Adjustment map of secondary schools in Türkiye: examining the adjustment of secondary school students to school in terms of gender, class and region

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the school adjustment of middle school students in Türkiye based on gender, class and region. The population of the research consists of secondary school students studying in public schools in Türkiye. The sample consists of 26,962 students selected from 24 provinces and 104 schools, representing 12 regions according to Türkiye's NUTS. The School Adjustment Scale for Secondary School Students developed by Gençtanırım Kurt et al. (2023) was used to measure the adjustment of secondary school students to school. Factorial ANOVA was applied to the comparisons made by taking into account the gender, grade level and region of residence of the secondary school students. Data analysis was carried out with the Jamovi statistical package program. The results of the research revealed that secondary school students' total school adjustment scores and the academic, social and behavioral adjustment scores, which are the sub-dimensions of school adjustment, showed significant differences according to gender, grade level and statistical regions. Accordingly, the highest average in terms of academic adjustment dimension is in the Northeastern Anatolia Region; the lowest average is in the Eastern Marmara Region; the highest average in the social adjustment dimension is in the Western Black Sea Region; the lowest average is in the Central Anatolia Region; it was determined that the highest average in the behavioral adjustment dimension was in the Western Anatolia Region and the lowest average was in the Istanbul Region. When looked at by region in terms of school adjustment total scores, it is seen that the highest average is in the Northeastern Anatolia Region and the lowest average is in the Western Marmara Region. To reduce these disparities, it is recommended to expand psychosocial support programs for students, particularly in regions with low levels of adjustment, and to strengthen the training processes of teachers so that they can develop sensitive and inclusive educational strategies for students.