CLASSROOM CLIMATE AS A CORRELATE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS PSYCHO-SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT IN OKIGWE EDUCATION ZONE OF IMO STATE

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to investigate  the relationship  between  classroom climate  and  secondary  school  adolescents’  psycho-social  adjustment.  The  study  was guided by four purposes, four research questions and three null hypotheses. The research design for this study was a correlational survey research design. The study was carried out in Okigwe education zone of Imo-State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised of

4,694 SS2 respondents. The sample for this study was 420 SS2 students. The instrument

for data  collection  was  a  questionnaire  developed  by the  researcher  titled:  Perceived classroom  climate  Questionnaire  (PCCQ)  and  Adolescents  Psycho-social  Adjustment Questionnaire (ASAQ). The questionnaire items were developed by the researcher through the information gotten from reviewed literature. The instruments  was face validated by three experts. The experts were requested to vet the instruments in terms of clarity of the words,  appropriateness  and  relevance  of  the  items,  and  suitability  of  the  items  and response patterns. The observations  of these experts were used for modification  of the instrument. In order to ascertain the reliability of the instruments for the study, 20 copies of the instrument were trial tested using SS 2 students in Agbaja secondary school, which is outside the study area. The instruments yielded an overall reliability estimate of 0.87 which indicate that the instrument was reliable and was used for the study. The researcher, with  the  help  of  two  research  assistants,  directly  administered  the  instrument  to  the respondents and retrieve thereafter. The research questions were answered using Pearson product  moment  correlation  Analysis  while  regression  analysis  was  used  to  test  the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study among others showed that the existing classroom climate in Okigwe Education Zone is  unsupportive.  It was also found that there was a significant relationship between the supportive classroom climate and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents. The result of the study also showed that classroom climate and gender significantly predict psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents. The  implications of the above findings were examined and it was recommended among other things that school administrators should try to gain clearer  insight  into  the  importance  of supportive  classroom  climate  and  strategies  for improving classroom climate for students’ psycho-social adjustment. This can be achieved through organizing workshops and seminars for school administrators by the ministry of education. The limitations of this study were highlighted and suggestions were made for further studies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The  adolescent  period  has  been  of  great  concern  to  psychologists,  teachers, parents, and society at large. This is because the period is marked by great stress and storm and myriads of adjustment problems due to the dramatic physical, psychological, mental and   socio-adaptation   changes   that   occur   during   this   period.   The  anticipation   of psychologists,  teachers,  parents  and the society  at  large  is to see that  adolescents  are adequately adjusted during this critical period.

Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, starting from approximately 10-12 years old, up to 18-21 years old (Sandrock, 2007). Sandrock went on to say that the transition period is characterized by rapid biological, physical, emotional and cognitive change that take place at this time. Biologically, it begins with the onset of puberty. This is the time of life during which the reproductive organ become capable of functioning. Physically, it is characterized with a growth spurt. The individual at this stage experiences  a rapid  increase  in  height.  Cognitively,  the  stage  is  characterized  by the increase in critical thinking,  reasoning ability and the way the adolescent perceives the social environment. Emotionally, the stage is taught with affection, aggression and fear. This could be as a result of the changes that take place in the body. Igbo in Onwuasoanya (2008), views adolescence as a period when developmental changes are seen in girls from ages 10-12  and in boys from 12-14, when the capability for sexual reproductive system starts. Adolescence as defined by Rideout, Mellisa, Allison, Seeta and Betssy, (2012) is a time of life that is both exhilarating and daunting. It can be fraught with excitement and disappointment, self-confidence and insecurity, and loneness. Adolescence in this study is

a developmental period between late childhood and early adulthood. An adolescent on the

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other hand is an individual who has passed a childhood stage but has not reached adult stage.

Adolescence   period  can  be  a  time  of  both  orientation  and  discovery.   The transitional period can bring up issue of independence and self-identity. However, the 5th stage of Erickson theory of psycho-social adjustment (Identity Vs confusion) involves the

adolescents continuing search of personal identity, as the person tries to determine who he is, confusion results when home or school environment fails to provide opportunities for individual exploration with different identity roles (Eggen and  Kauchak, 2013). During this developmental stage, if the school or home environment fails to provide a warmth, supportive and caring social environment for the adolescents’ psycho-social adjustment, they  may  develop   some  psycho-social   maladjustment   behaviors   from  their  social environment.

