PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES OF ADAPTATION OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATIONAL REFORMS AND WAYS TO OVERCOME THEM
УДК 159.9
Abstract
Introduction: in the context of deepening reforms of the higher education system in the People's Republic of China, the relevance of studying the psychological adaptation of students is increasing, since the intensification of the teaching load, changes in assessment procedures and the strengthening of academic competition are accompanied by an increase in psychological stress. Despite a significant number of studies on the mental well-being of students, the structural mechanisms of adaptation difficulties associated with the features of self-esteem and the discrepancy between educational requirements and subjectively perceived capabilities of students are not sufficiently disclosed. The purpose of the study is to identify the psychological difficulties of adaptation of Chinese university students in the context of educational reforms based on the analysis of the structure of self-esteem and the gap between target and realistic assessments. Materials and Methods: the study was conducted on a sample of second- and fourth-year students of Beijing Normal University. The main tool used is the Dembo-Rubinstein self-assessment method which allows assessing the realistic level of self-esteem, goals and the size of the gap between them. Methods of descriptive statistics, intergroup comparisons using the independent Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test, correlation analysis with Spearman's coefficient, as well as the calculation of effect sizes were used. Results: it has been established that inter-course differences are selective. Fourth-year students had lower values of realistic self-assessment of academic success and emotional stability, while the gap between target and realistic grades for these parameters increased. The indicator of autonomy and self-regulation, on the contrary, is characterized by higher values in senior students. The gap shows persistent negative correlations with the main components of the self-esteem structure. Conclusions: the data obtained indicate that the difficulties of adaptation of students in the context of reforming higher education have a pronounced structural nature and are largely due to the accumulation of a gap between high targets and realistic self-esteem.
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References
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References
Motkov O.I. Issledovanie garmonichnosti lichnosti [Research on personality harmony]. Moscow: RUSAJNS, 2020, 168 p. (In Russ.).
An L., Du Q., Shi M. [et al.] Mindfulness and school adaptation among Chinese college students: the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of self-efficacy. Scientific Reports. 2025, vol. 15. pp. 1–9. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-25486-3
Chen J. [et al.] The effect of self-esteem on college students’ learning adaptability: Chain mediating effect of academic self-efficacy and learning burnout. Psychology research and behavior management. 2023, vol. 16, pp. 1615–1629. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S408591
Gao T., Gao B., Wang L. [et al.]. Integrating mental health literacy into Chinese college student mental health education in the post-COVID-19 era. Frontiers in public health. 2024, vol. 12, pp. 1–8. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1456579
Lin Z.-Z., Cai H.-W., Huang Y.-F. [et al.]. Prevalence of depression among university students in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychology. 2025, vol. 13: 373, pp. 1–13. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02688-y
Luo Y. [et al.]. Longitudinal relationship between self-esteem and academic self-efficacy among college students in China: Evidence from a cross-lagged model. Frontiers in psychology. 2022, vol. 13, pp. 1–8. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877343
Shang A., Feng L., Yan G. [et al.]. The relationship between self-esteem and social avoidance among university students: chain mediating effects of resilience and social distress. BMC Psychology. 2025, vol. 13: 116, pp. 1–11. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02444-2
Wen R., Jin Q. The effect of upward social comparison on academic involution among college students: serial mediating effects of self-esteem and perceived stress. Behavioral sciences. 2025, vol. 15, no. 11: 1515, pp. 1–15. DOI: 10.3390/bs15111515
Xie Y., Zeng K., Yang Y. [et al.]. Chain mediating effect of self-esteem and resilience on the relationship between wellbeing literacy and subjective well-being among college students. PLoS ONE. 2025, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 1–13. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325741
Zhang, J. [et al.]. The relationship between stress and academic burnout in college students: evidence from longitudinal data on indirect effects. Frontiers in psychology. 2025, vol. 16: 1517920, pp. 1–10. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920
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