Abstract

purpose of this study was to determine the extent cognitive mechanisms correlate with the school adjustment ofin-school adolescentsfor sustainable development in South-South, Nigei ia. The study adopted a correlational research design. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated and the hypotheses tested at 0.05 level ofsignificance. A sample of 600 (271 male and 239female) SSIIstudents drawn through multistage sampling techniquesfrom the target population of3,000 (1,354 male and 1,646 female) senior secondary school class two students in the 18 unity secondary schools in 2024/2025 academic session in South-South, Nigeria was usedfor the study. Two instruments were usedfor the study. The researcher developed Mental Mechanism Scale (MMS), while the School Adjustment Scale (SAS) adapted from School Adjustment Scale (SAC) by Ekennia (2016) were validated by three experts in Educational Psychology, Guidance and counselling and Measurement and Evaluation. The internal consistency of the instruments were determined using Cronbach Alpha method and reliability indices of0.83 and 0.82 were obtainedfor MMS and SAS respectively. The data obtained through the administration of the two instruments were analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (Pearson's r R2 coefficient of determination) to answer the research questions, while linear regression analyses were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Thefindings among others revealed that cognitive mechanisms contributed 70.9% of the variance observed in the school adjustment among in-school adolescents. It was recommended among others that parents, teachers, counsellors and psychologist should see each student as a unique being and a person ofworth irrespective ofthe student’s mental mechanisms for the proper school adjustment and that the socio-cultural practices that discriminate against females need to be abolished Key: Cognitive mechanisms, School adjustment, In-school adolescents, development