School Satisfaction among Students

 

Dr. Vimal Kishor

Assistant Professor, Department of Education, School of Professional Studies, Sikkim University

(A Central University), 6^th Mile, Samdur, PO Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim- 737102

*Corresponding Author E-mail: vimalkishor88@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT:

The main objective of the present research was to study the school satisfaction of government and private high school students. The sample comprised of 400 high school students out of which 200 male and 200 were female students. For the present study the Sharma Adolescents’ School Satisfaction Inventory developed by Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma was used to meet the objectives. To test the hypotheses technique of t-test has been used. The results revealed that government and private high school students and government and private female high school students differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction. On the other hand male and female high school students and government and private male high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

 

 

 

1. INTRODUCTION:

The school environment casts its influence over the adjustment of the children and the adolescents. How far as children is satisfied with his school building, its discipline, time-table, co-curricular activities, methods of teaching, class and school matters, teacher and head of the institution, is to be gauzed completely in the pattern of his total adjustment. To satisfy means to meet the expectation, or desire of, be equal to, be accepted by (person, his taste etc.), as adequate, be content, or pleased (with), be convinced or confident that demand no more than or consider it enough to do, put an end to (want), rid (person) of an appetite or want by sufficient supply, adequately meet (objection, doubt, request, condition). An effective school is able to identify such needs as they are expressed in individual behavior and to take action to help the students satisfy them in socially accepted ways.

 

Some of the essential needs of adolescents which if fulfilled bring satisfaction and if not fulfilled result in dissatisfaction are: (i) approval, affection and security. Horrocks (1962) observes that approval, affection and security are needs common to all human beings and as such have to be met by the thoughtful schools, (ii) developmental needs. In this connection, Cronbach (1963) says that developmental tasks are essentially major problems related to growth, personal welfare and individual adjustment that are common to students at a given age; and (iii) environmental influences which as per Mac Donald (1959) largely shape a student’s state of educational readiness or reticence, forming habit pattern that encourage and discourage effective study and attitudes that further or impair learning. Lannes and Demels (2002) concluded that the students were not satisfied with what being taught to them at school, for the school programme does not cover most of their interest. In view of the above discussions it is clear that students’ satisfaction at school level plays a very important role. There are so many things including teaching like teachers, curriculum, text books, administration, and infrastructure etc. which also plays an important role in proper satisfaction of the students.  The investigator of the present study curious to know that is there any difference in the school satisfactions of government and private school students where the natures of both the schools are different.

 

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

The present study was attempted to answer the following research questions:

1.    Do government and private high school students differ significantly with respect to their school satisfaction?

2.    Do male and female high school students differ significantly with respect to their school satisfaction?

3.    Do government and private male high school students differ significantly with respect to their school satisfaction?

4.    Do government and private female high school students differ significantly with respect to their school satisfaction?

 

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

The present study has been conducted keeping in mind the following objectives like:

1.  To compare government and private high school students with respect to their mean scores on the variable ‘School Satisfaction’.

2.    To compare male and female high school students with respect to their mean scores on the variable ‘School Satisfaction’.

3.    To compare government and private male high school students with respect to their mean scores on the variable ‘School Satisfaction’.

4.    To compare government and private female high school students with respect to their mean scores on the variable ‘School Satisfaction’.

 

4. HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY:

The hypotheses formulated and tested in the present study were as follows:

1.    Government and private high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

2.    Male and female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

3.    Government and private male high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

4.    Government and private female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

 

5. RESEARCH METHOD:

In the present study, descriptive survey method was used.

 

6. SAMPLE:

In the present study the sample was drawn from the students studying in 10^th class of Govt. High/Senior Secondary Schools and Private High/Senior Secondary Schools situated in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. From the selected district 20 schools were taken by the investigator on the basis of convenience. From each school, a sample of 20 (10 boys and 10 girls) students were selected purposively. It is worth mentioning that all these schools followed the curriculum prescribe by the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. Finally, the total sample consisted of 400 (200 boys and 200 girls) students.

 

7. TOOLS USED:

To collect the requisite data for present study the investigator used Sharma Adolescents’ School Satisfaction Inventory developed by Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma. This tool contains 60 items as a whole.

 

8. STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED:

In order to test the hypotheses of the present study, the investigator used the technique of t-test.

 

9. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA:

 

A. Studying Differences on the Variable of School Satisfaction

1. Government and Private High School Students

Table 1 presents the t-value for government and private high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction along with Ns, Means, SDs and Standard Error of Means for the two groups.

 

 

Table 1: t-value for government and private high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction

 

 It is revealed from Table 1 that t-value came out to be 4.18, which is significant at 0.01. This indicates that government and private high school students differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on School Satisfaction.  Hence, the hypothesis that “Government and private high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction” is rejected.

