Abstract
-
Purpose
- The purpose of this study was to identify the causal relationship of familial factors (parental acceptance, autonomy, and family satisfaction), social support (teacher’s support and friend’s support), school achievement, self-concept, and school adjustment. Based on preceding research, this study established a path model of school adjustment and its related variables.
-
Methods
- Two thousand six hundred and twenty nine middle school students participated in this study. Data were collected by a visit-survey with an organized questionnaire and was analyzed by the SPSS and AMOS programs.
-
Results
- Self-concept showed a significantly direct influence to school adjustment while both family satisfaction and school achievement directly and indirectly influenced school adjustment. Parental acceptance, autonomy, and social support indirectly influenced school adjustment.
-
Conclusion
- These results imply that first, family satisfaction and self-concept are essential to solve the problems of school adjustment. Especially friend’s support, teacher’s support and school achievement should help improve the self-concept and school adjustment. Second, a variety of programs are available for schools to employ in an effort to provide interventions for students who demonstrate school maladjustment. Finally, it is necessary for family, school and society members to comprehensively cooperate to improve school adjustment.
-
Keywords: Adolescent; Adjustment; Self concept; Social support; Family
Fig. 1.Testing for hypothetical model.
Fig. 2.Testing for modified model.
Table 1.Degree of School Adjustment according to Characteristics of Adolescents (N=2,629)
Characteristics |
|
n (%) |
Mean |
SD |
t or F |
p |
Grade |
1st grade |
852 (32.4) |
27.95 |
3.51 |
18.73 |
<.0001 |
2nd grade |
828 (31.5) |
26.84 |
3.59 |
|
|
3rd grade |
949 (36.1) |
26.83 |
3.25 |
|
|
Sex |
Male |
1,196 (45.5) |
27.00 |
3.43 |
2.49 |
.013 |
Female |
1,433 (54.5) |
26.67 |
3.39 |
|
|
Religion |
Christian |
577 (21.9) |
26.73 |
3.60 |
3.69 |
.011 |
Catholic |
154 (5.9) |
27.47 |
3.35 |
|
|
Buddhism |
855 (32.5) |
26.99 |
3.34 |
|
|
None |
1,043 (39.7) |
26.64 |
3.36 |
|
|
Father’s education |
Below middle school |
84 (3.2) |
26.17 |
4.01 |
23.75 |
<.0001 |
High school |
1,094 (41.6) |
26.33 |
3.28 |
|
|
Above college |
1,451 (55.2) |
27.23 |
3.42 |
|
|
Mother’s education |
Below middle school |
108 (4.1) |
25.86 |
3.58 |
21.90 |
<.0001 |
High school |
1,467 (55.8) |
26.53 |
3.29 |
|
|
Above college |
1,038 (39.5) |
27.34 |
3.49 |
|
|
No response |
16 (0.6) |
|
|
|
|
Economic status |
Very poor |
44 (1.7) |
24.70 |
4.04 |
28.19 |
<.0001 |
Rather poor |
348 (13.2) |
25.80 |
3.39 |
|
|
Average |
1,838 (69.9) |
26.79 |
3.31 |
|
|
Rather affluent |
364 (13.8) |
28.17 |
3.34 |
|
|
Very affluent |
29 (1.1) |
28.00 |
4.25 |
|
|
No response |
6 (0.2) |
|
|
|
|
Academic performance (rank/class) |
Within 5 |
384 (14.6) |
28.73 |
3.12 |
103.37 |
<.0001 |
6-10 |
428 (16.3) |
27.99 |
3.06 |
|
|
11-20 |
813 (30.9) |
26.99 |
3.10 |
|
|
21-30 |
676 (25.7) |
25.63 |
3.27 |
|
|
Above 31 |
300 (11.4) |
24.81 |
3.37 |
|
|
No response |
28 (1.1) |
|
|
|
|
Smoking experience |
None |
2,160 (82.2) |
27.11 |
3.35 |
32.65 |
<.0001 |
Occasionally |
293 (11.1) |
25.61 |
3.42 |
|
|
Gave up smoking |
69 (2.6) |
25.15 |
3.28 |
|
|
Always |
86 (3.3) |
24.95 |
3.27 |
|
|
No response |
21 (0.8) |
|
|
|
|
Drinking experience |
None |
1,222 (46.5) |
27.38 |
3.34 |
30.54 |
<.0001 |
Occasionally |
988 (37.6) |
26.63 |
3.39 |
|
|
Gave up drinking |
44 (1.7) |
25.61 |
3.36 |
|
|
Always |
351 (13.4) |
25.56 |
3.37 |
|
|
No response |
24 (0.9) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of drugs use |
None |
2,572 (97.8) |
26.83 |
3.41 |
2.58 |
.052 |
Occasionally |
16 (0.6) |
26.18 |
3.27 |
|
|
Stopped now |
2 (0.1) |
26.50 |
2.12 |
|
|
Abused now |
9 (0.3) |
23.77 |
4.08 |
|
|
No response |
30 (1.1) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of running away from home (time) |
