Early adolescents' Perceived school envionment goals belongingness and their psychological and academic adjustment in bonga and wush wush aupper primary Schools: a Path analyses
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2004-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between early adolescents' perceived school goal
for learning and perceived positive teacher-student and peer relationships with their personal
achievement goals, feelings of belongingness and their psychological and academic adjustment
in schoo!. The study also examined the role that students' personal achievement goals, feelings ol
belongingness play in mediating the liaison between perceptions of the school environment, and
school related beliefs, affect and achievement.
Three hundred eighty eight early adolescents of two upper primary schools were
included in the study. Survey scales were employed to collect the data. Series of multiple
regression analyses and path model coefficients depicted that perceived school goals and positive
teacher-student and peer relationships predicted the adoption of personal goals and feelings of
belongingness in school respectively.
Personal mastery goals and feelings of belongingness mediated the positive effects ol
perceived school mastelY goals on academic selfejficacy and positive school affect. Sim ilarly
personal peJiormance approach and personal peJiormance avoidance goals mediated the effects
of perceived school peliormance approach and performance avoidance goals on feelings ol
academic self-consciousness. Feelings of school belongingness mediated the positive eflec/s ol
perceived positive teacher-student relationship and positive peer relationship on academic sell:
efficacy and positive affect in schoo!'
Feelings of academic self-efficacy and positive affect in school were positively related to
achievement (as described by semester academic average scores). However, feelings of
academic self-consciousness were negatively related to achievement and mediated the negative
effects ol personal performance avoidance goals. Yet no evidence was obtained for other
psychological variables to mediate the effect ol personal goals andfeelings of belongingness on
academic achievement. Finally, the results disclosed that both the perceived cognitive and
affective aspects of school environment significantly affected early adolescents ' psychological
and academic adjustment (details are presented in the result section).
Description
Keywords
Early adolescents