Identity Development-in-Context: The School as an Important Context for Identity Development
Title:
Identity Development-in-Context: The School as an Important Context for Identity Development
Author:
Lannegrand-Willems, Lyda Bosma, Harke A.
Appeared in:
Identity
Paging:
Volume 6 (2006) nr. 1 pages 85-113
Year:
2006-01-01
Contents:
The main aim of this research was to study adolescent identity development in the school context. The school is important in how students see themselves, their behavior, and their learning achievements. Similar influences could be expected with regard to the development of identity in adolescence. To study identity development-in-context, a French paper-and-pencil adaptation of the Groningen Identity Development Scale (GIDS; Bosma, 1985) was made. The sample (N = 311) was composed of students of 8th-grade classes from three schools that differed in terms of their students' demographic characteristics. The different measures concerned the students' academic status, school experience (school self-image, school strategies, and integration), and identity in terms of exploration and commitment. First, the French adaptation of the GIDS led to a reliable and valid measure. Second, the results showed that the school context played an important role in the student's identity development, and at the same time, they underlined the role of the school experience as a personal resource in the development of identity. This study demonstrates, in line with Baumeister and Muraven's (1996) assertion, that identity is an adaptation to the school context, but also that the school system adapts to its students.
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