SELF-CONCEPT AS A PREDICTOR OF EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT IN  SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Adolescents are the country's future leaders and workforce, accounting for a sizable share of the population (Bakare, in Okoye, 2017). Adolescence is an appropriate era of attention since it is a fascinating, interesting, and full of storms, stress, strains, confused, trying, and troublesome phase of human growth and development that lasts between the ages of 11 and 21. (Santrock, 2014). Adolescence, according to Nnodum (2021), is a transitory stage from childhood to maturity. It marks an era of quick learning and knowledge explosion of critical consciousness, and above all, a period of inquiry; hence, the period is defined by all kinds of aberrant behaviors that form society issues, such as drug misuse and usage, drunkenness, sexual assaults, and so on. According to Nnodum(2021), it is a key era of growth and development characterised by turbulence and confusion, and is frequently referred to as the "juvenile" stage. It is also a time when people are most confused in their lives. Adolescence is defined as the time between the ages of 10 and 21. This is the stage during which young children transition into maturity, from puberty to independence. It is divided into three stages: early adolescents aged 10 to 14 years, middle adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, and late adolescents aged 17 to 21 years (Onwuasoanya, 2018).

Early physical maturity or alterations, according to research, have a good influence on males, as they are reported to be more calm, poised, less reliant, more beautiful, and popular with peers. They (guys) have similar levels of self-esteem. Early maturation or physical changes, on the other hand, result in negative judgments, leading to feelings of isolation, subservient behavior, and reduced popularity with peers and their connection (Payne & Isaac, 2021). Adolescents go through physical growth, sexual maturation, profound emotional, social (interpersonal), cognitive (intellectual), personal, and moral development, according to Hahn and Payne (2021). These processes are characterized as a period of storm and stress, disputes and adjustment difficulties, and a moment of separation from adult society. As adolescents go through physical maturation phases and the search for themselves, they endure frustration, self-doubt, stress, pressure, and emotions of rejection and failure.

According to Leflot, Onghena, and Colpin (2020), one's self-concept is a collection of ideas about oneself that encompasses components such as academic performance, gender roles and sexuality, racial identity, and many more. According to Manning (2007), the self-concept is the ordered set of qualities that the individual considers as unique to himself/herself. It is mostly dependent on the social assessments he or she has received. In the context of this study, self-concept is thus defined as the sum of a complex, structured, and dynamic system of learned beliefs, attitudes, and views that each teenager believes to be true about his or her own life.

Importantly, the expression of adolescent alterations in all parts of these stages results in behavioral changes that might be adaptive or mal-adaptive in character. The ability to accept these bodily changes and adapt with various conditions in life; to restore that sense of normality or psychological well-being after going through or confronting hardships denotes psychological balance, adequate well-being, and adjustment. Furthermore, according to the Oxford Advanced Dictionary, adjustment is to make a modest alteration to a condition in order to meet that scenario. It is the process and state of being in harmony with one's physical and social surroundings, as evidenced by the lack of stress symptoms and the capacity to maintain strong personal relationships with others. The amount to which a person fits joyfully and harmoniously into the context or culture in which he finds himself, without causing friction with others or becoming irritated, is referred to as adjustment (Beverly, 2021). As a result of events or experiences that occur, it is therefore understood as fitting in or adapting to an environment and to one's regular self or circumstance. Adjustment is a psychological term that refers to an organism's adaptability to changes in its environment. In this case, the adjustment assists the body in coping with external demands and pressures as well as internal wants, desires, and conflict. Thus, social adjustment is an attempt made by an individual or persons to conform to the norms, values, and demands of society in order to be accepted. It entails adjusting to changing societal norms and ideals. It is a psychological process through which individuals deal with the daily problems that teenagers confront (Sarka, 2021).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Adolescent tend to experience a decline in positive self-concept during their puberty 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. Adolescents that have a poor self-concept are more likely to engage in risky behavior and emotions. Having a good self-concept, on the other hand, has been related to better social and emotional development. Obi (2016) noticed that when teenagers in the secondary school system of education confront some social challenges in addition to the academic problems that are part and parcel of the schools, the conditions might impair their social adjustment patterns and, as a result, their academic outputs. As a coping technique, they may engage in anti-social behaviors such as (drug use and abuse, robbery, drunkenness, rape, and so on). According to Anyanwu (2021), teenagers with low self-concept frequently think of themselves negatively. Such as "I am not good enough," "I am a failure," or "I will never amount to anything," and these ideas are accompanied by painful emotions such as despair, rage, worry, fear, and worthlessness. They may find it difficult to make judgments because they distrust their chances of achievement. They also have difficulty making friends since they are bashful and do not believe others would like them. As a result, they retreat and usually avoid situations in which they can be assessed, as well as avoid taking risks or attempting new things, especially when other people are around. Their counterparts with strong self-concept frequently report better and more fulfilled lives. They are more confident in their abilities to deal with problems and take on new challenges, and they are more likely to approach new people to make friends. In some cases, high self-concept acts as a protective factor for many people, allowing them to deal with common stressors in life more effectively.

It is against this background that this researcher seeks to examine adolescents’ self-concept as predictor of educational and social adjustment in  secondary schools.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad objectives of the study is to examine  adolescents’ self-concept as predictor of educational and social adjustment in  secondary schools. Other specific objectives includes:

i.          To examine personal characteristics of adolescent that influences their self-concept.

ii.        To investigate factors environmental factors that  impacts adolescents self-concepts.

iii.      To ascertain  the effect of adolescent self concept on their  social adjustment.

iv.      To establish the effect  of adolescent self concept on their educational attainment.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In other to achieve the objectives of this study, the researcher shall consider the following questions.

i.          What are the  personal characteristics of adolescent that influences their self-concept?

ii.        What are  factors environmental factors that impact adolescents self-concepts?

iii.      What are  the effect of adolescent self concept on their  social adjustment?

iv.      What are the effect  of adolescent self concept on their educational attainment?

1.5 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.

1.6   SCOPE OF STUDY

This scope of this study borders on  the hindrance to effective implementation of vocational education in the private secondary schools. The study is however delimited to selected secondary schools in Alimosho Local government in Lagos State.

1.7LIMITATION OF STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only  secondary schools in Alimosho Local government in Lagos State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other secondary schools in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

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 is often defined as the image one have about  their bodies, capabilities, impressions and characteristics. It is  is a collection of beliefs about oneself.

Social adjustment: Social adjustment is an effort made by an individual to cope with standards, values and needs of a society in order to be accepted. It is the ability of one  to adapt to changes in their physical, occupational, and social environment.

Academic adjustment: Academic adaptation is the process and result of student adjustment to the educational environment, including the system of interpersonal relations in education, educational activities, and educational space, which characterizes the experience of a dynamic balance between the individual and the educational environment.

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