ABSTRACT
This study
investigated the effect of adolescents’ self-concept on the educational and
social adjustment of students in Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Six null
hypotheses were tested to determine the effect of self-concept on the
educational and social adjustment of students in the Bariga Local Government
Area of Lagos State. The research design adopted was survey descriptive method.
Data were
generated using a 27-item questionnaire and students’ achievement tests. Data
generated were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient
(r) for hypotheses 1 and 5, t-test for independent sample for hypotheses
2,3 and 4 while Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA) was used for hypotheses 6. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
The Findings
of this study revealed that:
i.
There is a
significant relationship between adolescents’ self concept and educational
adjustment in Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos State.
ii.
There is no
significant difference in the educational adjustment of students based on
gender.
iii.
There is a
significant difference in self concept of students based on gender.
iv.
There is a
significant difference in social adjustment of students based on gender.
v.
There is a
significant relationship between adolescents’ self concept and social
adjustment in Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos State.
vi.
There is a
significant difference in the self concept of adolescents due to parental
social economic status.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Page
Certification i
Dedication ii
Acknowledgement iii
Abstract iv
Table
of Contents v
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2
Theoretical Background 6
1.3
Statement of Problem 7
1.4
Purpose of the Study 9
1.5
Research Questions 10
1.6
Research Hypotheses 11
1.7
Scope and Limitation of the Study 11
1.8
Significance of the Study 12
1.9
Definition of Terms 14
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction 15
2.1
The Concept of Adolescence 15
2.2
Meaning of Self-concept 25
2.3
Types of Self-concept 31
2.4
Self-concept and Educational Adjustment 33
2.5 Adolescence self-concept and Social
Adjustment 42
2.6
Counselling Theories for Adolescence
Self-concept 45
2.7 Summary 52
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 55
3.1 Research Design 55
3.2 Area of Study 55
3.3 Population 56
3.4 Sample of Study 56
3.5 Procedure for Data Collection 57
3.6 Research Instrument 57
3.7 Statistical Tools used for Data Analysis
and 57
Hypotheses Testing
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION
AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction 58
4.2 Descriptive Data Analysis 58
4.3 Hypothesis
Testing 61
4.4 Summary of the Findings 69
CHAPTER
FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND
CONCLUSION,
5.1 Introduction 70
5.2
Discussion of Findings 70
5.3 Summary of Findings 75
5.4 Recommendations 77
5.5 Conclusion 79
References
Appendix
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Frequency Distribution. Table showing Respondents by Gender
Table 2: Frequency Distribution. Table showing Respondents by their Age
Table3: Frequency Distribution. Table showing Respondents by their
Schools.
Table 4: Frequency Distribution. Table
showing Respondents by their Parents’
Socio-Economic Status
Table 5: Test of Relationship between
Adolescents’ Self Concept and Educational Adjustment in Bariga Area of Lagos
State
Table 6: An Independent t-test of
Gender Difference in Educational Adjustment of Students in Bariga Local
Government Area of Lagos State
Table 7: An Independent t-test of
Gender Difference in Self-concept of Students in Bariga Local Government Area
of Lagos State.
Table 8: An Independent t-test of Gender Difference in Social Adjustment of
Students in Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Table 9: Test of Relationship between
Adolescents’ Self-concept and Social Adjustment in Bariga Local Government Area
of Lagos State.
Table 10: One-way Analysis of Variance
on difference in the Adolescents’ Self-Concept among low, middle and high socio-economic
status students
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
Many
of the successes and failures that people experience in many areas of life are
closely related to the way they have learned to view themselves and their
relationships with others. Self-concept is learned, it is organized and it is
dynamic. Self-concept is learned: No human being is born with a self-concept as
far as we know. It gradually emerge in the early months of life and is shaped
and reshaped through repeated perceived experiences, particularly with
significant others. The fact that self-concept is learned, it has some
important implications.
-
Self-concept is not instinctive,
rather it is a social product that takes its root through experience and
possesses relatively boundless potential for development and actualization.
-
Due to previous experiences and
present perceptions, individuals may see themselves as different from the way
others see them.
-
Individuals perceive different aspects
of themselves at different times with varying degree of clarity.
-
Any experience which is inconsistent
with one’s self-concept may be perceived
as a threat. The more the experiences, the more rigidly self-concept is
organized to maintain and protect itself. An emotional problem thus arises when
a person is unable to get rid of perceived experiences.
-
Faulty thinking patterns, create
negative interpretations of oneself.
Self- Concept is organized
Most
researchers are of the opinion that self- concept has a generally stable
quality that is characterized by orderliness and harmony, individuals maintains
countless perceptions regarding one’s personal existence and each perception is
orchestrated with all the others. It is this generally stable and organized
quality of self-concept that gives consistency to the personality. This
organized quality of self-concept is explained as follows.
-
Self concept requires consistency,
stability and tends to resist change. If
self-concept changed readily, the individual would lack a consistent and
dependable personality.
