An Investigation into the School Adjustment of Children in the First Grade of Elementary School (I)
AUTHOR : 김수정,곽금주
INFORMATION : page. 89~109 / 2010 Vol.17 No.4
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to investigate the variables that are related to early school adjustment and
to examine the direct and indirect relationships between them. The participants consisted of 118 pairs of
mothers and school teachers of 7-year old children. Family cohesion, parental efficacy, and children's social
competence were measured through mothers' reports and school adjustment was measured via reports from
the school teachers of each child. Correlation, stepwise regression, and path analyses were all conducted,
based on the data from both the mothers' and school teachers' reports. According to our results, mothers'
parental efficacy was a significant predictor for levels of both children's social competence and school
adjustment. Moreover, a subcategory of parental efficacy, that is, their communication efficacy, was a
significant predictor of children's social competence. Additionally, discipline efficacy significantly predicted
levels of school adjustment, including its subcategories, which were defined as school life adjustment,
academic performance adjustment, and peer adjustment. The results of path analysis indicated a direct
effect of family cohesion on parental efficacy and also indicated that parental efficacy had a direct impact
on school adjustment. Additionally, the indirect effects of family cohesion on school adjustment and social
competence were mediated by parental efficacy. The results from the current study demonstrated a direct
relationship between mothers' parental efficacy and early school adjustment. Furthermore, mothers' parental
efficacy was found to play a mediating role by enabling family cohesion to have an indirect effect on
school adjustment.