ABSTRACT
This study was designed to
investigate the influence of emotional intelligence and learning styles on
school adjustment of junior secondary school students. Six research questions
and four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research
design employed was ex-post facto research design. The target population for the
study was all the junior secondary school students in public secondary schools
in Nsukka Education Zone. The sample consisted of 567 junior secondary two
students drawn from intact classes of a randomly selected 15 public secondary
schools in Nsukka Education Zone. Three instruments were used for data
collection, namely: Students Adjustment Scales (SAS), Emotional Intelligence
Questionnaire (E.I.Q) and Learning styles Inventory (L.S.I). The data collected
were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions
while ANOVA and t – test statistics were used to test the null hypotheses
formulated. The major findings of the study included: There were three levels
of students emotional intelligence classified as high, moderate and Low. The students
learning styles were Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic, Emotional intelligence
had significant influence on school adjustment. Gender had no significant
influence on school adjustment and emotional intelligence. Learning styles had
no significant influence on school adjustment. One of the major educational
implications of this study was that students should be groomed to develop high
and moderate levels of emotional intelligence which will likely enhance their
school adjustment. A major recommendation of the study was that there is a need
for policy initiatives aimed at creating general awareness among educational
stakeholders about the importance of training teachers and students for
emotional competence since such training may facilitate proper students’ school
adjustment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Junior
Secondary School Students’ adjustment is a phenomenon that should be of great
concern to the educationists, health practitioners and the nation at large. The
educationists need to know what they should do to help the young students
adjust and benefit from the school, while the health practitioners are
concerned about the wellbeing of the students. The transition from primary to
Junior Secondary School is a challenging life transition in the development of
young students, as many are inadequately prepared for the psychological,
emotional, social and academic realities required to cope with the junior
secondary school setting. The young students are confronted with adjustment
challenges, ranging from living apart from their families and friends,
adjusting to the new academic expectations, assuming responsibilities for the
task of daily life and developing a new array of social relationships with
peers and teachers.
It is
for the above reason that Adayemo (2005) observed that transition from primary
to junior secondary school is an adjustment and growth process issues that
require some coping skills. Rim-Kaufman & Pinata (2000) had similarly
observed that compared with the primary school settings,
secondary school forms a dramatically different environment for children. While
teacher child interaction in primary school setting is mostly characterized by
personal care, warmth, social and emotional support, teacher-child interaction
in secondary school is more formal and academically orient ted. In addition,
from year to year, there are series of changes in teachers, classrooms, class
rules and procedures, performance expectations, difficulty of works and peer
relations. These changes impose new demands on the young students such as
greater independence from adults, autonomous adherence to routines, being alert
and active for longer periods (Nelson, 2000). The combination of these changes
and reduced social and emotional support from teachers pose some demanding and
stressful challenges that may impede school adjustment. The students’ success
in negotiating through these challenges will predict their school success.
The
school adjustment phenomenon should also be of great concern to the nation at
large. The youths are regarded as the wealth and future leaders of a nation.
The young population is potential capital that should be carefully developed
and preserved, and their education should be tailored towards the development
of good citizenship skills, conformity to rules and norms, co-operation, good
human relationships and positive style of interaction. In recognition
of the above stated expectations, the federal government of Nigeria (FGN)
(2004) in National Policy on Education stated that its philosophy of education
is based on development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen,
and her educational goals, among others, are geared towards self realization,
better human relationship, individual and national efficiency, for overall
national development. However, achieving these noble goals as stated by the
national policy on education may be difficult in the face of many adjustment
challenges posed to the young students in the school (Adeyemo, 2005).
Furthermore,
in recent times, there has been reports of increasing levels of students’
unrest, sexual victimization, violence, cultism, poor students relationship and
poor academic achievement, all of which point to poor students adjustment in
school (Popoola, 2005). The dimension which these problems have assumed, and
the inherent danger posed to the educational development of youths and the
nation at large, make it expedient for educational researchers to investigate
the phenomenon, and possibly proffer solutions. This forms part of the
researcher’s motivation to engage in this study.
Generally,
adjustment refers to reaction to the demands and pressures the environment
impose on the individual (Okegbile, 2007). It is an act of establishing
harmonious relationship with one’s social and physical environment (Eze and
Odo, 1997). Umeano and Adimora (2010), defined adjustment as a behavioural
process by which human and other animals maintain equilibrium among their various
needs and obstacles of their environment. It is a process of altering one’s
behaviour to reach a harmonious relationship with one’s environment.
School
adjustment therefore, is a behavioural pattern that enables a student to get
along with both the academic and social demands of the school setting (Arkoff,
cited in Okegbike, 2007). School adjustment requires that students adjust both
academically and socio-emotionally in the school environment (Bart, Hajani and
Bar-Haim, 2007). Academic adjustment refers to a child’s ability to meet
academic demands, to be attentive, to participate in class activities, and
become an independent student, while social and emotional adjustment refer to a
child’s ability to establish meaningful and positive relationships with
teachers and peers, and feel emotionally secure (Bart, Hajami and Bar-Haim,
2007). Roeser and Eecles (1998) had also defined school adjustment as involving
not only children’s academic progress and achievement, but also their attitude
towards school, anxieties, loneliness, social support and academic motivation......
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