Psycho-social  adjustment  could  be  seen  as  the  quantity  of  harmony  which adolescents-experience  in their personal and interpersonal behaviors (Olofintoye, 2015). This  implies  that both personal  and interpersonal  behaviors  work side-by-side  for the adolescents    psycho-social    adjustment.    Personal    behaviors    are    ones    personal characteristics, they include temperament, cognitive style, self esteem, anxiety, and among others. Interpersonal behaviors on the other  hand involves the way people interact with one another. They may include both verbal communication (Like Joking, relating with one another  and  among  others)  and  non  verbal  clues,  such  as  body  language,  or  facial expressions.  Ayebami,  (2006)  perceives  psycho-social  adjustment  as  the  growth  and development of social behaviors, emotional characteristics, and mental wellness capable of enhancing the proper adaptation of adolescents in schools in which they are. Antonak (2005) views psycho-social adjustment as a process which a person with disability moves from  a  state  of  disablement  to  a  state  of  enablement  and  is  characterized  by  the

transformation  from  negative  to  positive  well  being.  This  connotes  that  when  the adolescents  are provided  with a warmth and caring environment,  they are  likely to be transformed  from state of maladjustment  to adjustment  which promotes  their personal, social and academic development. In the context of this study, psycho-social adjustment is taken to mean the amount of balance which adolescents experience between their personal characteristics   and   social   environment.   This   connotes   that   the   secondary   school adolescents psycho-social adjustment is a  function of the quality of the harmony which they experience in the interaction between their personal characteristics and their social environment.

Adolescents psycho-social adjustment according to Olofintoye (2005) is made up of the following  components  or factors: emotional  intelligence,  self-esteem  and  social support. Emotional intelligence refers to ability to monitor one’s own and other people’s emotions,  to discriminate  between different  emotions and label them  approximately  to guide thinking. Self-esteem is defined as the emotional evaluation individual make about themselves,  which is generally in the form of approval or  disapproval.  It indicates the extent  to  which persons  believe  themselves  to  be  capable,  significant,  successful  and worthy. Social support is the perception of the availability of support of assistance from others such as peers, parents and teachers. Social support may be in form of guidance and feedback (advice and instruction), positive social interactions (spending time with peers, teachers and parents) and tangible assistance (money and academic materials).

It  is believed  that  a psychologically  and  socially  adjusted  adolescents  actively integrates into the school system to achieve the essence of being in the school. This could imply that the adolescents should have a good self-esteem, be diligent, pleasant, loving, rational and co-operative. When an adolescent is capable of striking such balance in his daily activities in the school, the adolescent  is said to  have achieved  adequate psycho-

social adjustment that enhances positive outcomes in life, within and outside the school. On the contrary, lack of psycho-social adjustment leads to psycho-social maladjustment among adolescents. Psycho-social maladjustment can be described as adolescents inability to react successfully and satisfactory to the demands of the environment. Though the term applies to a wide range of biological,  physical,  psychological  and social conditions,  it often implies an individual’s failure to meet  social or culture expectations  (Olofintoye,

2005).  Psychologically  and  socially  maladjusted  adolescents  may  develop  feeling  of helplessness which may as well propel the adolescents to form negative attitudes towards school,  works  and  other people.  Poor  psycho-social  adjustment  among  adolescents  as pointed out by Olafintoye (2005) may be manifested in lack of affection,, worry, anxiety, bitterness,   drunkenness,   sexual   abuse,   poor   academic   performance,   examination malpractice, truancy, avoidance,  bulling and fighting behaviors.

However the researchers interest to the current study therefore is the situation of adjustment in Okigwe Education Zone of Imo state. There has been an outary of psycho- social  maladjustment  in  Okigwe  education  Zone  of  Imo  state.  These  psycho-social maladjustment found among secondary school adolescents in Okigwe education zone of Imo  state  ranges  from  drug  use,  school  dropout,  examination  malpractice,  cultism activities,  truancy,  fighting  and  bulling,  poor  academic  performance,  withdrawal  and isolation and among others. They may fall victim of the aforementioned  maladjustment behaviors due to the nature of the classroom  climate created by the teacher during this critical or vulnerable stage which could lead to the adolescents identifying or falling into the hands of peer pressure to learn some unwholesome behaviors. However, adolescents are likely to fall into the hands of the peer pressure only when they perceive the classroom climate unsupportive,  uncaring,  hostile,  and alienating.  This could be the reason some

adolescents find it difficult to cope with normal social life, especially in school due to the nature of the classroom climate created by the teacher during this vulnerable stage.

