Self-Concept and Life-Adjustment of Junior High School Students with Learning Disabilities.

[[abstract]]The purpose of this study was to discuss the present practices, differences and relationship of self-concept and life adjustment among the junior high school students with learning disabilities. Participants consisted of learning disabled students ranging from eighth to ninth graders in the northern-central area of Taiwan (i.e., Taoyuan County, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and Miaoshu Ccounty). The Self-Concept and Life-Adjustment Questionnaire of Junior High School Students was employed as the research instrument and the valid samples consisted of 302 learning disabled students. All the obtained data had been analyzed in terms of descriptive statistics, student t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation Major results were as follows: Overall, the self-concept and life adjustment of learning disabled students were above the average. Among all aspects of self-concept in learning disabled students, the physical self was the best, whereas the emotional self was the worst. As to life adjustment, the score from highest to lowest was interpersonal adjustment, personal adjustment, family adjustment, and school adjustment. The different background variables were not the major factors to influence self-concept and life adjustment for learning disabled students. In the aspects of emotional self and family self, the gender difference is significant with boys over girls. In the aspect of interpersonal adjustment, scores of learning disabled students were strongly correlated to the education level of their fathers; those whose fathers were of education level of junior high school were the most positive on this aspect. Over the aspects of personal adjustment and interpersonal adjustment, scores of learning disabled students were also strongly correlated to the education level of the mothers. Those whose mothers were of education level of junior high school were the most positive in this aspect. There were significant positive correlations among subtests and the whole test in terms of self-concept and life adjustment. Based on the results, suggests and implications were also discussed for the education administration and the future research.