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Resiliency skills and attitudes profile of students in different streams
Author
Lim, Soh Chuan
Supervisor
Ang, Wai-hoong
Abstract
There is an increasing concern about the growing number of adolescents at risk for negative psychosocial health and behavioural outcomes. For many years, researchers adopted the deficit models and focused on vulnerability or maladaptation of adolescents at risk. The pendulum has now swung to resilience. Resilience researchers on the other hand, are concerned with wellness besides the absence of dysfunction, and they are committed to the notion of maximizing well-being and potential among at-risk individuals and not just to the evasion of serious psychiatric disorder (Cowen, 1999).
Are the secondary school students achieving in school? How do these adolescents cope with challenges and what are the outcomes? Some individuals seem to live through adversity in adolescence and be able to "beat the odds" and maintain their well-being. Are there some traits that these resilient individuals have? Is there any association between academic ability, sex, race and age and resiliency traits? These are some questions which I hoped to investigate.
Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the profile of secondary school students in terms of resiliency skills and attitudes, and their association to behavioural outcomes. The study utilized an instrument called "Resiliency Attitudes and Skills Profile" developed by Hurtes and Allen (2001) and the framework was based on the seven resiliencies established by Wolin and Wolin (1993). In addition, constructs of goal orientation, locus of control, optimism and self-esteem were also examined for their relation to resilience. The intent of the study is to provide insight into associations between resiliency traits and factors, gender, academic streams and levels and behavioural outcomes.
Findings of the study revealed that the secondary school students are on the on the whole, resilient. These resilient individuals can be identified with the certain characteristics. Resilient students are also found to be goal oriented, have an internal locus of control, are optimistic and have high self-esteem. All these protective factors will offset the risk factors to give positive behavioural outcomes, such as academic engagement. On the other hand, adolescents who are less resilient may be involved in risk behaviours. The study also found some differences in the resilience profile between students of different gender, at different academic levels and from different academic streams.
Ultimately, it is hoped that the findings would facilitate the planning and evaluation of effective programmes for the growth and development of secondary school students.
Are the secondary school students achieving in school? How do these adolescents cope with challenges and what are the outcomes? Some individuals seem to live through adversity in adolescence and be able to "beat the odds" and maintain their well-being. Are there some traits that these resilient individuals have? Is there any association between academic ability, sex, race and age and resiliency traits? These are some questions which I hoped to investigate.
Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the profile of secondary school students in terms of resiliency skills and attitudes, and their association to behavioural outcomes. The study utilized an instrument called "Resiliency Attitudes and Skills Profile" developed by Hurtes and Allen (2001) and the framework was based on the seven resiliencies established by Wolin and Wolin (1993). In addition, constructs of goal orientation, locus of control, optimism and self-esteem were also examined for their relation to resilience. The intent of the study is to provide insight into associations between resiliency traits and factors, gender, academic streams and levels and behavioural outcomes.
Findings of the study revealed that the secondary school students are on the on the whole, resilient. These resilient individuals can be identified with the certain characteristics. Resilient students are also found to be goal oriented, have an internal locus of control, are optimistic and have high self-esteem. All these protective factors will offset the risk factors to give positive behavioural outcomes, such as academic engagement. On the other hand, adolescents who are less resilient may be involved in risk behaviours. The study also found some differences in the resilience profile between students of different gender, at different academic levels and from different academic streams.
Ultimately, it is hoped that the findings would facilitate the planning and evaluation of effective programmes for the growth and development of secondary school students.
Date Issued
2003
Call Number
BF724.3.R47 Lim
Date Submitted
2003