Relational Competence, School Adjustment and Emotional Skills: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Group of Junior and High School Students of the Sicilian Hinterland

Monica Pellerone (), Juan Martinez Torvisco, Stesy Giuseppa Razza, Alessandra Lo Piccolo, Maria Guarnera, Valentina Lucia La Rosa and Elena Commodari
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Monica Pellerone: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Juan Martinez Torvisco: Department of Psicología Cognitiva, Socialy Organizacional, Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Stesy Giuseppa Razza: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Alessandra Lo Piccolo: Faculty of Humanities, Foreign Language and Education, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Maria Guarnera: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Valentina Lucia La Rosa: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Elena Commodari: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: Research has demonstrated the influence of emotional adjustment on the manifestation of problematic behaviors in adolescence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of self-esteem and relational skills on school performance in a group of middle and high school students during the COVID-19 period. The research involved 392 students, aged between 11 and 20 (M = 13.78; S.D. = 2.56). Participants completed the following instruments: an anamnestic constructed ad hoc questionnaire; the Interpersonal Relationships Test, in order to evaluate the perception of adolescents concerning the quality of their relationships in social, family and school contexts; and the Multidimensional Test of Self-Esteem, structured in six scales, which coincide with the dimensions considered constitutive of self-esteem. The preliminary data have shown how the older girls, attending the high school, tend to manifest a higher level of social competence with peer group and teachers. Furthermore, the perception of a reduced emotional self-efficacy but an elevated environmental control and good interpersonal skills seem to predict the school adjustment. Understanding adolescents’ perceptions of difficulties and their social support networks can offer some insight into how major social changes can be associated with individual well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: social competence; school adjustment; emotional skills; family context; adolescence; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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