Abstract
University support to students’ transition to university life can be divided into three dimensions, namely: academic adjustment, social adjustment and psychological adjustment. Previous researches show that there are relationships among those adjustments. However, less is known about gender differences in these relationships. The purpose of this study is to examine the gender differences in the perception of the relationships among these adjustments during the transition period. The study is based on a survey of 265 students from five Hong Kong universities. The findings show that: (i) social adjustment is perceived by female students to have more influence on academic adjustment than male students; (ii) psychological adjustment is perceived by female students to have more influence on academic adjustment than male students; and (iii) there is no significant difference in the relationship between social and psychological adjustments for both female and male students. Finally, implications of this study are explored and discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Askham, P. (2008). Context and identity: Exploring adult learners’ experiences of higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 32(1), 85–97.
Babbie, E. (1990). Survey research methods (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Bean, J. P., & Kuh, G. D. (1984). The reciprocity between student-faculty informal contact and academic performance of university undergraduate students. Research in Higher Education, 21(4), 461–477.
Becker, R., & Hecken, A. E. (2009). Higher education or vocational training? An empirical test of the rational action model of educational choices suggested by Breen and Goldthorpe and Esser. Acta Sociologica, 52(1), 25–45.
Bogard, K. L. (2005). Affluent adolescents, depression, and drug use: The role of adults in their lives. Adolescence, 40(158), 281–306.
Buissink-Smith, N., Spronken-Smith, R., & Walker, R. (2010). You’re doing what? Students’ experiences of advice from a New Zealand university. Higher Education Research & Development, 29(4), 357–371.
Castagnetti, C., & Rosti, L. (2009). Effort allocation in tournaments: The effect of gender on academic performance in Italian universities. Economics of Education Review, 28(3), 357–369.
Chow, H. P. H. (2010). Predicting academic success and psychological wellness in a sample of Canadian undergraduate students. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 8(2), 473–496.
Cliff, N. (1988). The eigenvalues-greater-than-one rule and the reliability of components. Psychological Bulletin, 103(2), 276–279.
Clifton, R. A., Perry, R. P., Roberts, L. W., & Peter, T. (2008). Gender, psychosocial dispositions, and the academic achievement of college students. Research in Higher Education, 49(8), 684–703.
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Colarossi, L. G., & Eccles, J. S. (2003). Differential effects of support providers on adolescents’ mental health. Social Work Research, 27(1), 19–30.
Comrey, A. L. (1973). A first course in factor analysis. New York, NY: Academic Press.
Constantinople, A., Cornelius, R., & Gray, J. (1988). The chilly climate: Fact or artifact? Journal of Higher Education, 59(5), 527–550.
Cook, S. L. (1995). Acceptance and expectation of sexual aggression in college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19(2), 181–194.
Crawford, M., & MacLeod, M. (1990). Gender in the college classroom: An assessment of the “chilly climate” for women. Sex Roles, 23(3/4), 101–122.
Dayioglu, M., & Türü t-Asik, S. (2007). Gender differences in academic performance in a large public university in Turkey. Higher Education, 53(2), 255–277.
Downing, K., Chan, S. W., Downing, W. K., Kwong, T., & Lam, T. F. (2008). Measuring gender differences in cognitive functioning. Multicultural Education & Technology Journal, 2(1), 4–8.
DuBois, E. C., Kelly, G. P., Kennedy, E. L., Korsmeyer, C. W., & Robinson, L. S. (1985). Feminist scholarship: Kindling in the groves of academe. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Duff, A., Boyle, E., Dunleavy, K., & Ferguson, J. (2004). The relationship between personality approach to learning and academic performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(8), 1907–1920.
Enochs, W. K., & Roland, C. B. (2006). Social adjustment of college freshmen: The importance of gender and living environment. College Student Journal, 40(1), 63–72.
Haggis, T. (2006). Pedagogies for diversity: Retaining critical challenge amidst fears of “dumbing down”. Studies in Higher Education, 31(5), 521–535.
Hansen, M. N., & Mastekaasa, A. (2006). Social origins and academic performance at university. European Sociological Review, 22(3), 277–291.
Hojat, M., Gonella, J. S., Erdmann, J. B., & Vogel, W. H. (2003). Medical students’ cognitive appraisal of stressful life events as related to personality, physical well-being, and academic performance: A longitudinal study. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(1), 219–235.
