A Study of Rural Secondary School Students on Adjustment

(1)

A Study of Rural Secondary School Students on Adjustment

Shafata Razak^

Dr. Mohammad Sayid Bhat^

Education as a means of adjustment enables an individual to balance his inner world with his outer one. The individual by the process of education learns how to satisfy his internal requirements without disturbing or harming himself and the external environment. National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes holistic development of an individual as it enables him to do well in his academic and non- academic areas. The present study was undertaken to study and compare rural secondary school students on adjustment. The sample of the study consists of 160 rural secondary school students in which 80 were male and 80 were female secondary school students. Hosoces adjustment inventory was used as tool for data gathering. Percentage, Mean, s.d and t-test statistical techniques were used for data analyzing.

It was found that male and female rural secondary school students do not differ significantly on adjustment.

Keywords: Adjustment, Secondary School Students, Rural, Male, Female

Introduction:

Education, as a means of adjustment enables an individual to balance his inner world with his outer one. The individual by the process of education learns how to satisfy his internal requirements without disturbing or harming

 Research scholar, School of Education, Central University of Kashmir.

 Assistant Professor, School of Education, Central University of Kashmir

ABSTRACT

(2)

himself and the external environment. National Education Policy (2020), emphasis holistic development of students that enables them to do well in their academic and non- academic areas.

Adjustment is a dynamic interactive process between an individual and the environment in which he lives and experiences. It refers to relationship between an individual and individual’s surrounding and this relationship is harmonious in nature. In this process of adjustment, an individual either changes his own activities or changes the environment or changes both in order to form and maintain balance between himself and his environment. Adjustment is a continuous and on-going process, begins at the time of birth and going on till death both individual and his environment are constantly changing in accordance with the demands of circumstances. It not only includes but gets influenced by the needs like hunger, thirst, sleep, self esteem and self actualisation. Hence it is physiological as well as psychological process. Joshi and Pandey (1964) stated that there are eleven areas of adjustment viz, (1) living condition and employment, (2) health and physical condition, (3)social and recreational activities, (4) finance, (5) social psychological relation, (6) sex, courtship and marriage, (7) personal psychological relation, (8) future educational and vocational, (9) home and family, (10) curriculum and teaching, (11) adjustment to school and college work [2]. These areas in one way or the other influence the process of adjustment of an individual.

Adjustment has not been conceived by psychologists as a process only but a product as well. As a process, it refers to the procedures (ways and means) of an individual which

(3)

enables him to establish a harmonious association between himself and with the environment in which he lives. As a product, adjustment is the effectiveness of the procedure which an individual uses to adapt to the changing circumstances.

Review of Related Literature

Paramanik, Saha and Mondal (2022) in their study found that students at secondary stage of education differ significantly as per their residence is concerned. Alam (2018) in his study found that significant difference existed among senior secondary school students across gender, locale, academic stream and type of school. Priya and malathi (2017) in their study found that academic achievement of students studying in secondary schools of Coimbatore district (Tamil Nadu) had not influenced by their social adjustment. The difference in social adjustment as per gender, mother tongue and locale of school was insignificant. Patel (2016) studying adjustment of students studying in secondary schools and his study resulted that,

“there exist highly significant difference between the adjustment of secondary school students on the basis of gender, type of family structure and medium of instruction in school”. Rajkumar, Saravanan and Anbarasi (2016) studied problems of adolescents and found that language, increasing age, type of accommodation and type of school (academic factors) had significant influence on the adolescents adjustment problems.

In the secondary stage of education, an individual is in the adolescent period. This is the period where he faces lot of stress, need support to get out of this stress and live his life

(4)

peacefully. This study attempts to study and understand various areas of adjustment of an individual so that they get help in the way they need.

Objectives:

1. To Study Rural Secondary School Students on Adjustment.

2. To Study Rural Male Secondary School Students on Adjustment.

3. To Study Rural Female Secondary School Students on Adjustment.

4. To Compare Rural Male and Rural Female Secondary School Students on Adjustment

Hypothesis:

There is no significant difference between rural male and rural female secondary school students on adjustment.

Operational definitions of variables:

Adjustment: the scores that the investigator gets on administrating “Hosoces adjustment inventory” were treated as adjustment.

Secondary School Students: the students who were in the class 10^thof different secondary school of Jammu and Kashmir were taken up as secondary school students.

Methodology:

The sample for the study comprised of 160 rural secondary school students. The sample was divided into two groups, male (80) and female (80). The sample was randomly chosen from various secondary schools of Jammu and

(5)

Kashmir. Hosoces adjustment inventory (2002) was used to collect data .For analyzing data, the below given statistical techniques were used:

1. Percentage 2. Mean and s.d 3. t-test

Data analysis and interpretation:

Adjustment levels of Rural Secondary School Students.

