Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Higher-grade Students

Abstract

The current study investigates emotional and behavioral disorders among students in higher grades, focusing on both private and public sector schools. Moreover, the research is conducted in two phases that involve translation and validation of an assessment instrument, followed by administration to a sample of 406 students between the ranges of 13-18 years of age. In phase one, the instrument was translated and the translated version was administered to a sample N = 20. The effectiveness of items within the instruments was addressed and the scale exhibited good internal consistency and reliability. For the main study, the Problem with School Children Scale (PWSCS) was administered to a sample of 406 students with ages ranging from 13 to 18 years. Multiple regression and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data. The result showed that secondary high school students exhibited higher emotional problems as compared to behavioral problems. The finding also revealed that students from private schools face higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems compared to those from government schools. This study also revealed that demographic variables (socioeconomic status and family structure) did not significantly predict emotional and behavioral problems positively, while other demographic variables (gender, illness, and school type) did not significantly predict emotional and behavioral problems negatively among secondary high school students. These results highlight the significance of addressing emotional and behavioral issues among higher-grade students and recommend the importance of targeted interventions in both sectors.