None |
1,053 (40.1) |
27.93 |
3.18 |
68.32 |
<.0001 |
Thought seriously |
1,349 (51.3) |
26.13 |
3.31 |
|
|
Once |
121 (4.6) |
26.03 |
3.84 |
|
|
Above twice |
66 (2.5) |
25.09 |
3.23 |
|
|
No response |
40 (1.5) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of absence without leave (time) |
None |
2,428 (92.4) |
27.93 |
3.18 |
68.32 |
<.0001 |
1-2 times |
131 (5.0) |
26.13 |
3.31 |
|
|
3-4 times |
17 (0.6) |
26.03 |
3.84 |
|
|
Above 5 times |
30 (1.1) |
25.09 |
3.23 |
|
|
No response |
23 (0.9) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of fighting (time) |
None |
2,217 (84.3) |
26.99 |
3.34 |
14.91 |
<.0001 |
1-2 times |
265 (10.1) |
26.41 |
3.47 |
|
|
3-4 times |
45 (1.7) |
24.48 |
3.88 |
|
|
Above 5 times |
59 (2.2) |
25.16 |
4.22 |
|
|
No response |
43 (1.6) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of sexual relation (time) |
None |
2,427 (92.3) |
26.83 |
3.39 |
3.64 |
.012 |
1-2 times |
109 (4.1) |
27.25 |
3.25 |
|
|
3-4 times |
25 (1.0) |
26.80 |
4.03 |
|
|
Above 5 times |
48 (1.8) |
25.33 |
4.34 |
|
|
No response |
20 (.8) |
|
|
|
|
Experience of suicidal attempt |
None |
1,638 (62.3) |
27.56 |
3.15 |
117.26 |
<.0001 |
Thought seriously |
885 (33.7) |
25.72 |
3.42 |
|
|
Attempted |
61 (2.3) |
23.86 |
3.90 |
|
|
No response |
45 (1.7) |
|
|
|
|
Table 2.Correlation among Parental Acceptance, Autonomy, Family Satisfaction, Friend’s Support, Teacher’s Support, School Achievement, Self Concept and School Adjustment (N=2,629)
Variables |
School adjustment |
Parental acceptance |
Autonomy |
Family satisfaction |
Friend’s support |
Teacher’s support |
School achievement |
r (p) |
r (p) |
r (p) |
r (p) |
r (p) |
r (p) |
r (p) |
Parental acceptance |
.364 (<.0001) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Autonomy |
.150 (<.0001) |
.218 (<.0001) |
|
|
|
|
|
Family satisfaction |
.422 (<.0001) |
.675 (<.0001) |
.280 (<.0001) |
|
|
|
|
Friend’s support |
.357 (<.0001) |
.323 (<.0001) |
.155 (<.0001) |
.307 (<.0001) |
|
|
|
Teacher’s support |
.392 (<.0001) |
.239 (<.0001) |
.002 (.926) |
.265 (<.0001) |
.229 (<.0001) |
|
|
School achievement |
.229 (<.0001) |
.119 (<.0001) |
.035 (.069) |
.107 (<.0001) |
.115 (<.0001) |
.086 (<.0001) |
|
Self-concept |
.567 (<.0001) |
.463 (<.0001) |
.214 (<.0001) |
.534 (<.0001) |
.435 (<.0001) |
.297 (<.0001) |
.256 (<.0001) |
Table 3.Model Fitness Index for Hypothetical and Modified Model (N=2,629)
Content |
Value of hypothetical model |
Value of modified model |
Evaluation criteria |
χ2
|
394.00 |
54.9 |
|
df |
18 |
14 |
|
p |
.00 |
.00 |
>.05 |
χ2/df |
21.9 |
3.92 |
<3 |
Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) |
.92 |
.97 |
≥.90 |
Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) |
.83 |
.91 |
≥.90 |
Normed Fit Index (NFI) |
.80 |
.89 |
≥.90 |
Parsimonious Normed of Fit Index (PNFI) |
.57 |
.59 |
≥.0.6 |
Parsimonious Goodness of Fit Index (PGFI) |
.53 |
.55 |
Large value is better |
Root mean square error of approximation (RMSE) |
.09 |
.05 |
≤.05 |
Table 4.Direct Effect, Indirect Effect, and Total Effect in Modified Path Model
Endogenous variables |
Exogenous variables |
Direct effect |
Indirect effect |
Total effect |
R2
|
Family satisfaction |
Parental acceptance |
.66 |
|
.66 |
.474 |
Autonomy |
.14 |
|
.14 |
|
School achievement |
Friend’s support |
.09 |
|
.09 |
.015 |
Family satisfaction |
.08 |
|
.08 |
|
Parental acceptance |
|
.05 |
.05 |
|
Autonomy |
|
.01 |
.01 |
|
Self-concept |
Family satisfaction |
.43 |
.02 |
.44 |
.344 |
Friend’s support |
.27 |
.02 |
.30 |
|
Teacher’s support |
.12 |
|
.12 |
|
School achievement |
.18 |
|
.18 |
|
Parental acceptance |
|
.28 |
.28 |
|
Autonomy |
|
.06 |
.06 |
|
School adjustment |
Family satisfaction |
.18 |
.20 |
.38 |
.359 |
Self concept |
.43 |
|
.43 |
|
School achievement |
.10 |
.08 |
.18 |
|
Parental acceptance |
|
.24 |
.24 |
|
Autonomy |
|
.05 |
.05 |
|
Friend’s support |
|
.14 |
.14 |
|
Teacher’s support |
|
.05 |
.05 |
|
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