 

Since, the mean score on School Satisfaction is lower for government (144.15) as compared to private (151.92), it may be inferred that private high school students exhibit significantly superior school satisfaction in comparison to government.

 

2.  Male and Female High School Students

Table 2 presents the t-value for male and female high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction along with Ns, Means, SDs and Standard Error of Means for the two groups.

 

 

 

Table 2: t-value for male and female high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction

 

It is revealed from Table 2 that t-value came out to be 0.58, which is not significant at 0.05. This indicates that male and female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on School Satisfaction.  Hence, the hypothesis that “Male and Female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction” is accepted.

 

Since, the mean score on School Satisfaction is lower for male (147.48) as compared to female (148.59), it may be inferred that female high school students exhibit significantly superior school satisfaction in comparison to male.

 

3.  Government and Private Male High School Students

Table 3 presents the t-value for government and private male high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction along with Ns, Means, SDs and Standard Error of Means for the two groups.

 

 

 

Table 3: t-value for government and private male high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction

 

It is revealed from Table 3 that t-value came out to be 1.67, which is not significant at 0.05. This indicates that government male and private male high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on School Satisfaction.  Hence, the hypothesis that “Government and private male high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction” is accepted.

 

Since, the mean score on School Satisfaction is lower for government male (145.17) as compared to private male (149.80), it may be inferred that f private male high school students exhibit significantly superior school satisfaction in comparison to government male.

 

4. Government and Private Female High School Students

Table 4 presents the t-value for government and private female high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction along with Ns, Means, SDs and Standard Error of Means for the two groups.

 

 

Table 4: t-value for government and private female high school students in respect of the variable of School Satisfaction

 

It is revealed from Table 4 that t-value came out to be 4.40, which is significant at 0.01. This indicates that government and private female high school students differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on School Satisfaction.  Hence, the hypothesis that “Government and private female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction” is rejected.

 

Since, the mean score on School Satisfaction is lower for government female (143.14) as compared to private female (154.05), it may be inferred that private female high school students exhibit significantly superior school satisfaction in comparison to government female.

 

10. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY:

After careful analysis of the obtained data and interpretation of the results with regard to the objectives and hypotheses of the study, the investigator reached at the following findings:

1     Government and private high school students differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

2     Male and Female high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

3     Government and private male high school students do not differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

4     Government and private female high school students differ significantly with respect to their mean scores on the variable School Satisfaction.

 

11. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS:

On the basis of the above findings, the investigator is inclined to have the following educational implications for both the parents and teachers:

--     Home, school and society members should make their contributions equally in the development of adolescent’s school satisfaction irrespective of discrimination on the basis of gender.

--     Different type of competition may be helpful to enhance the adolescent’s school satisfaction of the students.

--     There should be separate facility of guidance and counseling services for the boy’s and girl’s secondary school students.

--     No distinctions should be made in government and private areas so far as educational facilities are concerned.

--     Both boys and girls are needed to be given maximum opportunities without any gender discrimination.

--     The teachers should be very much vigilant and careful regarding the development of the adolescent’s school satisfaction.

 

12. REFERENCES:

1.    Lannes, Rumjanek, Vellose Demel (2002). Brazilion Schools: Comparing Students’ Interests with what is being Taught. Journal of Education Research, 44(2), 157-179.  In Psychological Abstract, 89(10), 2002, p.4047, Sr.No.31626.

2.       Prasadh, Siva. R. (2006). Students Adjustment in Residential School. Delhi: Tarun offset Printers, p.13.

3.       Cronbach, L.J. (1963). Educational Psychology. New York: Harcurt Brace and Co. In Manual for Sharma Adolescents’ School Satisfaction Inventory developed by Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma, National Psychological Corporation, Agra.

4.       Horrocks, J. E. (1962). The Psychology of Adolescent. Boston: Houghton Mufflin, Co. In Manual for Sharma Adolescents’ School Satisfaction Inventory developed by Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma, National Psychological Corporation, Agra.

5.       Mac Donald, F.J. (1954). Educational Psychology. Sans Fransisco: Wards Works Publishing Co. In Manual for Sharma Adolescents’ School Satisfaction Inventory developed by Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma, National Psychological Corporation, Agra.

6.       Prasadh, Siva. R. (2006). Students Adjustment in Residential School. Delhi: Tarun offset Printers, p.13.

7.       Raja, Marickam M. and Vasanthan, R. (1993). A study on adjustment problem of adolescent in relation their achievement: Journal of community guidance and research, 10 (2) 153-183.

 

Received on 12.05.2015       Modified on 14.06.2015

Accepted on 26.08.2015      © A&V Publication all right reserved