Houston, M., Knox, H., & Rimmer, R. (2007). Wider access and progression among full-time students. Higher Education, 53(1), 107–146.
Hultberg, J., Plos, K., Hendry, G. D., & Kjellgren, K. I. (2008). Scaffolding students’ transition to higher education: Parallel introductory courses for students and teachers. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 32(1), 47–57.
Hutt, C. (1972). Males and females. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Education.
Hyde, J. S., Fennema, E., & Lamon, S. J. (1990). Gender differences in mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 139–155.
Hyde, J. S., & McKinley, N. M. (1997). Gender differences in cognition: Results from metaanalyses. In P. J. Caplan, M. Crawford, J. S. Hyde, & J. T. E. Richardson (Eds.), Gender differences in human cognition (pp. 30–51). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kaiser, H. F. (1960). The application of electronic computers to factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 141–151.
Kaiser, H. F., & Coffrey, J. (1965). Alpha factor analysis. Psychometrika, 30(1), 1–14.
Kenny, M. E., & Rice, K. G. (1995). Attachment to parents and adjustment in late adolescent college students: Current status, applications, and future considerations. Counseling Psychologist, 23(3), 433–456.
Kimura, D. (1999). Sex and cognition. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Klein, S. (Ed.). (1985). Handbook for achieving sex equity through education. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Lawrence, J. (2005, July). Addressing diversity in higher education: Two models for facilitating student engagement and mastery. Paper presented at Higher Education and Research Development Society of Australia Conference, University of Sydney. Retrieved from https://doi.org/conference.herdsa.org.au/2005/pdf/refereed/paper_300.pdf
Lawrence, J., Ashford, K., & Dent, P. (2006). Gender differences in coping strategies of undergraduate students and their impact on self-esteem and attainment. Active Learning in Higher Education, 7(3), 272–281.
Leese, M. (2010). Bridging the gap: Supporting student transitions into higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 34(2), 239–251.
Li, C., & Ford, E. S. (2007). Is there a single underlying factor for the metabolic syndrome in adolescents? Diabetes Care, 30(6), 1556–1561.
Lifrak, P. D., McKay, J. R., Rostain, A., Alterman, A. I., & O’Brien, C. P. (1997). Relationship of perceived competencies, perceived social support, and gender to substance use in young adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(7), 933–940.
Maher, J., & Hoon, C. H. (2008). Gender, space, and discourse across borders: Talking gender in cyberspace. Feminist Teacher, 18(3), 202–215.
Malkoush, R. (2000). Social support and scholastic adjustment among students of the University of Jordan. Dirasta Journal, 27(1), 161–172.
Martin, M. (1997). Emotional and cognitive effects on examination proximity in female and male students. Oxford Review of Education, 23(4), 479–486.
Martin, W. E. Jr., Swartz, J. L., & Madson, M. (1999). Psychosocial factors that predict the college adjustment of first-year undergraduate students: Implications for college counselors. Journal of College Counseling, 2(2), 121–133.
McDermeit, M., Funk, R., Foss, M., & Dennis, M. (2000). Exploratory factor analysis with alpha method and varimax rotation. LI Analysis Training Series. Retrieved January 30, 2011, from https://doi.org/www.chestnut.org/LI/downloads/training_memos/factor_analysis.pdf
McNabb, R., Pal, S., & Sloane, P. (2002). Gender differences in educational attainment: The case of university students in England and Wales. Economica, 69(275), 481–503.
McWhiter, B. T. (1997). Loneliness, learned resourcefulness, and self-esteem in college students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 75(6), 460–469.
Mulford, B., & Silins, H. (2011). Revised models and conceptualisation of successful school principalship for improved student outcomes. International Journal of Educational Management, 25(1), 61–82.
Nonis, S. A., Hudson, G. I., Logan, L. B., & Ford, C. W. (1998). Influence of perceived control over time on college students’ stress and stress-related outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 39(5), 587–605.
Nunnally, J. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Paludi, M. A. (Ed.). (1990). Ivory power: Sexual harassment on campus. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Pomerantz, E. M., Altermatt, E. R., & Saxon, J. L. (2002). Making the grade but feeling distressed: Gender differences in academic performance and internal distress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(2), 396–404.
