Transition to secondary school: relationship between changes in academic achievement and general adjustment
Abstract
English: Adolescence is a time of immense physical, cognitive and emotional development. This
transition from childhood to adulthood begins with the onset of puberty. Puberty also
coincides with the transition many learners have to make from primary to secondary
school. This transition confronts adolescents with new educational environments and
challenges. Some adolescent learners experience a great deal of stress during this period
and are thus not able to maintain the same level of academic achievement as they did in
primary school. Other learners, however, appear to make the transition with very little
difficulty. These learners are able to maintain or even improve upon their previous level
of academic achievement. These differing experiences during the transitional period may
be due to differences in the learners' adjustment. Learners' study habits and attitudes
serve as important coping mechanisms within the changing educational environment.
Specific attention was also given to the role of the family, peers, school and academic
skills during the transition from primary to secondary school.
The sample consisted of 137 grade eight learners from four secondary schools in the
greater Bloemfontein area. The learners were divided into two groups on the basis of
whether their academic achievement had improved or decreased from the end of grade
seven to the middle of grade eight. These two groups were then compared with respect to
their adjustment and general study orientation. The effects of gender, language and
residential status upon adjustment and general study orientation were also investigated.
Attention was also given to the interaction between changes in academic achievement
and each of the above-mentioned independent variables. The statistical analysis of the
data was performed by employing a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). An
analysis of variance (ANOVA) or post hoc t-test (Scheffé) was then used to determine
the direction of any differences that were indicated by the MANOVA.
Significant differences were found to exist between male and female learners with regard
to their general study orientation and certain aspects of their adjustment. Differences
were also found to exist between English, Afrikaans and other language speaking
learners with respect to their adjustment and general study orientation. Although no
significant differences were found with regard to changes in academic achievement
differences were found to exist with respect to the interaction between change in
academic achievement and language. Differences seem to exist between the adjustment
and general study orientation of learners from different language groups who
experienced an increase in academic achievement and those who experienced a decrease
in academic achievement. Differences also seem to exist within the same language group
with regard to changes in academic achievement. Based on these findings various
suggestions for future research and development were made. Afrikaans: Adolessensie is 'n periode van ingrypende fisiese, kognitiewe en emosionele
ontwikkeling. Hierdie oorgang vanaf kinderjare na volwassenheid word deur die
aanvangs van puberteit gekenmerk. Puberteit val saam met die oorskakeling wat meeste
leerders vanaf primêre na sekondêre skool moet maak. Hierdie oorskakeling gaan met
nuwe opvoedkundige omgewings en uitdagings gepaard. Sommige adolessente leerders
ondervind 'n groot mate van spanning tydens hierdie periode en is nie in staat om
dieselfde vlak van akademiese prestasie te handaaf as wat in die primêre skool die geval
was nie. Ander leerders blyk die oorgang weer met betreklik min moeite te oorbrug.
Laasgenoemde leerders is in staat om hul vorige vlak van akademiese prestasie te
handhaaf of selfs daarop te verbeter. Hierdie uiteenlopende ervarings tydens die
oorgangsperiode kan aan verskille in die leerders se algemene aanpassing toegeskryf
word. Leerders se studiegewoontes en- houdings dien as belangrike
hanteringsmeganismes binne die veranderende opvoedkundige konteks. Spesifieke
aandag is ook aan die rol van die gesin, die portuurgroep, die skool en akademiese
vaardighede tydens die oorgang van primêre na sekondêre skool geskenk.
Die steekproef het uit 137 graad agt leerders uit vier sekondêre skole in die groter
Bloemfontein-area bestaan. Die leerders is in twee groepe verdeel op grond van of hul
akademiese prestasie verbeter of verswak het vanaf die einde van graad sewe tot die
helfte van graad agt. Die twee groepe is toe op grond van hul aanpassing en algemene
studie-oriëntasie vergelyk. Voorts is die invloed van geslag, taal en residensiële status op
aanpassing en algemene studie-oriëntasie ondersoek. Aandag is ook aan die interaksie
tussen veranderings in akademiese prestasie en elk van bogenoemde veranderlikes
geskenk. Die statistiese ontleding van data is uitgevoer deur die gebruik van
meervoudige variansie-ontleding (MANOVA). 'n Variansie ontleding (ANOVA) of post
hoc t-toets (Scheffé) is gebruik om die rigting van enige verskille aangedui deur die
MANOV A te bepaal.
Daar is gevind dat betekenisvolle verskille tussen manlike en vroulike leerders bestaan
met betrekking tot hul algemene studie-oriëntasie en sekere aspekte van hul aanpassing.
Daar is ook verskille gevind tussen Engels- en Afrikaansprekendes asook leerders van
ander taalgroepe aangaande hul aanpassing en algemene studie-oriëntasie. Geen
betekenisvo He verskille ten opsigte van veranderinge in akademiese prestasie het na vore
gekom nie. Daar is wel bevind dat verskille aangaande die interaksie tussen veranderinge
in akademiese prestasie en taal bestaan. Dit blyk dat daar verskille bestaan tussen die
aanpassing en algemene studie-oriëntasie van leerders uit verskillende taalgroepe wat hul
akademiese prestasie verbeter het en diegene wie se akademiese prestasie verswak het.
Daar blyk ook verskille in dieselfde taalgroep te bestaan met betrekking tot veranderinge
in akademiese prestasie. Verskeie voorstelle vir toekomstige navorsing en ontwikkeling
is na aanleiding van hierdie bevindinge gemaak.