School Structure: Does it Make Any Difference?

Abstract

The study examined and compared the responses of students in 7-9, 6-8, K-8, 5-8, and 6-7 schools in the areas of self-esteem, preferred teacher characteristics, dating behavior, and perceived victimization. A total of 1,753 students, enrolled in six different middle level schools in North Carolina, responded to the 100-item Mid-Years Opinion Questionnaire. Of the twelve subscales in the questionnaire, the Self-Esteem Inventory, the Preferred Teacher Characteristics Scale, the Dating Behavior Scale, and the Perceived Victimization Scale were selected for use in this study. Significant differences were found for each of the dependent variables. Of the five school-grade level structures studied, the 6-7 school appeared to be the most inappropriate organization for early adolescents.

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