ADJUSTMENT STYLE OF K-12 GRADUATE AND THEIR ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE

The Academic and Social Adjustment of First Generation College Students

Daniel Jean (2010)

First-generation college students face many issues that impede their progress within academia
with the most glaring concern being they graduate at rates much lower than their counterparts.
Further investigation revealed that first-generation college students are more likely to dropout
during their first-year with a high attrition rate during the first semester.To better understand the
first-semester transitional issues faced by this population this study utilizing Tinto's student
departure theory and examined the relationship between first generation status and the academic
and social adjustment of first year students by analyzing two data sets from "Tri-State College".
The researcher utilized the Chi Square test of independence in analyzing the data collected from
the fall 2007 "Your First-semester" survey administered to first-year students (n=545).This study
also includes a descriptive narrative of the findings from the spring structured fixed response
questionnaires to further examine the relationship between first-generation status and the
perception of the academic and social adjustment of first-year students (n=15) who earned less
than a 2.0 grade point average at Tri-State College during the fall 2007 semester.The analysis of
the fall semester survey revealed statistical significance between multiple sub-groups and the
student's perception of select academic adjustment variables. The data also revealed that first-
generation commuter status has a statistically significant relationship with the student's
perception of a select social adjustment variable.The sample analyzed from the structured fixed
response questionnaires explored the experience of first generation students who earned less than
a 2.0 fall grade point average and no significant patterns of academic and social adjustment were
found. The findings revealed that first-generation students who earned less than a 2.0 grade point
average were able to identify what variables impeded their successful academic and social
adjustment.This study provided insight into the specific academic adjustment issues facing first
generation college first year students yet did not suggest that they face significant social
adjustment issues.The academic and social adjustment experience of first generation first year
students should continue to be investigated to further explore the college experience of this
population with the ultimate goal of improving retention and identifying issues that may hinder
their advancement within academia.

https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2497&context=dissertations
Coping styles as predictors of college adjustment among freshmen

Frederick T. L. Leong, Margaret H. Bonz and Peter Zachar

Published September 27, 2007

Abstract

Based on Tyler's model of psychosocial competence, the present study tested the hypothesis that
students' differential coping styles could impact their adjustment to college. A college adjustment
measure and a coping styles instrument were administered to 161 freshmen at a small eastern
college. First-year students were chosen because college adjustment is particularly salient in the
freshmen year. The results indicated that academic adjustment and personal/emotional
adjustment were related to the coping strategies, while social adjustment and attachment/goal
commitment were not related to coping strategies. Active coping, which focuses on doing
something positive to solve the problem, was predictive of academic adjustment. Academic
adjustment was negatively predicted by suppression of competing activities which consists of
attending to one problem at a time to the exclusion of other things. Personal/emotional
adjustment was negatively related to the focus on emotion/venting of emotions dimension which
is coping by emotional catharsis. Personal/emotional adjustment was also positively predicted by
active-coping. Gender differences were also examined and discussed. These findings were
interpreted as supportive of Tyler's model and their counselling implications were discussed.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09515079708254173

Coping Styles, Social Support, Relational Self-Construal, and Resilience in Predicting

Students' Adjustment to University Life

Rahat, Enes; Ilhan, Tahsin

Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, v16 n1 p187-208 Feb 2016

The purpose of the present study is to investigate how well coping styles, social support,
relational self-construal, and resilience characteristics predict first year university students'
ability to adjust to university life. Participants consisted of 527 at-risk students attending a state
university in Turkey. The Personal Information Form, Risk Factors Defining List, Relational
Interdependent Self-Construal Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Coping Styles Scale-Brief
Form, and Resiliency Scale were used to collect data for the current study. In order to test the
data, several hierarchical multiple regression analysis composed of seven different steps was
conducted, the results of which indicate that relational self-construal, perceived social support,
coping styles, and resilience in college students with certain risk characteristics have a significant
predicting role on adjustment to university life. Among all independent variables, resilience
characteristics were the most effective at predicting adjustment to university life and its sub-
dimensions. Results were discussed in the light of the literature and various suggestions for
future studies were included.

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1101166
 SELF-EFFICACY AMONG CRIMINOLOGIST STUDENTS FOR CRIMINOLOGY
BOARD EXAMINATION

Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment: Gender and Ethnic

Differences Among College Students
Y. Barry Chung (2002)

This study evaluated the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (CDMSE-
SF; Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996) using the Career Commitment Scale (CCS; Farmer, 1985) as
a criterion measure. Responses from 165 undergraduates in a Southern university revealed high
internal consistency for the CDMSE-SF, and moderate correlation between the CDMSE-SF
and CCS. However, no gender or ethnic differences were found in this correlation. Females
scored higher than males on the CCS. Blacks scored higher than Whites on both measures.
Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Bandura’s (1977, 1986) concept of self-efficacy is “one of the most theoretically, heuristically,
and practically useful concepts formulated in modern psychology” (Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996,
p. 47). Since Betz and Hackett (1981) introduced the concept of self-efficacy to the study of
vocational behavior, this construct has stimulated numerous theoretical and empirical work in
vocational psychology. Social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1996) was
derived from Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory to further delineate the role of self-
efficacy expectations in a person’s vocational behavior.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1015146122546

Academic self-efficacy and first year college student performance and adjustment.

By Chemers, Martin M.,Hu, Li-tze,Garcia, Ben F.

Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 93(1), Mar 2001, 55-64

Abstract
A longitudinal study of 1st-year university student adjustment examined the effects of academic
self-efficacy and optimism on students' academic performance, stress, health, and commitment to
remain in school. Predictor variables (high school grade-point average, academic self-efficacy,
and optimism) and moderator variables (academic expectations and self-perceived coping ability)
were measured at the end of the first academic quarter and were related to classroom
performance, personal adjustment, stress, and health, measured at the end of the school year.
Academic self-efficacy and optimism were strongly related to performance and adjustment, both
directly on academic performance and indirectly through expectations and coping perceptions
(challenge-threat evaluations) on classroom performance, stress, health, and overall satisfaction
and commitment to remain in school. Observed relationships corresponded closely to the
hypothesized model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2001-16705-006

Self‐Efficacy Beliefs as Shapers of Children's Aspirations and Career Trajectories

Abstract

Albert Bandura, Claudio Barbaranelli, Gian Vittorio Caprara and Concetta Pastorelli

First published: 28 January 2003

This prospective study tested with 272 children a structural model of the network of
sociocognitive influences that shape children's career aspirations and trajectories. Familial
socioeconomic status is linked to children's career trajectories only indirectly through its effects
on parents' perceived efficacy and academic aspirations. The impact of parental self‐efficacy and
aspirations on their children's perceived career efficacy and choice is, in turn, entirely mediated
through the children's perceived efficacy and academic aspirations. Children's perceived
academic, social, and self‐regulatory efficacy influence the types of occupational activities for
which they judge themselves to be efficacious both directly and through their impact on
academic aspirations. Perceived occupational self‐efficacy gives direction to the kinds of career
pursuits children seriously consider for their life's work and those they disfavor. Children's
perceived efficacy rather than their actual academic achievement is the key determinant of their
perceived occupational self‐efficacy and preferred choice of worklife. Analyses of gender
differences reveal that perceived occupational self‐efficacy predicts traditionality of career
choice.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8624.00273

Self-Motivation for Academic Attainment: The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Personal
Goal Setting

Barry J. Zimmerman, Albert Bandura and Manuel Martinez-pons

First Published January 1, 1992

Abstract
The causal role of students’ self-efficacy beliefs and academic goals in self-motivated academic
attainment was studied using path analysis procedures. Parental goal setting and students’ self-
efficacy and personal goals at the beginning of the semester served as predictors of students’
final course grades in social studies. In addition, their grades in a prior course in social studies
were included in the analyses. A path model of four self-motivation variables and prior grades
predicted students ‘final grades in social studies, R = .56. Students’ beliefs in their efficacy for
self-regulated learning affected their perceived self-efficacy for academic achievement, which in
turn influenced the academic goals they set for themselves and their final academic achievement.
Students’ prior grades were predictive of their parents’ grade goals for them, which in turn were
linked to the grade goals students set for themselves. These findings were interpreted in terms of
the social cognitive theory of academic self-motivation.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00028312029003663