Abstract
The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) To identify which coping strategies academically successful and unsuccessful 4th grade students most often chose to use when presented with eight categories of coping strategies as they relate to stressors at home, at school, and in the community, (2) To determine if significant differences existed between the coping strategies used by academically successful and unsuccessful 4th grade students when reacting to stressors at home, at school, and in the community and (3) To determine if significant differences existed between the coping strategies used by academically successful and unsuccessful 4th grade students according to gender when reacting to stressors at home, at school, and in the community. This was descriptive study using ranked averaged mean scores and Chi-square statistical procedures. Ninety-six 4th grade students completed three self-rated surveys to compare the ways that they, successful and unsuccessful students, used eight coping strategies when responding to stressors at home, at school and in the community. Successful students scored at or above the 50 th percentile on an achievement-leveled test in reading and earned teacher assigned grades of "A's" or "B's". Unsuccessful students scored at or above the 50th percentile on the same achievement-leveled test in reading but earned grades of "D's" or "F's". When students ranked their uses of the eight coping strategies, successful students ranked them differently for each environment, home, school, and community. Unsuccessful students ranked two of the same coping strategies for home and school, but a different coping strategy for the community. Significant differences existed between the ways that all students used the eight coping strategies on 6 x 8 chi-square tables. However, no significant difference and significant difference patterns existed when students' responses were disaggregated by gender, success factors, and environments. Successful and unsuccessful students generally responded differently to stressors at home, at school, and the community. Successful boys and girls responded to stressors in very much the same ways, while unsuccessful boys and girls responded quiet differently. It was recommended that the coping strategy patterns of successful students be further identified, replicated and implemented as part of the elementary school curriculum. The evidence that situations, gender, and environments affect the ways that students achieve intimates that the ways they cope with stressors in their environment also affects their achievement.