The relations between perceptions of the school psychological environment and adaptive functioning among early adolescents: A longitudinal study.

Abstract

In this study, a cohort of early adolescents (n = 176) was followed through their first two years of junior high school. The sample was predominantly white, and lower-middle to middle income from one school district in the Midwest. Their perceptions of teacher support and the task and ability goal focus of the school and of their own academic and social functioning were examined using self-report measures administered over four waves, twice each year. Measures showed good internal consistency (alphas from.67 to.94). The academic functioning dependent variables included self-efficacy, self-regulation, academic problem behavior, and task value. The social functioning variables included socially responsible behavior, peer social acceptance, and popularity goal endorsement. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed that students' perceptions of the school environment and of their own adaptive functioning were less positive over time. Path models showed that a school environment that was perceived to be high in teacher support and task focus, and low in ability focus was associated with more adaptive academic and social functioning than an environment perceived to be low in teacher support and task focus, and high in ability focus. However, the three aspects of the perceived school environment appeared to be related differentially to outcomes over time and appeared to ffect some dimensions of academic and social functioning more than others. For example, student outcomes were related in particular to teacher support in seventh grade and task focus in eighth grade. Moreover, interactions from repeated-measures ANOVAs between teacher support, task focus and ability focus and time of measurement were found that suggest that changes in how students perceived the environment over the two years were related critically to certain positive and negative outcomes, especially for certain groups of students. Results support and extend findings of other studies concerning the relations between perceptions of the school environment and adaptive functioning in early adolescence and suggest that the nature of the experienced environment does play an important role in either supporting positive outcomes or exacerbating problems for early adolescents as they progress through school.Ph.D.EducationEducational psychologySecondary educationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130695/2/9811065.pd