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.