Classroom climate is the classroom learning environment as well as the classroom atmosphere, ambience, ecology and milien. A study by Ambrose, Bridgets, Dupietro and Loveh, (2010), defined classroom climate as merely the total intellectual, social, emotional and physical contexts that collectively teach the students, which  include the interactive relationships existing among the students themselves and  between students and teachers and is one of the influential  resources  that affect the  activities  of the classroom.  This implies that the social interaction between the teacher and the students in the classroom is the major aspects of the classroom  climate that could predict the adolescents social and psychological development as well as success in school.

Mahony and Ilextal (2000) view classroom climate as the psychological and social context which the verbal interactions between teachers and students take place. In other words, it is described as a set of general characteristics  for the classroom atmosphere that is occupied by the interactions among the students, and teachers and between teachers and students and the effect of this on the students  social and psychological development or adjustments. Many educational theorists (Swekhine and Swechiew, 2001) believed that the classroom climate is a dynamic social system which depends on physical and social effects and factors that are perceived by the students and make up the  various situations in the classroom that affect the behavior of the students. Moos and Trickett in Anuseim (2000) perceive  classroom  climate as the attitude and trends of learners and teachers  and the relations present among them within the classroom. In the context of this study, classroom climate  is  a  set  of  social  interactions  between  teachers  and  students  (peers)  in  the classroom and how these interactions affect the students psycho-social adjustment. This connotes  that  a  healthy  social  interaction  between  the  teachers  and  students  in  the

classroom is vital for the adolescents psycho-social adjustment. The impact of classroom climate on adolescents can be beneficial or a barrier to their psycho-social adjustment and success  in  school  (Allodi,  2010).  This  is  because  the  adolescents  perception  of  the classroom climate supportive, warmth and caring, seems to  promote their psycho-social adjustment  and  success  in  school.  On  the  contrary,   adolescents  perception  of  the classroom  climate  unsupportive,  hostile  and  uncaring seems  to  affect  the  adolescents psycho-social adjustment and success in school.

The construct of classroom climate according to Moos and Trickett in Anusiem (2000) encompasses three dimensions namely, (a). Relationship dimension which includes teacher  support  and  students  support  in  the  classroom.  (b).  personal  growth,  which includes  the  achievement  of personal  goal  with  a  moderate level  of competition.  (c) classroom management, which includes the orderliness of the environment, the clarity of the rules and the strictness of the  teacher in enforcing the rules. Relationships (teacher- support and student support). Teacher support connotes helps and assistance the teacher provides to the students  to  encourage them. It also connotes students beliefs that their teachers  care  about  them,  value  and  establish  personal  relationships  with  them.  Peer support  occurs  when  students  provide  knowledge,  experiences,  emotional,  social  or practical help to each other in the classroom. peer support may also encompasses students sharing  ideas,  and approaches  during whole  lessons,  working  together  in small  group activities, or informal help-seeking and help-giving during individual seat work. Personal growth  dimension  refers to  the achievement  of  personal  goal with  moderate  level of competition  in  the  classroom  by  the  teacher.  This  personal   goals  includes  social, psychological,  emotional and academic development.  This is  because every adolescents (student) comes to school with the aim of developing  himself for self-reliance  and for independent life. Teachers therefore occupy a vantage position in making sure the students

kept  under  their  care  develop  socially,  academically,  psychologically,  mentally,  and emotionally   with   a   moderate   level   of  competition   in  the   classroom.   Classroom management dimension which includes the orderliness of the  environment  (i.e physical and emotional) environment and the clarity of the rules and the strictness of the teacher in enforcing  the rules.  This dimension  assess  how the  teacher  achieves  the physical  and emotional   environment   that   encourages   students   development   and   emphasis   on establishing    and  following  a  clear  set  of  rules  and  on  students  knowing  what  the consequences  will be if they do not  follow them, and the effect of this on adolescents psycho-social adjustment.

The classroom climate is made up of the totality of a number of factors affecting it. They includes; teacher-student  interactions,  students-student  interaction,  the tone  of the teacher and stereotypes (Ambrose, 2010). Teacher-Student Interactions; The  interactions between teacher and students affect the classroom climate, students who  feel that their teacher was approachable, had concern for minority students issues and treat students as an individuals with respect, reported a better climate (Astin 1993) Murray and Malmgren, (2005)  also observed  that students  who  have strong  teacher-student  relationships  have higher academic achievement  and have more  positive social-emotional  adjustment  than their peers who do not have a positive  relationship  with their teacher. Student-Student Interaction:  The  interaction  between  students  and  student  during  and  outside  of class affects the overall climate.  However, the ways in which teachers and those in authority deal  with  negative  interaction  in  the  classroom  has  more  of  an  impact  on  students’ psychosocial adjustment (Ambrose 2010). The tone of the teacher: This simply means the quality of the teacher’s voice, especially when expressing a particular emotion.  The tone of a  class environment  is influenced  by the teacher,  which can impact on the student negatively  or  positively.  Studies  show  that  students  approach  teacher  who  express

