The present research was conducted with middle school students, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders to examine variables related to middle school students' using mobile phones and self-control, and general tendencies of school adjustment, and differences depend...
The present research was conducted with middle school students, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders to examine variables related to middle school students' using mobile phones and self-control, and general tendencies of school adjustment, and differences depending on sex distinction and grades, and analyze the relative influence variables related to the use of mobile phones, sex distinction and grades, and self-control on school adjustment.
For this purpose, 4 coeducation middle schools located in Gwangju metropolitan city were selected and the subjects of 381 were chosen. In order to examine the general tendencies of the subjects and the actual status of using mobile phones, the frequency and percentage were assessed, and so as to test reliability of test tools Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated. The mean and standard deviation were calculated in order to examine the general trend of addictive use of mobile phones, self-control, and school adjustment. To investigate differences of main variables depending on sex distinction and grades and differences of school adjustment depending on addictive use of mobile phones and self-control, t-test and one-way ANOVA were implemented, and as post-hoc test, Scheffe' was conducted. Besides, to examine the effects of variables related to using mobile phones, sex distinction, grades and self-control on school adjustment, after assessing Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, a hierarchical regression analysis was made.
The summary and discussions of the research results are as follows.
First, to examine variables related to using mobile phones, self-control and school adjustment, the motives of purchasing mobile phones were that most of other friends around them had cell phones, and they were likely to buy mobile phones so as to contact other people. It was found that when purchasing mobile phones, they mainly bought the products they wanted to, and in relation to the question to ask the reasons that they changed mobile phones, most of their responses were that they had never changed mobile phones, and next, they answered that they changed phones because of mechanical trouble. Also, it was found that most of them used the flat sum system for telephone call and messages. They usually talked to friends of the same sex, and used most frequently the text messages and phone call among functions of the mobile phone, and tended to recognize that the mobile phone was essential for their daily lives. As a result of examining general tendencies of addictive use of the mobile phone, self-control, and school adjustment, the scores of daily life disorder appeared to be most high among sub-factors of addictive use of the mobile phone, and self-control were a little higher than the medium scores. For the general tendencies of school adjustment, the friendly intercourse was highest by sub-factor, and positive adjustment was likely to be made in order of relationships with teachers, learning attitudes, and school rules.
Second, as a result of addictive use of the mobile phone by sex distinction and grade, and self-control and differences in school adjustment, significant differences appeared in addictive use of the mobile phone and school adjustment. Girl students' scores of addictive use of the mobile phone were higher than boy students depending on sex distinction, which indicates that the former was more likely to use mobile phones addictively than the latter. In relation to addictive use of mobile phones depending on grades, the higher the grade gets in additive use of mobile phones on the whole, school life disorder, and daily life disorder, the higher addictive use of mobile phones. In relation to school adjustment depending on sex distinction, it was found relationships with friends had were significant differences, boy students tended to be more positive than girl students in school adjustment. To examine school adjustment depending on grades, in the overall school adjustment, 1st graders appeared to be more positive than 3rd graders in school adjustment, and in relationships with teachers, 2nd graders were more positive than 2nd graders, and in school rules, 1st graders tended to be more positive than 2nd and 3rd graders in school rules.
Third, as a result of examining whether groups had any differences in school adjustment dividing the groups using mobile phones additively and groups of self-control into top, middle, and bottom groups, they had significant differences in the overall school adjustment, learning attitudes in class and school rules except relationships with teachers and friends. It was found that in the overall school adjustment, the group whose scores of additive use of mobile phones were higher was lower in school adjustment than the group whose scores were lower, and in learning attitudes in class, and school rules etc as well, similar outcomes appeared. And self-control had significant differences in the overall school adjustment and all sub-factors. In the overall school adjustment and school rules, the higher self-control, the more positive in school adjustment, and in relationships with teachers and friends, learning attitudes in class, the group whose self-control was 'top' appeared to be more positive and open than the group whose self-control was ‘bottom.’
Fourth, in the overall school adjustment, it appeared to be significant in order of self-control, the number of text messages used in a day, and addictive use of mobile phones. To examine by sub-scale, in relationships with teachers for school adjustment, significant influences were made in order of self-control, the number of text messages used in a day, monthly charge of use, and grades, and in relationships with friends, significant influences were made in order of the number of text messages used in a day, self-control, sex distinction, and grades. And in learning attitudes in class, self-control, addictive use of mobile phones, and the number of text messages used in a day had significant effects, and in school rules, self-control, addictive use of mobile phones, and grades had significant effects.
In summary, in the overall school adjustment, self-control, the number of text messages used in a day and addictive use of mobile phones appeared to be the most important variables, and by sub-factor, independent variables were affected but self-control appeared to be the most important variable in common.
The current study has significant and has meanings in that it analyzes the actual status of middle school students' using of mobile phones and look for appropriate measures and solutions to the problems, and elucidates effects of variables of using mobile phones and self-control on school adjustment, and by this, it provides basic data for adolescents' positive and smooth school adjustment.