention recognises the concept of disability as historically constructed and borne of individualistic construals of ability rather than in “the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Article 1).

    Transition is a deceptively simple concept. In its everyday guise, it defines any process of change from one state to another, or the move from one setting to the next. Transitions are an inherent feature of lifespan development, as all individuals experience distinct turning points, ideally followed by adjustment and stabilisation. Transition is a subjective experience and for vulnerable young people leaving school may be experienced as “a change in self-identity born out of uncertainty in the social and cultural worlds of the individual” (Crafter & Maunder, 2012, p. 10). For parents too, the end of formal education brings new uncertainties and worries, so access to timely and accurate information about future options, is essential. However, international research suggests that post-school options for students with disabilites can be somewhat limited and that young people rarely take an active role in planning for life after school (e.g. Ward et al, 2003).

    Conceptually, transition planning for people with disabilites is a longitudinal strategy in which early implementation is vital, thus this process should begin in high school and continue until after the transition to post-school destinations. Where needs are more complex, planning should begin in the early years of primary school. Successful transition from compulsory education to lifelong learning and employment opportunities requires strategies that support parents to encourage the aspirations of their children and ensure that students with disabilities have access to as broad a range of choices in education, training and employment as possible. Building on educational qualifications, personal aspirations and societal expectations, being in employment is seen as the principal marker of transition to adulthood and the primary driver of economic success in the developed world.

    Key questions which articles could address include:

    • How are the inherent features of lifespan development constructed for people with disabilites?
    • What are the implications of the UNCRPD for planning for transition for people with disabilites moving to further education and employment?
    • How are students with disabilites supported when moving from compulsory education to Further Education - Higher Education -Vocational Training - Employment?
    • What are the essential components of transition and educational programmes that enable students with disabilities to make an autonomous choice about their own futures?
    • What programmes facilitate the move to independent living?
    • What are the enablers and barriers to a seamless transition from compulsory education to Further Education – Higher Education – Vocational Training - Employment for young people with disabilities?
    • What are the key policies and legislation underpinning post-school transitions practices for people with disabilities?
    • What are the roles of professionals, services and agencies (e.g. education, health and social care, careers, employers, third sector) in developing and supporting post-school transition practices for people with disabilities?

    We welcome contributions from authors from different disciplines and sectors. We are especially interested in collaborative research involving young people and families, academics, professionals, and policy makers. Articles could be based on literature reviews, empirical studies, analysis of key policies/legislation, or secondary data analysis, using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs.

    Submitted articles should comply with the journal author guidelines and submission procedures. The articles can take various forms, for example, texts, multi-media.

    Please submit your abstracts to e.hannah@dundee.ac.uk and geraldine.scanlon@dcu.ie by 14th June. Should your abstract be selected, you will be asked to submit the full article by 30th July, where it will undergo peer review.

    Read more about Call for Articles: Post school transitions for young people with disabilities

  • Call for Articles: Primary-secondary school transitions

    2022-03-25

    Guest Editors: Dr Charlotte Bagnall, Dr William Barlow, Professor Divya Jindal-Snape and Dr Jennifer Symonds

    Abstract deadline: 30th April 2022
    Submission deadline: 30th June 2022

    Young people experience a number of normative transitions, including school transitions, such as primary to secondary school transitions. Primary-secondary school transitions have received significant empirical attention over the years, and in recent years have been the subject of increasing attention in policy and the media. This is unsurprising, as coupled with primary-secondary school transitions often being the first transition that the young person will make alone, as young people move from one school to another they develop socially, emotionally, behaviourally, and academically, as they adjust to changes in the school environment, social contexts, in addition to negotiating developmental transition and systemic transition. These encounters can include making new friends, getting to know new teachers, learning about new pedagogies and assessment ethos, and discovering new buildings and grounds, which can be both exciting and worrying, which can vary across time, and are susceptible to individual differences. Furthermore, group transitions such as primary-secondary school transitions, are also experienced by other people in the young person’s ecosystem including teachers and families, who undergo transition related changes of their own, which can interact with young people’s experiences.

    Given the importance of primary-secondary transition experiences for young people’s short- and long-term well-being and adjustment, this special collection will aim to address key gaps in the literature, leading to international and interdisciplinary perspectives and the identification of recommendations for future research, policy, and practice. The focus is on different theoretical and conceptual perspectives, thus offering new insights into the expectations, experiences, impact and outcomes for individuals and significant others such as families, peers, and teachers.

    Key questions which articles could address include:

    • How has primary-secondary school transition been conceptualized and theorized?
    • What is the evidence base for factors contributing to a positive or negative primary-secondary school transition?
    • What is the evidence base for the outcomes of a positive or negative primary-secondary school transition?
    • What is the relationship between educational, social, psychological and/or cultural transitions related to the move to secondary school?
    • What are the links between transitions of the young person and significant others (e.g., families, professionals, peers)?
    • What is the evidence base for primary-secondary school transitions support interventions?

    We welcome contributions from authors from different disciplines and sectors. We are especially interested in collaborative research involving young people and families, academics, professionals, and policy makers. Articles could be based on literature reviews, empirical studies, analysis of key policies/legislation, or secondary data analysis, using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs.

    Submitted articles should comply with the journal author guidelines and submission procedures. The articles can take various forms, for example, texts, multi-media.

    Please submit your abstracts to IJELT_P-S@dundee.ac.uk by 30th April. Should your abstract be selected you will be asked to submit the full article by 30th June, where it will undergo peer review.

    Read more about Call for Articles: Primary-secondary school transitions

  • We have launched!

    2022-02-23

    We're very happy to announce that the first articles are now online and available to read/download for free. Volume 1 has started with an inaugural Editorial from Divya Jindal-Snape, Elizabeth F. S. Hannah & Lisi Gordon (available here) and a research article from Rachel Takriti, Susan Atkinson, Bridgette Rickett, Fatme Mohamad & Mouza Al Dhaheri, titled '“Crying and Chaos” – Starting School Experiences of Teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)' (available here).

    We welcome you to enjoy these first contributions.

    Additional articles will be announced soon.

    Read more about We have launched!