This study is designed for preventing the factors which cause middle schoolers' maladjustment. The study analyzes the relationship among stress, social support and school adjustment as well as provides information to make coping strategies on the ways...
This study is designed for preventing the factors which cause middle schoolers' maladjustment. The study analyzes the relationship among stress, social support and school adjustment as well as provides information to make coping strategies on the ways middle school students can lead healthy school lives.
For this, the study was designed to answer the following questions.
First, is there a significant gender difference in how middle school students perceive stress, social stress, and school adjustment?
Second, is there a significant correlation between stress and social support that is perceived by middle school students?
Third, is there a significant correlation between stress and school adjustment that is perceived by middle school students?
Fourth, is there a significant correlation between social support and school adjustment that is perceived by middle school students?
Finally, do the stress and social support perceived by middle school students significantly affect school adjustment?
For this study, 8 middle schools located in Chuncheon city and 384 of the students (192 males, 192 females) who are in the second grade of middle school were recruited.
The study was analyzed by SPSS 19.0. The difference between stress, social support, and school adjustment was analyzed by t-test.
Second, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient was calculated to analyze the relationship between stress, social support, and school adjustment of middle school students.
Third, Multiple Regression Analysis was used to find out how stress and social support explain the middle school students' school adjustment.
The study results are as follows.
Middle schoolers' gender difference on stress showed that girls were more stressed out than boys in their school life and egosphere.
In regards to gender differences in social support perceived by middle schoolers, boys perceived teachers' social support at a higher level than the girls. Boys perceived more emotional support, informative support, appraisal support, and material support from teachers than the girls did.
It was found that gender differences in school adjustment levels perceived by middle schoolers was statistically significant in school environment adjustment, school teacher adjustment, class adjustment, and school life adjustment; boys' perception was higher than that of the girls.
When looking at the relationship between stress and social support perceived by middle schoolers, middle schoolers became more stressed about their family, school, teachers, friends, and themselves, and social support was perceived as less.
The relationship between stress and school adjustment perceived by middle schoolers changed. As their egosphere stress was higher, their teacher adjustment was perceived as less.
When studying the relationship between social support and school adjustment perceived by middle schoolers, it was found that when students felt that their parents, friends, and teachers were supporting them, they were adjusting well at school.
The study found that stress perceived by middle schoolers had a negative effect on their school adjustment.
Finally, social support perceived by middle schoolers had positive effect on middle schoolers school adjustment.
The study results imply that stress from school life needs to be taken care of by improving the environment to decrease stress, providing parent-role education for proper parental support, and teacher's continuous support. Self-training programs to improve self-respect, and education programs to build and improve peer relationships are also very much needed for students' egospheric stress management.