Strategie di coping e sviluppo dell’identità scolastica in adolescenza

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between coping strategies and educational identity in adolescence, with a focus on gender and age differences. 298 adolescents (42.6% males and 57.4% females) participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data. Analyses of variance revealed that males reported higher educational commitment than females. Furthermore, females used more often social support as an useful coping strategy, whereas males adopted more often the strategy of control. Correlations and regression analyses indicated that active coping strategies (i.e., control and seeking social support) were significantly related to commitment and exploration in depth, that are processes which underpin the formation of a stable educational identity. Moreover, the avoidance of problems was related to reconsideration of educational commitment, but only in the older adolescent sub-group.