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.
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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.
School adjustment is a broad construct which consists of many different aspects such as academic achievement, school satisfaction, school engagement and pro social behaviour. Well adjusted students usually value what they are learning, are positively involved in classroom activities and perform well academically. But poor school adjustment leads to poor academic performance, behaviuoral problems, discordant educational aspirations and sometimes school drop out (Adhiambo, Odwar and Mildred, 2011). In a related perspectives Ford, (1992) defined social adjustment as the achievement of goals that result in social integration as well as those that result in positive development outcomes for the self. He referred to social integrative goals as those outcomes that promote the smooth functioning of the social groups, social approvals and social acceptance, while the self-regulated goals are those outcomes that promote achievement of personal competencies, feeling of self determination, feeling of social and emotional well being. School adjustment, for the purpose of this study is defined in relation to a child’s ability to develop social, emotional and academic competencies that facilitate the achievement of school success. It is characterized by quality social relationships with peers and teachers, feeling of emotional security, less aggressive behaviours, pro-social behaviours, longer retention in educational system and better academic performance.
Epstein cited in (Eze and Odo, 1997) had reported that students school adjustment is affected by their experience in their learning environment, relationship with significant others in their lives, school rules and regulations and the nature of school administration cum family experiences. Teachers and school have therefore, important roles to play in assisting the students to achieve proper adjustments. Juvonen & Wentzel (1996) had identified some school related factors which they claimed influence students school adjustment. These include: (i) Proper training of teachers: They stated that teachers who are properly trained in Educational psychology may assist students in their adjustment. Teachers’ personality and democratic attitude are also important factors which can promote students adjustment. (ii) Adequate curriculum: Curriculum should be planned and transacted in such a way that it should fulfill the psychological and social needs of the students. They observed that need fulfillment can promote better adjustment. (iii) Classroom climate: If the classroom climate is affectionate and co-operative enough, it can facilitate students school adjustment. (iv) Proper relationship between school administration: Cordial relations between the school principal, teachers, and students, all play important role in harmonious and congenial environment in the school.
Various factors have been suggested as sources of influence on students’ adjustment to school. Among these are the student’s characteristics such as emotional intelligence and learning styles. Emotional intelligence has been suggested as a critical factor in successful adjustment to life in general, and to work and school adjustment in particular (Goleman, 1995). Emotional intelligence is the capacity to create positive outcomes in relationships with others and with oneself (Katyal and Awasthi, 2005). According to Mayer and Salovey (1997), emotional intelligence is the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions. Goleman (1995) stated that emotional intelligence consists of five components: knowing one’s own emotions (self awareness), managing them, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others (empathy), and handling relationships. Emotional intelligence has further been explained as a concept that captures a broad collection of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills (Gardner, cited in Fernandeiz-Berrocal & Extremera, 2006). Interpersonal skills consist of the ability to understand the feelings of others, empathize, maintain and develop inter-personal relationships, and above all, a sense of responsibility. On the other hand, intra personal skills comprises of the ability to understand one’s own motivations (Gardner, cited in Katyal and Awasthi, 2005).
