Abstract

This study examined the relationship between school environment and psychological adjustment among secondary school students in public secondary schools in Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the relationships between school infrastructure, school location, teacher quality and students' psychological adjustment. A correlational research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 32,695 students in 235 public secondary schools across the Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia Education Zones of Abia State. A sample of 380 students was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table and selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled School Environment and Psychological Adjustment Questionnaire (SEPAQ). The instrument was subjected to expert validation and reliability assessment before administration. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The illustrative findings indicated positive relationships between school infrastructure, school location, teacher quality and students' psychological adjustment. The correlation coefficients were 0.638 for school infrastructure, 0.554 for school location and 0.721 for teacher quality, with each relationship statistically significant at the 0.05 level. The findings suggest that the physical, geographical and interpersonal dimensions of the school environment are important factors associated with students' psychological adjustment. The study recommends sustained improvement and maintenance of school infrastructure, attention to the safety and accessibility of school locations, and continuous professional development for teachers, particularly in instructional and interpersonal competencies.