Adolescent perceptions on the meaning and development of personal responsibility: A phenomenological study.

摘要

The primary purpose of this research was to identify the perceptions of adolescents in regard to the factors that influence their personal responsibility. This was accomplished by surveying and interviewing adolescents about personal responsibility.;The research methodology for this dissertation was mixed and used the concurrent nested design with the predominant method of qualitative interviews that guided the project.;The quantitative portion was accomplished through purposive available sampling of 105 juniors and seniors who completed a 21-question survey. The qualitative portion was administered through personal interviews with 19 juniors and seniors who were identified by teachers, counselors, and administrators as having demonstrated personal responsibility. The research population was comprised of students from a local suburban public high school in Southern California. The surveys indicated some inconsistent responses across the questions, indicating low reliability of the survey instrument. As such, drawing distinct conclusions became difficult. The results of the surveys showed general agreement about the definition of personal responsibility and further agreement that the schools may influence the development of student responsibility. For the qualitative interviews, three broad themes emerged from the data; personal responsibility was promoted by parent/family influence, by teacher influence, and by the influence of school programs and activities. This study indicated that adolescents believe that the character of young people can be developed both at home and at school. Based on the results of the study, specific recommendations may be further divulged to parents and schools to encourage personal responsibility in adolescents.