Pilot study concerning school maladjustment in secondary and high school cycles

• Author: Aurel Ion Clinciu
• Position: Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 209-216

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşo v

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 12(61) No. 2 – 2019

https://doi.org/10.31926/but.ssl.2019.12.61. 2.3

PILOT STUDY CONCERNING SCHOOL

MALADJUSTMENT IN SECONDARY

AND HIGH SCHOOL CYCLES

Aurel Ion CLINCIU1

Abstract: This pilot study was carried out on 130 students from secondary and

high school cycles, 53 of masculine gender, 77 of feminine gender, with an

average age of 14 years (SD 2.67). There were applied the newly created School

Maladjustment Questionnaire, in conjunction with a verbal intelligence test

(Verbal Recombination) and a nonverbal one (Bonnardel 53), jointly providing an

IQ. The study hypotheses predicted the existence of some gender differences

concerning school maladjustment (more maladaptive reactions which are internal

for girls and external for boys – unconfirmed). These differences are caused by the

school cycle (more school maladjustment in high school which was confirmed only

for the external component of academic maladjustment). There were predicted

significant negative correlations of SMQ with school averages and with

intelligence level – these hypotheses were also confirmed.

Key words: school maladjustment, intelligence, school averages, academic

stress.

1. Introduction

According to the definition offered by Simons, Kalichman, and Santrock (1994) "...

adjustment is the psychological process of adapting to , coping with, and managing the

problems, challenges, and demands of everyday life” (p. 8). Despite its importance,

academic adjustment is preponderantly investigated especially on its university

segment, the studies on school cycles that prece de this period being incomparably

fewer. There are numerous proofs related to evolutive nature of academic

maladjustment. Lee and Bierman (2015) investigate associations between each type of

kindergarten support, children’s aggressive behaviors, social withdrawal, learning

engagement, and emergency literacy skills in first grade, controlling for their pre-

kindergarten adjustment.

On the other hand, Miles, Fulbrook, and Mainwaring-Mägi (2016) analyze the

opportunity of a screening procedure of very early school-age children (age 4 – 7 years)

for early identification of learning problems that may require enhanced learning

opportunity. Their review is a systematic search to identify the instruments that

measured development and early academic skills. Cunningham and Sul do (2014)

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, aclinciu@unitbv.ro