Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Learning Styles On School Adjustment of Junior Secondary School Students in Nsukka Educational Zone.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the influence of emotional intelligence and learning styles on school adjustment of junior secondary school students.
Six research questions and four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design employed was ex-post facto research design.
The target population for the study was all the junior secondary school students in public secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.
The sample consisted of 567 junior secondary two students drawn from intact classes of a randomly selected 15 public secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.
Three instruments were used for data collection, namely: Students Adjustment Scales (SAS), Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (E.I.Q) and Learning styles Inventory (L.S.I).
The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions while ANOVA and t – test statistics were used to test the null hypotheses formulated.
The major findings of the study included: There were three levels of students emotional intelligence classified as high, moderate and Low.
The students learning styles were Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic, Emotional intelligence had significant influence on school adjustment.
Gender had no significant influence on school adjustment and emotional intelligence. Learning styles had no significant influence on school adjustment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Approval Page ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgments v
Table of Contents x
List of Tables vii
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 1
Statement of Problem 13
Purpose of the Study 14
Significance of the Study 15
The Scope of the Study 17
Research Questions 17
Hypotheses 18
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 19
Conceptual Framework 21
The Concept of Adjustment 21
Concept of School Adjustment 23
Concept of Emotional Intelligence 27
Concept of Learning Styles 29
Relationships among school adjustment, emotional intelligence and learning styles 31
Theoretical Framework 33
Erickson’s Theory of Adjustment 33
Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence 35
Ability Based model of Emotional Intelligence by Mayer
& Salovey (1997) 36
Bar-on’s Emotional Social Intelligence 38
Theoretical Basis of :Learning Styles 39
David Kolb’s Learning Style Model (1982) 40
Fleming’s (1987) VAK/VARK learning style theory 41
Review of Empirical Studies 43
Studies on emotional intelligence and school adjustment 43
Studies on relationship between learning styles and emotional
intelligence on academic Achievement of Learners 47
Studies on adjustment Problems of Students 49
Studies on Gender Differences in emotional intelligence 51
Summary of the Reviewed Literature 56
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD 61
Research Design 61
Area of the Study 62
Population of the Study 62
Sample and Sampling Technique 63
Instrument for Data Collection 64
Validation of the Instruments 66
Reliability of the Instrument 66
Method of Data Collection 67
Method of Data Analysis 67
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT 69
Summary of Major Findings 79
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS, SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY AND SUMMARY 80
The levels of the Students’ Emotional Intelligence 80
Learning Styles of the Students 81
The Influence of emotional intelligence on students’ school
adjustment 82
The influence of gender on a emotional intelligence 83
The Influence of gender on students’ school adjustment 84
The Influence of Leaning Styles on Students’ School Adjustment 85
Conclusions 86
Educational Implications 87
Recommendations 88
Limitations of the Study 90
Suggestions for further Study 91
Summary of the Study 92
REFERENCES 95
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Junior Secondary School Students’ adjustment is a phenomenon that should be of great concern to the educationists, health practitioners and the nation at large.
The educationists need to know what they should do to help the young students adjust and benefit from the school, while the health practitioners are concerned about the wellbeing of the students.
The transition from primary to Junior Secondary School is a challenging life transition in the development of young students, as many are inadequately prepared for the psychological, emotional, social and academic realities required to cope with the junior secondary school setting.
The young students are confronted with adjustment challenges, ranging from living apart from their families and friends, adjusting to the new academic expectations, assuming responsibilities for the task of daily life and developing a new array of social relationships with peers and teachers.
It is for the above reason that Adayemo (2005) observed that transition from primary to junior secondary school is an adjustment and growth process issues that require some coping skills.
Rim-Kaufman & Pinata (2000) had similarly observed that compared with the primary school 1 settings, secondary school forms a dramatically different environment for children.
While teacher child interaction in primary school setting is mostly characterized by personal care, warmth, social and emotional support, teacher-child interaction in secondary school is more formal and academically orient ted.
REFERENCES
Abdullahi, M. C; Elias, H. Mahyoddin R; & Uli, J. (2009). Adjustment Among First Year Students in Malaysian University, European Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 8(3), pp. 496-505.
Abdullahi, O. E. (2009). Introducing Emotional Intelligence in the Nigerian Higher Education. Journal of Educational Review, 2(2), 97-103.
Acharya, C. (2002). Students Learning Styles and their Implications for Teachers, C. D. T. L. brief, vol. 5(6). Html.
Adeyemo, D. A. (2005). The Buffering effects of emotional intelligence on the adjustment of secondary scschool students in transition. Electroic journal of Research in Educational Psychology, ISSN: 1696-2095, No 6, 3(2), pp. 79-90
Adhiambo, W. M, Odwar, A. J., & Milred, A. A. (2011). The relationship among school adjustment, gender and academic achievement amongst secondary school students in Kisumu District, Kenya. Journal of emerging Trends in Educational research and policy studies (JETERAPS), 2 (6), 493-497.
Ali, A. (2006). Conducting Research in Education and Social Sciences. Enugu Tashiwa Network Ltd,
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