Emotional and behavioral problems and academic achievement impact of demographic and intellectual ability among early adolescent students of government and private schools

By Rupa Selvaraj

Adolescence is derived from Latin word adolescere, which means "to grow up") is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood. Adolescence has traditionally being viewed as beginning with the onset of puberty a rapid spurt in physical growth accompanie

• Language: English
• Publisher: faraz
• Release date: Jan 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781805459149

Book preview

Emotional And Behavioural Problems and Academic Achievement: Influence of Demographic, and Intellectual Ability Among Early Adolescent Students of Government And Private Schools

RUPA SELVARAJ

CONTENTS

Chapter – 1

INTRODUCTION

Chapter – 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Chapter – 3

METHODOLOGY

Chapter – 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Chapter – 5

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Chapter – 1

INTRODUCTION

Human life is a continuous thread which each of us spins to his own pattern, rich and complex in meaning.

There are no natural knots in it. Yet knots from, nearly always in adolescence.

-- Edgar Z. Friedenberg

Adolescence is derived from Latin word adolescere, which means to grow up) is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood.

Adolescence has traditionally being viewed as beginning with the onset of puberty a rapid spurt in physical growth accompanied by sexual maturation and as ending when individuals assume the responsibilities associated with adult life marriage entry in to the workforce and so on (Rice 1992).Adolescence period is globally known as a period of fundamental, biological, cognitive and social changes. Hill, 1983).

An eminent psychologist, Theodore Lidz says: "it is a time of seeking an inward to find who one is; a searching outward to locate one’s place in life; a longing for another with whom to satisfy craving for intimacy and fulfillment.

WHO defines adolescence as the period of life between the ages of 10to 19years.

Developmental Changes in Early Adolescence

PUBERTY

Theorists of every persuasion agree about the importance of adolescence as a turning point in development. First is the physical development when children face the biological transformations of puberty. It is the period of speedy growth and changes in physical features related to sexual functioning. Young people become physically mature influencing psychological development and social relationships which is pervasive.

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Hormones play an important role, preparing the body to behave in a certain way once puberty begins. Although growth spurt are similar in infancy and childhood but it starts early for girls who begin to experience these pubertal changes earlier than boys, so girls and boys of the same biological age are likely to be at different points in physical and social development between the ages of 10 and 14.

Cognitive Development

According to Piaget, adolescence marks the entry in to the highest stage of cognitive development, the period of formal operations i.e. the ability to think abstractly and multi-dimensionally and capable of logical thought and are often able to solve problem in a creative way and testing them systematically.

A healthy cognitive development helps in learning, their knowledge of different subjects, and their ability to apply this knowledge to new learning situations. And help adolescents modulate their learning and behaviour in order to fulfill more difficult and elaborate tasks.

From early childhood to adolescence, young people show gradual and steady increase in the degree to which they consider the future in other words cognitive development continues throughout adolescence an results, ultimately, in more mature modes of thought (Klaczynski, 1997).

Personality development

Adolescence is a mile stone on the path to independence. One of the aspects to consider is emotional development. It is mostly believed that adolescents are wildly emotional that they experience heavy mood swings and 2

turbulent outbursts of emotions. Research by Larson (1984) indicates that adolescents show more frequent and larger swings in mood than those shown by older persons. It is assumed that adolescent emotionality is associated with parental attachment and parenting styles such as parental demands (strict and high on control) and parental responsiveness (supportive and high on warmth).

For instance a study by Cooper et al., 1998 showed that secure attachment to parents during adolescence may facilitate the adolescent’s social competence and well-being as reflected in characteristics like self esteem and emotional adjustment.

Social development

As adolescence begins and more independence from parents is sought, identification shifts to a peer group of friends – friends who are engaged in a similar search of their own independence. One way that friendships in adolescence do differ from friendships at a younger age is in closeness an intimacy.

Children experience social difficulties in school that center primarily around peer relationships. Children experience an imbalance in their relationship desires (Mihalas et al., 2009). They want independence at the same time as they feel the desire to be dependent on others. This contradiction can cause feelings of confusion or distress that can lead to further difficulty in creating relationships. Language and communication skills may also be lacking in some students. This inhibited ability to communicate hinders social skills and, consequently, the development or continuance of social relationships (Wagner et al., 2005).