-
The more central a particular belief is to
one’s self-concept, the more resistant one is to changing that belief.
-
Rome, they say, was not built in a
day, neither is self-concept. That is to say, basic perception of oneself is
quite stable, so change takes time.
-
Perceived success and failure impact
on self-concept. Failure in a highly regarded area lowers evaluation in all
other areas. In like manner, success in a prized area arises evaluations in other
seemingly unrelated areas.
Self-concept is dynamic
To
understand the active nature of self-concept, one has to imagine a gyrocompass:
a continuously active system that dependably points to the “true north” of a
person’s perceived existence. This guidance system does not only shape the way
a person views oneself, others, and the entire world, but it also serves to
direct actions and enables each person to take a consistent “stance” in life.
Rather than view self-concept as the cause of behavior, it is better understood
as the gyrocompass of human personality, providing consistency in personality
and direction for behavior. The dynamic quality of self-concept argues that.
-
The world and things in it are not
just perceived, they are perceived in relation to one’s self-concept.
-
Development of self-concept is a
continuous process. In a healthy personality, there is constant assimilation of
new ideas and expulsion of old ideas
throughout life.
-
Individuals strive to behave in a way
that is in line with their self-concept no matter how helpful or hurtful to
oneself or others.
-
Self-concept usually takes precedence
over the physical body. Individuals will often sacrifice physical comfort and
safety for emotional satisfaction.
-
Self-concept continuously guards itself
against loss of self-esteem, for it is this loss that produce feelings of
anxiety.
-
Self-concept must constantly defend
itself from assault, growth opportunities are limited.
In
other words, self-concept is the totality of a complex, organized and dynamic
system of learned beliefs, attitude and opinions that each person holds to be
true about his or her personal existence.
Students
frequently display a decline in self-concept during elementary school and
transition to middle level. This decrease represents and adaptive reaction to
the overly positive self-perceptions that are characteristics by childhood. As
adolescents transit from middle level to high school, their self-concept
gradually grows. As a result, the freedom they get allows them greater
opportunities to participate in activities in which they are competent, and increased
perspectives taking abilities enable them to gather more support from others by
having in more socially acceptable ways.
According
to (Harter, 1999), young children tend to over estimate their competence
because they lack the cognitive maturity to critically evaluate their abilities
and to integrate information from
multiple sources. As adolescents develop, they better understand how other people view their skills and better
distinguish between their efforts and
abilities. As a result, their self-perception becomes increasingly accurate.
According
to (Baumeister et al., 2003) self-concept is frequently positively correlated
with educational and social adjustments, but it appears to be a consequence
rather than a cause of high achievements. This is to suggest that ability of
the adolescents to adjust educationally and socially is a more effective means
of boosting their self-concepts.
1.2 Theoretical Background
Many
theories have been propounded by well-meaning experts on self-concept.
They
include.
1.
Person centered theory by Carl Roger.
2.
Individual psychology by Alfred Adler
Person centered Theory:
By Carl Rogers (1974). Carl Rogers’ theory by far is the most influential and
eloquent voice in self-concept. He introduced an entire system of helping to
build around the importance of the self. Rogers view self as the central
ingredient in human personality and personal adjustment. He described the
‘self’ as a social product, developing out of interpersonal relationships and
striving for consistency. He maintained that there is a basic human need for
positive regard both from oneself and from others. He also believed that in every
person there is a tendency toward self-actualization and development so long as
this is permitted and encouraged by an inviting environment.
Research
indicates that adolescents whose mothers and teachers had high expectations for
their future educational attainment
experienced more academic success than those whose adult influences had
lower expectations.
Individual Psychology:
Adler in his view of human nature, opined that man is a re-creator of self
having internal mechanism towards the regeneration of self. He contends that
man is basically influenced by his feeling of inferiority. Hence he strives
always towards superiority. According to him, in man’s quest for superiority, he could either be striving
at the positive side of the social influence or at the negatives side. When man
strives at the positive sides of the social influence, his behaviour will be in
line with the social demand and expectation of social influence and the
consequence will be healthy adjustment. When he strives at the negative side of
the societal demand, his behavior will not be in line with the social
influence. The consequence is mal-adjustment.
Adler
used birth order as a basis for predicting characteristic behaviours of
individuals. According to him individuals fall into the categories of either
eldest second born, middle, youngest, or only child. The order in which
individual falls has been found to be an important and complex variable in
personality development.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Children
tend to experience a decline in positive self-concept during their adolescent
years. This decline often begins around age 12 for the girls and 14years for
boys. For some, the decline can become severe in early adolescence years before
generally recovering in the mid-teen years. Having a negative self-concept
during adolescence has been associated with maladaptive behaviour and emotions.
In contrast, having a positive self-concept has been linked to positive social
and emotional development.
The
adolescents cannot do without interacting with their environments. Their
encounter with peer, family members, school personnel, role-taking and
reactions of other affects their self-concept.
