Predictors of students’ adjustment during transition to university in spain

  1. María Fernanda Páramo Fernández 1
  2. Alexandra M. Araújo 2
  3. Carolina Tinajero Vacas 1
  4. Leandro S. Almeida 2
  5. María Soledad Rodríguez González 1
  1. 1 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
    info

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

    Santiago de Compostela, España

    ROR https://ror.org/030eybx10

  2. 2 Universidade do Minho
    info

    Universidade do Minho

    Braga, Portugal

    ROR https://ror.org/037wpkx04

Journal:
Psicothema

ISSN: 0214-9915

Year of publication: 2017

Volume: 29

Issue: 1

Pages: 67-72

Type: Article

DOI: 10.7334/PSICOTHEMA2016.40 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Psicothema

Abstract

Background: Adjustment to university is a major life transition that not all emerging adults manage successfully. The Student University Adjustment Questionnaire is the instrument most commonly used to evaluate this multidimensional construct. Research in Spain on the predisposing factors for successful adjustment to university in emerging adults is scarce relative to the large number of studies carried out in North America. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association between students’ gender, family background, pre-university achievement and adjustment to university. Method: Participants were 300 Spanish first-year students (198 women and 102 men) of mean age 18.02 years. Results: Pre-university achievement was the only significant predictor of academic, social and institutional adjustment. Gender directly affected personal-emotional adjustment and indirectly affected academic adjustment mediated by entry grade. Conclusions: Students’ entry characteristics predict adjustment to university in the first year. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

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