encouragement more so than teacher who come off as punitive and thus affect their social and psychological adjustment and success in school. Stereotypes: This is a way of forming a fixed idea about a person or thing which may not really be true.  Stereotypes  cause alienation and marginalization among those who are the target of  unfair generalization. Steele and Aronson (1995) opined  that stereotype  can impact  learning and adjustment negatively.  Steele  and  Aronson  went  on  to  say  that  students  who  have  experienced stereotypes or expect to be viewed or judged in a certain way may encounter tension and cognitive disturbances that interfere with their adjustment and success in school.

Based on this factors (teacher-student  interactions, students-students interactions, tone of the teacher and stereotyping), Wilson, Pianta & Stuhlman (2007) indentified two types  of  the  classroom   climate,   supportive   and  unsupportive   climate.   Supportive classroom climate is characterised by a climate where the students feel free to interact with one another,  support one another,  share  high amounts of  potential  influence  with one another and teacher experience high level of interaction, function by norms and rules, and respect  individual  differences.  Research  has  shown that  the  quality  of  the  classroom climate has a significant effect on students learning, social and psychological development (Fraser & Goh, 2003; Wilson, Pianta, &  Stuhlman, 2007). Fraser  & Goh, Wilson, Pianta and  Stuhlman  went  on  to  say  that  a  positive  classroom  climate  leads  to  students psychosocial  development.  This  is because  in such a classroom,  the students  enjoy  a positive teacher-student interaction, positive students-student  interaction, mutual respect, consistent  and  fair  rules  and  regulations  and  lesser  emphasis  on  competition  in  the classroom which predict social and psychological adjustment and academic success.

Unsupportive classroom climate on the other hand is characterized by all forms of negativism. In such a classroom, students are not given the needed opportunity to interact and support one another, there exist lack of teacher-support, students support, clear rules

and regulations in such a classroom (Wilson, Pianta & Stuhlman 2007). In support of this, Richard  and Patricia  (2001) observed  that an unsupportive  climate  is  characterised  by competition, alienation, negative social interaction between the teacher and students and between students and students and hostility that lead to anxiety, discomfort and intellectual deprivation. Richard and Patricia went on to say that the outcome of such a climate does not foster the students’ psycho-social adjustment and academic achievement. This implies that high quality classroom  climate is important for all students and also predicts their social and psychological adjustment and success in school as well.

Another aspects the researcher would like to explore is the moderating influence of gender on the secondary school adolescents psycho-social adjustment. Gender is a socio- cultural dimensions of being male or female (Santrok, 2007). Whereas gender role is a set of expectations that prescribes how females and males should think, act, and feel. Most studies investigated the influence of gender and one reason may be because of differences in  socialization  between  males  and  females  which  can  lead  to  different  outcomes. Clearfield & Nelson (2005) stressed that through gender role socialization activities with mothers; girls were verbally more expressive than boys and mothers tended to spend more time interacting with girls than boys. Emmelmier and Oyeserman (2001) assert that boys described   themselves   as  more   independent   than  girls  do  whereas   girls  described themselves  as more  inter-dependent  than boys do. This simply means that  girls build connectedness  with  others  while  boys  see  themselves  as  independent,  exploring  their surrounding and finding meanings and answers. Gender according to the researcher is a socio-cultural  defined dimensions  of being male or female. This implies that gender  is defined by a number of dimensions or factors which includes: behavior, gesture, mode of dressing, relationships  and roles played by the sexes in the society.  In the  light of the

above,  this study could  help  to find  out if gender  predicts  adolescents’  psycho-social adjustment and success in school

Most related studies were done within and outside Nigeria. Many existing research focused on effect of family factors, school factors, peer group, socio-economic inequality and  home  types,  social  and  psychological  factors  on  adolescents  adjustment  problem. Hence, no known research has been carried out on classroom climate as a correlate of secondary school adolescents psycho-social adjustment.

