A Study of the Adjustment of Rural and Urban Students Studying at the Higher Secondary School Level

Abstract

Education plays an important role in the development of an individual’s knowledge, personality, behaviour, emotions, and social relationships, and the school teaches students to establish harmony with various family, educational, social, and emotional situations. The higher secondary level is an important stage of adolescence, during which students undergo physical, mental, emotional, and social changes and face many situations related to studies, examinations, competition, higher education, future careers, and family and social expectations. Proper adjustment in these situations is essential for the balanced personality and educational life of students. There may be some differences in the social, economic, family, and educational conditions of students belonging to rural and urban areas. Rural students may face situations such as limited educational resources, digital facilities, transportation, and family educational background, whereas urban students may have greater educational facilities but may also face greater competition, social pressure, excessive use of technological resources, and future-related expectations. Therefore, it is not appropriate to consider any group as more or less adjusted merely on the basis of residential area. The study of related literature makes it clear that adjustment is a multidimensional process that includes home, social, emotional, educational, and school adjustment. In the present study, a total of 300 students were selected from 20 higher secondary schools located in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, including 10 aided and 10 self-financed schools. The sample consisted of 150 male and 150 female students and 150 students each from rural and urban areas. For the collection of data, the Adjustment Scale developed by A.K.P. Sinha and Prof. R.P. Singh was used, and the obtained data were analysed using the ‘t’ test. The findings of the study presented the results related to differences in the adjustment of rural and urban students, and no significant difference was found between rural and urban groups in the case of female students. Therefore, the related null hypothesis was accepted. The study indicates that students’ adjustment does not depend only on rural or urban residence; rather, it is also influenced by individual characteristics, family environment, school conditions, social relationships, self-confidence, emotional balance, and available educational opportunities. The study is important for teachers, parents, school administrators, counsellors, and educational planners because, by understanding students’ adjustment-related difficulties, appropriate guidance, counselling, cooperative activities, and a favourable school environment can be provided. Thus, the present study makes it clear that understanding the adjustment of students at the higher secondary level is essential for their personality development, educational progress, social relationships, and emotional balance, and equal and effective educational support should be provided by considering the actual circumstances of rural and urban students...