Reay, D. (2002). Class, authenticity and the transition to higher education for mature students. Sociological Review, 50(3), 398–418.
Reay, D., Davies, J., David, M., & Ball, S. J. (2002). ‘It’s taking me a long time but I’ll get there in the end’: Mature students on access courses and higher education choice. British Educational Research Journal, 28(1), 5–19.
Richardson, J., & Woodley, A. (2003). Another look at the role of age, gender and subject as predictors of academic attainment in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 28(4), 475–490.
Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2010). Relationship between multiple sources of perceived social support and psychological and academic adjustment in early adolescence: Comparison across gender. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 39(1), 47–61.
Ruhani, M. M. (1998). Hubungan penyesuaian dengan pencapaian akademik pelajar diinstitusi pengajian tinggi [Relationship between the adaptation and academic achievement of students in a higher education institution] (Master thesis). Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor.
Sheard, M. (2009). Hardiness commitment, gender, and age differentiate university academic performance. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(1), 189–204.
Slavin, L. A., & Rainer, K. L. (1990). Gender differences in emotional support and depressive symptoms among adolescents: A prospective analysis. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18(3), 407–421.
Smith, R. (2007). An overview of research on student support: Helping students to achieve or achieving institutional targets? Nurture or de-nature? Teaching in Higher Education, 12(56), 683–695.
Smith, W., & Zhang, P. (2009). Students’ perceptions and experiences with key factors during the transition from high school to college. College Student Journal, 43(2), 643–657.
Struthers, C. W., Perry, R. P., & Menec, V. H. (2000). An examination of the relationship among academic stress, coping, motivation, and performance in college. Research in Higher Education, 41(5), 581–592.
Surtees, P. G., Wainwright, N. W. J., & Pharoah, P. D. P. (2002). Psychosocial factors and sex differences in high academic attainment at Cambridge University. Oxford Review of Education, 28(1), 21–38.
The Women’s Foundation. (2006). The status of women and girls in Hong Kong 2006. Hong Kong: The Women’s Foundation and The Fund for Women in Asia.
Tremblay, P. F., Harris, R., Berman, H., MacQuarrie, B., Hutchinson, G. E., Smith, M. A.,... Dearlove, K. (2008). Negative social experiences of university and college students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 38(3), 57–75.
University Grant Council. (2010). The statistical information of undergraduate student enrolment by gender. Hong Kong: University Grant Council. Retrieved January 25, 2011, from https://doi.org/cdcf.ugc.edu.hk/cdcf/searchStatisticReport.do
Vaez, M., & Laflamme, L. (2008). Experience stress, psychological symptoms, self-rated health and academic achievement: A longitudinal study of Swedish university students. Social Behavior and Personality, 36(2), 183–196.
Wall, J., Covell, K., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1999). Implications of social supports for adolescents’ education and career aspirations. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 31(2), 63–71.
Walsh, C., Larsen, C., & Perry, D. (2009). Academic tutors at the frontline of student support in a cohort of students succeeding in higher education. Educational Studies, 35(4), 405–424.
Weaver-Hightower, M. (2003). The “boy turn” in research on gender and education. Review of Educational Research, 73(4), 471–498.
Wingate, U. (2007). A framework for transition: Supporting “learning to learn” in higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 61(3), 391–406.
Wintre, M. G., Gates, S. K. E., Pancer, W. M., Pratt, M. S., Polivy, J., Birnie-Lefcovitch, S., & Adams, G. (2009). The student perception of university support and structure scale: Development and validation. Journal of Youth Studies, 12(3), 289–306.
Wintre, M. G., & Yaffe, M. (2000). First-year students’ adjustment to university life as a function of relationships with parents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(1), 9–37.
Yorke, M., & Longden, B. (2007). The first year experience in higher education: Report of Phase 1 of a project funded by the Higher Education Academy. York: Higher Education Academy.
Zwick, W. R., & Velicer, W. F. (1986). Comparison of five rules for determining the number of components to retain. Psychological Bulletin, 99(3), 432–442.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yau, H.K., Sun, H. & Cheng, A.L.F. Relationships Among Academic, Social and Psychological Adjustments to University Life: Comparisons across gender. Tert Educ Manag 18, 97–113 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2011.629676
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2011.629676