Statement of the Problem:

In  recent  times,  there  have  been  an  outcry  of  adjustment  problems  among secondary school adolescents in Okigwe education zone. These psycho-social adjustment problems  ranges  from  drug  use,  school  dropout,  cheating  in  examination,  avoidance behaviour, bulling, truancy, poor performance  and social withdrawal. These adjustment problems  could be as a result of the classroom  climate provided  for these adolescents during this critical stage which could result to the adolescents identifying with or falling into  the  hands of the peer pressure  to  learn unwholesome  behaviours.  The classroom climate created by the teacher could  be supportive or unsupportive  as perceived by the adolescents  which  could  predict  their  adjustment  and  success  in  school.  However, adolescents perception of the climate supportive, warmth and caring seems to promote the adolescents  psychosocial  adjustment  and  success  in  school.  On  the  other  hand,  the adolescents  perception  of the climate  unsupportive,  uncaring,  competitive  hostile,  and alienating seems to mar the adolescents psycho-social adjustment and success in school. The classroom  climate  created  by the teacher  could  promote  or mar  the  adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment.

In this regard, the problem of the study is that one does not know the  existing classroom  climate  in  the  area  of  study  and  how  this  predicts  the  secondary  school

adolescents’ psycho-social adjustment in Okigwe education zone. Posed in question form, the problem is: what is the relationship between classroom climate and secondary school adolescents’ psycho-social adjustment?

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between classroom climate  and  secondary  school  adolescents’  psycho-social  adjustment.  Specifically,  the study seeks to;

1. Ascertain the existing classroom climate in the area of study

2. Determine how supportive classroom climate correlates with adolescents Psycho-social adjustment.

3.   Determine   how   unsupportive   classroom   climate   correlates   with   psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents.

4. Determine  the  extent  to which  classroom  climate  and gender  predict  psycho-social adjustment of school adolescents.

Significance of the Study

This study will have both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, the study  is  anchored  on  the  theory  of  Erik  Erikson  (1959),  known  as  psycho-social adjustment theory, which emphasizes the impact of external factors, parents, teachers and society on personality development  from childhood  to  adulthood.  The present study if completed and published will help to affirm the theory because it will prove that the kind of relationship built in the classroom between the students and the teacher and the overall learning environment can predict the psycho-social development at adolescent stage which upholds the impact of external factor in personality development.

Practically,   this   study   if   successfully   completed   will   benefit   the   school administrators, teachers, secondary school students, and future researchers. The findings

of this study will help school administrators to gain clearer Insight into the importance of classroom climate and strategies for improving classroom climate for students’  psycho- social  adjustment.  This  will  be  achieved  if  the  ministry  of  education  through  the educational  managers  organize  workshops  and  seminars  for  school  administrators  or recommend them for training programmes.

Teachers will also benefit from the findings of the study because it will help them to understand better the need for creation of positive and supportive classroom  climate. This will be achieved  through  seminars  and workshops  organized  for  teachers  by the school administrators to upgrade teacher’s classroom management skills.

Parents are also going to benefit from the study. It will be beneficial to parents in that it will bring to their awareness some of the psycho-social maladjustment prevailing among their secondary school adolescents  and the levels of relationship  between these problems  and their academic  performance.  This knowledge  will  enable them (parents) take practical decisions and plan on how best to assist them at home. It will also help them to  examine  themselves  thoroughly  in their  style  of  parenting  to  identify  areas  where emphasis will be laid more

The findings  will also  benefit the secondary  school adolescents  because,  when teachers, are aware of the need for a positive classroom climate, needed for  adolescent psycho-social  adjustment,  through the skills acquired through workshops  and seminars, the adolescents’ adjustment will increase accordingly. This will enable the students to be more productive in school and in the society.

Lastly, the findings from the study will also guide future researchers by providing them with source of empirical materials to guide their studies. The results will provide empirical information to meet the need for future study related to classroom climate and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents.

Scope of the Study

The geographical scope of the study comprises all senior secondary two  (SS2  ) students in Okigwe educational zone of Imo state. The content scope of the study is to ascertain the existing classroom climate in the area of study, determine  how supportive classroom climate correlates with adolescents psycho-social  adjustment,  determine  how unsupportive  classroom  climate  correlates  with  psycho-social  adjustment  of secondary adolescents and to determine the extent to  which classroom climate and gender predict psycho-social adjustment of school adolescents.

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study.

1.   What are the existing classroom climate in the area of study?

2. To what extent does supportive classroom climate correlates with adolescents’ psycho- social adjustment?

3.  To  what  extent  does  unsupportive  classroom  climate  correlates  with  psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents?

4. To what extent do classroom climate and gender predict the psycho-social adjustment of school adolescents?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses will guide the study.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship  between the supportive classroom climate  and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents.

HO2: There is no significant  relationship  between unsupportive  classroom  climate  and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents.

HO3:  There  is  no  significant  relationship  between  classroom  climate  and  gender  and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents.

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