Abstract
The aims of this study was to investigate the low adaptation to learning of students who exhibit reading and writing difficulties (hypothesis i), the effect of evaluative support on adaptation to learning through problem-focused coping in reading and writing difficulties (hypothesis ii), the effect of problem-focused coping on improvement of problem situations (hypothesis iii), and the effect of evaluative support on improvement of problem situations (hypothesis iv). The aim of the study was to examine whether evaluative support influences learning adaptation (hypothesis ⅳ) via improvement of problem situations (hypothesis ⅳ). A questionnaire was conducted with 168 students (79 boys and 89 girls) in the first to third grades of junior high school. In a preliminary study, the applicability and reliability of the Short Version of the Learning Difficulties Scale for University Students (LDSP7) (Takahashi & Mitani, 2022) were found in junior high school students. In the present study, the learning adaptation of the group showing high reading and writing difficulties was significantly lower than that of the group showing low reading and writing difficulties (hypothesis i). Evaluative support also influenced learning adaptation through problem-focused coping (hypothesis ii). Problem-focused coping, together with evaluative support, influenced improvement of problem situations (hypothesis iii). There was no significant path from improvement of problem situations to learning adaptation, and hypothesis iv was not supported. Future study may include examining the nature of evaluative support to further improve problem-focused coping in reading and writing difficulties.
