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.