People
with low self-concept often think of themselves in very critical ways. Such as
“I am not good enough”, “ I am a failure” or I will never amount to anything”
and with this thoughts come painful feelings, such as sadness, anger, anxiety,
fear and worthlessness. They may find it harder to make decisions, because they
doubt that they will be successful. They also find it difficult to make friends
because they are shy and do not think other people will like them. In other
words, they suffer withdrawal and frequently stay away from situations in which
they might be judged. They avoid taking chances or trying new things especially
when other people are around. In other words, they feel inferior before people.
In
comparison, people with high self-concept often report having happier and more
satisfying lives. They are more confident about their abilities to cope with
problems and take on new challenges, and are more likely to approach new people
to make friends. In some cases, high self-concept acts as a protective factor
for many people, helping them deal more effectively with common stressors in
life.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The
purpose of this study shall be to:
1.
Determine if a significant
relationship exist between adolescents’ self-concept and their educational
adjustment.
2.
Investigate whether there will be a
significant difference in the educational adjustment of students based on
gender.
3.
Investigate whether there will be a
significant difference in self-concept of students based on gender.
4.
Determine if there will be a significant
difference in social adjustment of students based on gender.
5.
Determine if adolescents’ self-concept will
have any significant relationship with their social adjustment.
6.
Determine if there will be any significant
difference in the self-concept of adolescents due to the socio-economic status
of their parents.
1.5 Research Questions
In
other to achieve the objectives of this study, the researcher shall consider
the following questions.
1.
Is there any significant relationship
between adolescents’ self-concept and educational adjustment among students in
Bariga Local Government Area.
2.
Will there be a significant difference
in the educational adjustment of students based on gender.
3.
Will there be a significant difference
in self-concept of students based on gender.
4.
Will there be a significant difference
in social adjustment of students based on gender.
5.
Will Adolescents’ self-concept have
any significant relationship with their social adjustment.
6.
Will there be any significant
difference in the self-concept of adolescents due to parental social economic
status.
1.6 Research Hypotheses
1.
There will be no significant
relationship between adolescents’ self-concept and educational adjustment among
students in Bariga Local Government Area.
2.
There will be no significant
difference on the educational adjustment of students based on gender.
3.
There will be no significant
difference in self-concept of students based on gender.
4.
There will be no significant
difference in social adjustment of students based on gender.
5.
Adolescents’ self-concept will not
have any significant relationship with their social adjustment.
6.
There will be no significance
difference in the self-concept of adolescents due to parental social economic
status.
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the
Study
This
study shall focus on self-concept and academic and social adjustment among
adolescents and is limited to the adolescents in selected secondary schools in
Lagos state.
1.8 Significance of the Study
This
study will be of immense benefit to the Guidance Counsellor, the school
curriculum developers, the teachers, the students as well as the parents.
The
study for instance will provide the counsellor with detailed information about
adolescent self concept and how it affect their academic and social adjustments.
Since counselling is a help giving profession, the counsellor should be able to
build up strategies to assist the adolescents with low or high self concept to
make necessary adjustment in order to meet up with the goal they have set for
themselves.
The
school curriculum developers will benefit from this study. It will help them
develop an aspect of curriculum that will empower the students to be more
active and optimistic in their
perception of life.
The
teachers are not left out in the list of those that will benefit from this
study. It will expose them to the effects of self concept on the academic and
social adjustment of students and then change their attitude towards students
of such behaviour in order to instill the right values and promote effective
teaching and learning relationship in the classroom.
Furthermore,
this study will benefit the students in that, it will help them become aware of
the ills associated with unhealthy self concept and thereby help them appraise
themselves in order to come out of their shell and become more reasonable in
the way they perceive themselves. In doing so, they can channel their energy to
adopting a more favourable way of perceiving themselves to enhance a healthy academic
and social adjustment.
Finally,
this study will help the parents become aware of the effect of self concept on
their adolescent’s academic and social adjustment. The awareness will help them
become mindful of the style of child rearing to adopt in order to assist the
child develop a more healthy way of perceiving self. Parents should encourage
their children to develop a sense of industry by engaging them in tasks and
skills acquisition programmes. By this, the child develops positive attitude to
work with others, achieve status and self confidence.
1.9 Definition of Terms
1.
Adolescence
2.
Self-concept
3.
Academic adjustment
4.
Social adjustment.
Adolescence:
Adolescence is the period of ones life in which one develop from being a child
into being an adult. This period falls within the age bracket of 13-19years.
Self-concept:
Self-Concept refers to the totality of a complex, organized and dynamic system
of learned beliefs, attitudes and opinions that each person holds to be true
about his or her personal existence.
Academic Adjustment: Academic Adjustment refers to an individuals
ability to relate harmoniously with the work done in schools, especially work
which involves studying and reasoning rather than practical or technical
skills.
Social Adjustment:
Social adjustment means adaptation to one social environment.
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