School environment as moderator in the relationship between school engagement, coping and resilience among South African adolescents
Abstract
English: Adolescents are exposed to a variety of developmental and social challenges on a daily
basis. Those who find it difficult to cope with these demands tend to present with behavioural
and psychological problems. The school environment, which is a major socialising setting,
appears to play an important role in the psychological well-being of adolescents. Unfortunately
the school environment appears to be a risk factor for South African adolescents. Furthermore,
inequalities in education across urban and rural schools are strongly apparent. Adolescents need
to be resilient in order to face these challenges. Both school engagement and coping were found
to contribute to resilience amongst adolescents. The aim of the study was therefore to
investigate the moderating role of school environment in the relationship between school
functioning, coping and resilience among adolescents.
A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design was implemented. A total of 790
learners (N=790) who participated in a larger research project conducted in 2010 was used in
the study, with a mean age of 13.87 years (SD=0.613).The following measuring instruments
were used: a biographical questionnaire; the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-
2); the Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI); and the Resiliency Scales for Children and
Adolescents (RSCA). The data was analysed by means of a hierarchical multiple regression
analysis.
The results indicated that school environment plays a significant moderating role in the
relationship between problem-focused coping and resilience, as well as between emotionfocused
coping and resilience. A significant positive relationship was found between problemfocused
coping and resilience in both urban and rural school environments. Emotion-focused
coping has a significant negative relationship with resilience in urban school environments.
Even though school environment did not play a significant moderating role in the relationship
between school functioning and resilience, a significant main effect was found for school
functioning as related to resilience. These findings emphasise the importance of further research
in terms of coping and school engagement to promote resilience among South African
adolescents. It is also evident that greater insight and knowledge are needed with regards to the
moderating role of school environment when considering the relationship between school
engagement, coping and resilience amongst adolescents. Afrikaans: Adolessente word daagliks aan ’n verskeidenheid ontwikkelings- en sosiale uitdagings
blootgestel. Dié wat sukkel om hierdie eise te hanteer, het die geneigdheid om met sielkundige en
gedragsprobleme te presenteer. Die skoolomgewing, ’n belangrike plek waar sosialisering
plaasvind, blyk ’n beduidende rol in die sielkundige welstand van adolessente te speel. Dit wil egter
voorkom of die skoolomgewing ’n risikofaktor vir Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente is. Ongelykhede in
die onderwys in stedelike sowel as plattelandse skole is ook duidelik waarneembaar. Adolessente
moet veerkragtig wees ten einde hierdie uitdagings die hoof te bied. Vorige studies het bevind dat
skoolbetrokkenheid sowel as coping tot veerkragtigheid in adolessente bydra. Die doel van die
studie was dus om ondersoek in te stel na die matigende rol wat die skoolomgewing in die
verhouding tussen skoolfunksionering, coping en veerkragtigheid onder adolessente speel.
’n Kwantitatiewe, nie-eksperimentele, korrelasionele ontwerp is geïmplementeer. ʼn Totaal
van 790 leerders (N=790) wie in ʼn groter navorsingsprojek in 2010 deel geneem het, met ʼn
gemiddelde ouderdom van 13.87 jaar (SD=13.87) was gebruik vir die huidige studie. Die volgende
meetinstrumente is gebruik: ’n biografiese vraelys; die Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale
(BERS-2); die Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI) en die Resiliency Scales for Children and
Adolescents (RSCA). Data-ontleding is met behulp van ’n hiërargiese veelvoudige
regressieontleding gedoen.
Die resultate het getoon dat die skoolomgewing ’n beduidende matigende rol in die
verhouding tussen probleemgefokusde coping en veerkragtigheid, asook tussen emosiegefokusde
coping en veerkragtigheid, speel. ’n Beduidende positiewe verhouding is gevind tussen
probleemgefokusde coping en veerkragtigheid in stedelike sowel as plattelandse skoolomgewings.
Emosiegefokusde coping het ook ’n beduidende negatiewe verhouding met veerkragtigheid in
stedelike skoolomgewings. Alhoewel die skoolomgewing nie ’n beduidende matigende rol in die
verhouding tussen skoolfunksionering en veerkragtigheid in die studie gespeel het nie, is ’n
beduidende hoofeffek vir skoolfunksionering in verband met veerkragtigheid gevind. Hierdie
bevindinge beklemtoon die belangrikheid vir verdere navorsing ten opsigte van coping en
skoolbetrokkenheid om veerkragtigheid onder Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente te bevorder. Dit is ook
duidelik dat dieper insig en kennis nodig is aangaande die matigende rol wat die skoolomgewing in
die verhouding tussen skoolbetrokkenheid, coping en veerkragtigheid onder adolessente speel.
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