Table 1: Adjustment Levels of Rural Secondary School Students.

Levels N Percentage

Extremely adjusted 3 1.9

Highly adjusted 50 31.3

Average/well adjusted 69 43.1

Poorly adjusted 33 20.6

Extremely mal-adjusted 5 3.1

160

The table 1 provides the number and percentage of rural secondary school students on adjustment. The table reveals that out 160 rural secondary school students 43.1 percent are in the well/ average level of adjustment.

Rural Male Secondary School Students on Adjustment Table 2: Adjustment Levels of Rural Male Secondary

School Students.

Levels n Percentage

Extremely adjusted 3 3.8

(6)

Average/well adjusted 33 41.3

80

The table 2 provides the number and percentage of rural male secondary school students on adjustment. The table reveals that out of 80 rural male secondary school students, 33(41.3 percent) fall in the average/well adjusted level of adjustment.

Rural Female Secondary School Students on Adjustment

Table 3: Adjustment Levels of Rural Female Secondary School Students.

Levels N Percentage

Extremely adjusted 0 0

Well/average adjusted 36 45

80

The table 3 provides the number and percentage of rural female secondary school students. The table reveals that out of 80 rural female secondary school students no one is in the level of extremely adjusted and 36 (45 percent) fall in the average/well adjusted level of adjustment.

Comparison of Rural Male and Rural Female Secondary School Students on Adjustment

(7)

Table 4: Comparison of Rural Male and Rural Female Secondary School Students on various Levels of Adjustment

Areas Rural male Rural female t-value

Home 3.35 2.64 3.23 2.57 0.27

Social 4.23 2.30 3.95 2.58 0.74 Emotional 6.63 2.75 9.05 2.83 5.46

School 3.41 2.93 2.98 2.23 1.03

Overall adjustment

17.63 7.20 19.22 6.80 1.42

n=80 n=80

The table 4 provides the mean difference of rural male and rural female on four areas and total/overall adjustment. The table reveals that rural male and rural female did not differ significantly on home, social, school and overall adjustment but on emotional area of adjustment, they differ significantly as the t- value of emotional adjustment area(5.46) exceeds table value at 0.01level, which indicates that there is significant difference between rural male and rural female secondary school students on only emotional adjustment area; and on other three areas i,e home, social, school and overall adjustment difference is insignificant.

Thus, the hypothesis which stated that there is no significant difference between rural male and rural female, is accepted.

Major findings:

1. It was found that 1.9%, 31.3%, 43.1%, 20.6% and 3.1% of the rural secondary school students are in the levels of extremely adjusted, highly adjusted,

(8)

well adjusted, poorly adjusted and extremely mal- adjusted respectively.

2. 3.8%, 33.8%, 41.3%, 18.6% and 2.5% of rural male secondary school students are in the levels of extremely adjusted, highly adjusted, well adjusted, poorly adjusted and extremely mal-adjusted respectively.

3. 28.8%, 45%, 22.5% and 3.7% of rural female secondary school students are in the levels of highly adjusted, well adjusted, poorly adjusted and extremely mal-adjusted respectively.

4. There is no significant difference between rural male and female secondary school students on adjustment.

From the findings of study it can be concluded that majority of the rural secondary school students are in the level of well adjusted. No one from the rural female secondary school students are in the level of extremely adjusted. Also the percentage of rural female secondary school students in the level of extremely mal- adjusted level was more than that of males.

Delimitations:

1. The current study is limited to only one district of J

&K.

2. In the current study, participants are from private secondary schools.

(9)

References

1. Alam (2018). Study of Adjustment of Adolescents among Senior Secondary School Students.

International journal of creative research thought, 6 (1), 47-55.

2. Chauhan, S.S., (1984). Advanced Educational Psychology. New Delhi: Vikas.

3. Nadeem. N.A. (2002).Manual for HOSOCES Adjustment Inventory. Dilpreet Publishing House, New Delhi.

4. National Education Policy (2020), MHRD, Govt of India.

5. Paramanik.et. al (2022). “Adjustment of Secondary School Students with respect to Gender and Residence”. American Journal of educational research,2 (12), 1138-1143.

6. Patel (2016). Adjustment of Secondary School Students. International Journal of Social Impact, 1 (2).

7. Priya., & Malathi. (2017). A Study on Social Adjustment among Higher Secondary School Students and its impact on their Academic Achievement in Coimbatore district. International Journal of Research -

Granthaalayah, 5(6), 458-463.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.822286

8. Rajkumar, G.(2016). Effect of Academic-related Factors on Adjustment Problems in Adolescents.

International Journal Paediatric Research, 3(9), 683- 688. https://doi:10.17511/ijpr.2016.9.10