INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SCHOOL TYPE AND LOCATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1       Background of the Study
Adolescence is referred to as a stage between childhood and adulthood. It denotes the period from the beginning of puberty to maturity. It usually starts at about age 14 in males and age 12 in females. In school adolescents refers to the adolescents in schools and they are often noticed in secondary schools. It is a period associated with “stress and storm”. It is often physical, psychological, social and cultural expressions of emotions. It is noticed that at this adolescent stage, their emotions are high and may lead to so many changes in their academic achievement (Goleman, 1995). Goleman further stated that adolescence are known to be full of life and capable of carrying so many activities socially, psychological, historically, biologically and otherwise. Adolescence can also be defined as the physical transition marked by the onset of puberty and the termination of physical growth; cognitively, as changes in the ability to think abstractly and multi-dimensionally; or socially, as a period of preparation for adult roles (Schneider, 1999).
For the purpose of this study, adolescence refers to as a transitional stage of growth marked by changes in physical, physiological, psychological and emotional development of students. Interestingly, developmental psychologists focus on changes in relations to parents and peers as a function of school structure and pubertal status. This school structure in adolescence stage of development directly or indirectly sprout future adolescence behaviour or rather form his personality while in school.
Therefore, in-school adolescence connotes a typical school adolescent. A thorough understanding of in-school adolescence in society depends on information from various perspectives, including psychology, biology, history, sociology, education, and anthropology. In-school adolescence is a period of multiple transitions involving education, training, employment and unemployment, as well as transitions from one living circumstance to another (Betz, 2002).
Within all of these perspectives, in-school adolescent is viewed as relating to school activities and that of the adolescent on the course of development, through a transitional period of cognitive development between childhood and adulthood, whose cultural purpose is the preparation of