Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents in Boarding Schools Compared to Day Schools in Taraba State

This study compares the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents in boarding secondary schools with those in day schools in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. Boarding school attendance separates adolescents from their family environments during a critical developmental period, potentially accelerating autonomy development in some students while creating emotional challenges for others. In Taraba State, where boarding schools are commonly utilised by families in rural and semi-urban communities to access better quality education, understanding the psychosocial implications of this arrangement is important for educational and developmental planning. This research employed a cross-sectional comparative design involving 360 SS2 students equally divided between boarding and day school settings across Jalingo and Bali local government areas. Psychosocial adjustment was evaluated across social, emotional, and behavioural dimensions using the Achenbach Youth Self-Report and the Social Adjustment Scale for Children and Adolescents. Independent samples t-tests and regression analyses were applied. Results indicate that boarding school students showed higher levels of peer social competence and emotional autonomy compared to day school peers. However, boarding students also reported higher levels of homesickness, anxiety, and lower family relationship satisfaction during the first year. By the third year of boarding school attendance, most psychosocial adjustment differences diminished. The study recommends that Taraba State boarding schools implement structured transition support programmes for new students to facilitate healthy psychosocial adjustment. Keywords: boarding schools, psychosocial adjustment, adolescents, Taraba State, emotional autonomy.