School Adjustment Problems of Fifth Graders As a Risk Factor in Learning Difficulties
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a tendency in Russia to separate primary school from secondary one; gymnasiums and lyceums where children are recruited in the fifth grade through a competitive examination start operating. Despite the fact that such schools enroll children from prosperous families who perform well at school, some of them start experiencing learning difficulties resulting in dramatic decrease in academic
performance, behavioral problems, and health deterioration. One of the risk factors for these problems is the difficulties of adjusting to a new school, conditioned by agespecific psychological and physiological conditions of fifth graders and pedagogical factors. The purpose of this study is to increase awareness of fifth graders school adaptation, collect empirical data, by examining the relationship between its various
components, as well as self-esteem. The present study explored 144 fifth graders aged 10-11 (74 boys and 70 girls) and their 6 class tutors (homeroom teachers). Measures: School Anxiety Questionnaire (B.N. Phillips), expert evaluation, «Sociometry» ( J.L. Moreno), self-esteem methodology called «Ladders». The results of the study into academic, social and psychological aspects of fifth graders School adjustment showed that the period of adaptation is characterized by decreased academic performance compared to the fourth grade while a third of the subjects lacked interest in studying. 39 % of fifth graders showed a low sociometric status.
More than half of the students (55 %) are dissatisfied with their relationships with their classmates. An increased level of school anxiety is typical for 25% of fifth-graders. The main causes of school anxiety are fear of self-expression, problems with the teacher, fear of not meeting the expectations of others. Factor analysis proved a three-fold structure of school adaptation. The correlation analysis showed that academic adaptation is related to all components of school adaptation, whereas social and psychological components are not linked.
55 % of fifth-graders have low or poor self-esteem. They are most dissatisfied with their lack of authority among their classmates and their appearance. Factor analysis demonstrated that the self-esteem of fifth graders in the period of adaptation to secondary school is more connected to the indicators of the social component of
adaptation. Teachers adequately evaluate only student performance and behavior, but not their sociometric status, school anxiety, and interest in learning. This complicates the identification of the problem and timely assistance to the fifth graders with difficulties in social and psychological adaptation.
Keywords: school adaptation, learning difficulty, fifth-graders, self-esteem, school anxiety, sociometry
References
[1] E. H. Bruyn and A. Cillessen, Heterogeneity of Girls’ Consensual Popularity: Academic and Interpersonal Behavioral Profiles. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, no. 3, 412–422, (2006). Retrieved from URL.: https://link.springer.com/article/ 10.1007/s10964-005-9023-4 (accessed: 25.12.2017).
[2] T. Czeschlik and D. H. Rost, Sociometric types and children intelligence. British journal of developmental psychology, 13, 177 – 189, (1995).
[3] V. I. Dolgova, E. V. Baryshnikova, and A. Yu. Sergienko, Studying of situational uneasiness at fifth-graders.Ucheny‘e zapiski universiteta imeni P.F. Lesgafta, 6 (136), 226-232, (2016).
[4] N. V. Dubrovinskaya, D. A. Farber, and M. M. Bezrukikh, Psikhofiziologiya rebenka: psikhofiziologicheskie osnovy detskoy valeologii. Moscow: Vlados, 2000.
[5] I. V. Ermakova, Personal and school anxiety in 10-11-year-old children’s a determinant of corticosteroid level. Novy‘e issledovaniya, 18-31, (2014). Retrieved from URL.: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lichnostnaya-i shkolnayatrevozhnost-detey-10-11-letkak-determinanta-urovnya-kortikosteroidov
[6] F. Garandeau, H. J. Ahn, and P. C. Rodkin, The Social Status of Aggressive Students across Contexts: The Role of Classroom Status Hierarchy, Academic Achievement, and Grade. Developmental Psychology, vol. 47, no. 6, 1699–1710, (2011).
[7] M. V. Grigoyeva, Interrelation of External and Internal Factors of School Adaptation. Ucheny‘e zapiski. Seriya Psixologiya. Pedagogika, vol. 2, no 2 (6), 3-8, (2009).
[8] N. V. Litvenenko, Adaptaciya shkol‘nikov v kriticheskie periody‘ razvitiya kak predmet psixologo-pedagogicheskogo issledovaniya. Vestnik Orenburgskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 10, 122-127, (2006).
[9] N. Meijs, A. H. Cillessen, R. Scholte, E. Segers, and R. Spijkerman, Social Intelligence and Academic Achievement as Predictors of Adolescent Popularity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 39, no. 1, 62–72, (2008). Retrieved from URL.: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10964-008-9373-
9.pdf (accessed: 25.12.2017)
[10] T. A. Parfenova, The relationship between symptoms of anxiety and success in the educational activity of younger adolescents. Povolzhskij pedagogicheskij vestnik, 3(8), 76-80, (2015).
[11] L. Polunina, Increased school anxiety as a factor bringing down the fifth grade schoolchildren’s progress. Vestnik MGOU. Seriya ”Psixologicheskie nauki”, 2, 92-98, (2012).
[12] N. Pirozhkova, The relationship of self-esteem of younger pupils with their sociometric status. Nauchno-metodicheskij e‘lektronny‘j zhurnal ”Koncept”, S1, 15- 19, (2015). Retrieved from URL.: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vzaimosvyazsamootsenki-mladshih-shkolnikov-s-ih-sotsiometricheskim-statusom (accessed: 20.02.2018)
[13] Pismo Ministerstva obrazovaniya Rossijskoj Federacii ot 21.05.2004 № 14-51-140/13 ”Ob obespechenii uspeshnoj adaptacii rebenka pri perexode so stupeni nachal‘nogo obshhego obrazovaniya - na osnovnuyu” Oficial‘ny‘e dokumenty‘ v obrazovanii, 22, 3-5, (2004).
[14] V. Shayakhmetova and G. Minh, The level of self-esteem of teenagers during the period of adaptation in the transition from primary school level to secondary. Nauchno-metodicheskij e‘lektronny‘j zhurnal ”Koncept”, S1, 71–75, (2015). Retrieved from URL: http://e-koncept.ru/2015/75015.htm. (accessed: 20.02.2018)
[15] A. Shiryaev, On criteria and indicators of pupils learning success. Nauchny‘e vedomosti Samarskogo nacional‘nogogo issledovatel‘skogo universiteta im. akademika S. P. Koroleva. Seriya Gumanitarny‘e nauki, vol. 30, no 14(235), Issue 30, 158-173, (2016).
[16] N. I. Speranskaya, Uchebnaya adaptaciya uchashhixsya pri perexode iz nachal‘noj v osnovnuyu shkolu (Dissertaciya na soiskanie uchenoj stepeni kandidata pedagogicheskix nauk). Tyumenskij gosudarstvenny universitet, Tyumen‘, Russia, (2001).
[17] V. Titkova, V. Ivaniushina, and D. Alexandrov, Pupils’ Popularity and an Educational Setting at School. Educational Studies, 4, 145-167, (2013).
[18] N. V. Trofimova and N. A. Ryazhina, Emotional condition of children upon the transition from primary school into the middle link Izvestiya Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta, 3(272), 181-184, (2016)
[19] Ya. Varlamova, Shkol‘naya adaptaciya podrostkov. Volgograd: Izdatel‘stvo VolGU, 2001.
[20] G. A. Zuckerman, The Transition from Primary School to Secondary School as a Psychological Problem. Voprosy psikhologii, 5, 19-34, (2006).