Student adjustment to higher education: the role of alternative educational pathways in coping with the demands of student life

Abstract

The present longitudinal study measured student adjustment to higher education, comparing 50 participants from alternative schools (Steiner, Montessori, New Schools) with 80 students from the traditional school system. We hypothesized that students from alternative schools adapt better, because of greater perceived social support, academic self-efficacy, and task-oriented coping styles. Measures were taken during the last school year (baseline characteristics), and at the beginning of the first and last terms of the first year in higher education. The quality of adjustment was assessed through academic results, and physical and psychological well-being. The following instruments were used: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory by Spielberger (1983), the 13-items Depression Inventory by Beck et al. (1961), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by , and semi-directed interviews. Results show that students from alternative schools adjust better to higher education: they report less anxiety and depression symptoms, and show greater life satisfaction and academic achievement.

Stress Coping Strategies at University Students - Part I: Gender Differences

“…Therefore, we may assume that tendencies to employ similar coping strategies throughout different lifetime events might be considered an invariable characteristic, detectable within individual psycho-diagnosis (Janke and Erdmann, 2003). Authors (in accordance with Aldwin and Yancura (2011) perceive coping styles in a broader sense (related to personal characteristic) than coping strategies (related to actual behaviour, for further information see for example Eduardo Piemontesi et al, 2012;Shankland et al, 2010). However, especially in the context of the stress coping strategies questionnaire SVF 78 by Janke and Erdmann (2003), which is in detail described in the Method section, the term stress coping strategies is considered to be adequate.…”

“…Authors of this study are aware, that following the modern stress science research methods, other, alternative psychometric tools could also be used to identify coping strategies. Shankland et al (2010) assessed students´ adaptation to a different type of education with the use of a test battery containing the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by Endler and Parker as one of the tools Šolcová, Lukavský and Greenglass (2006) used for their research of proactive stress coping strategies the Proactive Coping Inventory. In an earlier research of stressogenic situations in university students in the Czech environment, Millerová, Michálek and Franco Ruiz (2007) used an adapted version of the Stress Profile questionnaire.…”

Proposal of statistical analysis to support the assessment method of a Brazilian Industrial Engineering course

“…Therefore, it is suggested to use Cohen's Kappa method of analysis which is a more robust measure (Cohen, 1960). Some Kappa's coefficient agreement analysis can be viewed in works developed by Ayatollahi et al (2013), Lee et al (2011), Shankland et al (2010, and Feletti & Sanson-Fisher (1983). In order to maintain a consistent nomenclature to describe the relative strength of the agreement associated with Kappa statistics, labels are assigned to the corresponding time intervals of Kappa's coefficient as described by Landis & Koch (1977) and are indicated in Table 4.…”

Expectativas de estudantes brasileiros relacionadas a integração, motivação no ensino e aprendizagem autorregulada

“…Enquanto alguns estudantes se desenvolvem não apenas em termos acadêmicos, mas também nas esferas da vida emocional, psicossocial, social e/ou cultural, outros se mostram despreparados para as mudanças relativas a essa etapa de suas vidas. Vários estudos têm demonstrado que as expectativas podem estar relacionadas a descontentamentos, isolamento social, sintomas de ansiedade, stress, repetência nas disciplinas e a evasão dos cursos (Baker et al, 1985;Brinkworth et al, 2009; Casanova e Almeida, 2016;González et al, 2011;Jackson et al, 2000; Reynolds e Baird, 2010;Shankland et al, 2010).…”

“…Enquanto alguns estudantes se desenvolvem não apenas em termos acadêmicos, mas também nas esferas da vida emocional, psicossocial, social e/ou cultural, outros se mostram despreparados para as mudanças relativas a essa etapa de suas vidas. Vários estudos têm demonstrado que as expectativas podem estar relacionadas a descontentamentos, isolamento social, sintomas de ansiedade, stress, repetência nas disciplinas e a evasão dos cursos (Baker et al, 1985;Brinkworth et al, 2009; Casanova e Almeida, 2016;González et al, 2011;Jackson et al, 2000; Reynolds e Baird, 2010;Shankland et al, 2010).No cenário educacional atual, os estudos sobre expectativas de estudantes universitários mostram-se particularmente relevantes devido às políticas de acesso ao Ensino Superior que têm se pautado pela promoção da diversidade dos estudantes. Muitas instituições de Ensino Superior estão sendo desafiadas a atender um perfil de aluno mais heterogêneo, seja no que se refere à origem social dos estudantes, à trajetória escolar anterior, à situação de trabalho, às questões raciais.…”