Predictive ability of self-concept and emotional intelligence in perceived school adjustment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The diversity of skills and demands that school hosts for pupils is an ongoing challenge . As one of the main contexts implicated in the psychosocial development of young people, school should boost sociopersonal skills such as self-concept and emotional intelligence to facilitate the adaptation of youth to a changeable educational environment. The aim of this study is to analyze the predictive ability of multidimensional self-concept (physical, social, personal, academic, and general) and perceived emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and repair) in school adjustment. METHOD. The sample is composed of 1543 adolescents, 728 boys (47.18%) and 815 girls (52.81%) between 12 and 18 years of age (Mage = 14.24 and SD = 1.63) from public and private Secondary Education schools of the Basque Autonomous Community. The information collected is based on three self-reports that measure perceptions of participants’ own self-concept, emotional skills, and school adjustment. The statistical analyses are performed through SPSS 21 for Windows. RESULTS. The results indicate that in the male sample emotional repair, academic self-concept, social self-concept, and general self-concept scales significantly predict school adjustment of the adolescents. In the female sample, only the academic, personal, and general self-concept scales significantly predict school adjustment. DISCUSSION. These results point out the greater importance of self-concept in adolescent school adjustment compared to perceived emotional intelligence.