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Peer rejection and neglect can lead to the development of further problem behaviors or co-occurring disorders such as aggression and withdrawal (Keiley, Lofthouse, Bates, Dodge & Pettit, 2003). The experience of peer rejection can also lead to association with deviant peer groups (Moilanen et al., 2010).

Association with deviant peer groups tends to exacerbate problem behaviors and all of the difficulties tied to those behaviors. This can have a particularly negative effect on academics. When problem behaviors increase, problems in the classroom are likely to increase leading to potential instability and ineffective instruction.

Influence of Schools

School is the major source of socialization and intellectual development.

In fact the child or the adolescent spends most of their waking hours in school than in homes. Schools are the formal places that impart knowledge, academic skills, problem-solving skills and social norms (Ceci, 1991). Schools also provide ample opportunities for the adolescent to develop wider social networks6y6 with other adolescents and adults other than parents such as teachers.

It was found that the organizational climate of the school such as opportunities for students to participate in school activities, sense of community among teachers and students, effective leadership, clear rules, emphasis on achievement etc. nurture the academic motivation, self-efficacy and achievement orientation among the students (e.g., Bandura, 1997; Goodenow, 1993; Lee & Smith,2001; MacIver, Reuman, & Main, 1995).

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The academic focus of schools also has important implications for the students’ mental health. Schools that emphasize ability and performance outcomes were found to eliminate more students who could not reach the strict academic standards and would induce anger, disenchantment and frustration (Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Finn, 1989). Similarly, Roeser & Eccles (1998) found that ability-focused schools would lead to decline in students’ academic performance, academic values and self-esteem and would increase their anger, school truancy and depressive symptoms. In contrast, schools that emphasize effort, improvement and task-mastery appear to reduce depression, anxiety and frustration (Adams & Berzonsky, 2006).

Academic achievement

Children who experience a myriad of difficulties with academics and school which makes success for them very difficult. There are fairly high rates of dropout, grade retention, and school failure. Students who have reduced desire to be in school and have lower grades than other children also tend to have deficits in their academic achievement across all categories from math to reading to writing (Nelson et al., 2004).

The academic challenges experienced by students tend to occur in reciprocal relationships with the problem behaviors (Wagner et al., 2005).

Problem behaviors can lead to lower academic functioning (tied to problems with cognition, attention, and participation), and lower academic abilities can lead to further behaviour problems. Thus, both problem behaviors and low academic functioning have the potential to increase in severity, particularly when the symptoms begin to occur in early childhood, perpetuating the cycle 5

(Moilanen et al., 2010). Instability in the school setting, including changing schools, suspensions or expulsions, and grade retention, can further the development of academic problems (Wagner et al., 2005). When children are not consistently involved in the classroom or consistently receiving academic instruction, they are likely to fall behind their peers. Ineffective teaching methods and unsupportive school environments may be other contributing factors as to why these academic difficulties occur (Mihalas et al., 2009).

Students who are asked to learn information that is beyond their comprehension or are taught in ways that do not make sense to them are not as likely to learn as if they received education that was suitable for their academic needs. When they feel their school or classroom does not support them or care about their success, they are not likely to put forth the necessary effort to be academically successful.

Because of inconsistency, ineffective instruction, or a lack of support, the services the students end up receiving may not be adequately meeting their needs (Wagner et al., 2005).

Intelligence

The term intellectual disability is a new term used in place of mental retardation. Some think that an intellectual disability is diagnosed only on the basis of below-normal intelligence (IQ), and that persons with intellectual disabilities are unable to learn or to care for themselves. Actually, in order to be diagnosed as a person with intellectual disabilities, the person has to have both significantly low IQ and considerable problems in everyday functioning. Most children with intellectual disabilities can learn a great deal, and as adults can lead at least partially independent lives. Most individuals with intellectual disabilities have only a mild level. Intellectual disabilities may be complicated 6

by several different physical and emotional problems. The child may also have difficulty with hearing, sight or speech.

The majority of studies of psychopathology among persons with mental retardation have been conducted with adult populations (Borthwick-Duffy, 1994). Emerson (2003) recently noted that there have very few population based studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents