CLASSROOM CLIMATE AS A CORRELATE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS PSYCHO-SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT IN OKIGWE EDUCATION ZONE OF IMO STATE

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom climate and secondary school adolescents’ psycho-social adjustment. The study was guided by four purposes, four research questions and three null hypotheses. The research design for this study was a correlational survey research design. The study was carried out in Okigwe education zone of Imo-State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised of 4,694 SS2 respondents. The sample for this study was 420 SS2 students. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire developed by the researcher titled: Perceived classroom climate Questionnaire (PCCQ) and Adolescents Psycho-social Adjustment Questionnaire (ASAQ). The questionnaire items were developed by the researcher through the information gotten from reviewed literature. The instruments was face validated by three experts. The experts were requested to vet the instruments in terms of clarity of the words, appropriateness and relevance of the items, and suitability of the items and response patterns. The observations of these experts were used for modification of the instrument. In order to ascertain the reliability of the instruments for the study, 20 copies of the instrument were trial tested using SS 2 students in Agbaja secondary school, which is outside the study area. The instruments yielded an overall reliability estimate of 0.87 which indicate that the instrument was reliable and was used for the study. The researcher, with the help of two research assistants, directly administered the instrument to the respondents and retrieve thereafter. The research questions were answered using Pearson product moment correlation Analysis while regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study among others showed that the existing classroom climate in Okigwe Education Zone is unsupportive. It was also found that there was a significant relationship between the supportive classroom climate and psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents. The result of the study also showed that classroom climate and gender significantly predict psycho-social adjustment of secondary school adolescents. The implications of the above findings were examined and it was recommended among other things that school administrators should try to gain clearer insight into the importance of supportive classroom climate and strategies for improving classroom climate for students’ psycho-social adjustment. This can be achieved through organizing workshops and seminars for school administrators by the ministry of education. The limitations of this study were highlighted and suggestions were made for further studies.