Szilvia Jámbori: School Environment Influencing Adolescents’ Future Orientation

One of the most important developmental tasks during adolescence is the preparation to adulthood and setting up long-term future goals. The role of social support is crucial during setting up goals, which could help adolescents during planning and decision process. The aim of this study was to explore the role of school environment playing adolescents’ future orien-tation. Four hundred twenty-one students (177 males and 244 females) took part in the study [Mage=16,6 years; range: 15–16 years old (N=197), 17 years old (N=139), 18 years old (N=84)]. The atmosphere in the school, in the classroom and the perception of the teachers’ behavior were measured with different scales (e.g. Justice in School Scale, Motivation to the School Scale, Positive Classroom Atmosphere Scale, Teachers’ Behavior Scale, Dalbert and Stöber, 2002). Future orientation was measured with half open-ended questions. This study explored gender and age differences, and some relations between school environment and fu-ture orientation as well. Girls mentioned more frequently family related goals and saw greater chances to realize these goals. Regarding future orientation boys mentioned more frequently goals related to properties and self-relevant issues (e.g. to have an own house, an own car). In a positive and just classroom atmosphere adolescents mentioned more stable and realizable conceptions about their future.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 103. Number 4. 481-497. (2003)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Jámbori Szilvia, Szegedi Tudományegyetem, Pszichológia Tanszék, H–6722 Szeged, Petőfi S. sgt. 30–34.

 
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