Educational goals and motives as possible mediators in the relationship between social support and academic achievement

Perceived social support has been widely recognized as having beneficial effects on a person’s development, and adolescence is no exception. The objective of this article is to go beyond this “stereotypical” vision of friendship by showing that social support does not always have a positive and direct effect on adolescents’ academic achievement. We sought to understand whether this relationship is mediated by the educational goals and motives that student value and pursue. If these values do not coincide with the expectations and values that the academic institution seeks to transmit, the influence of social support can become harmful, especially with regard to the students’ academic achievement. Data were collected by means of questionnaires from 676 junior high school students in 9th grade from contrasting academic institutions. We chose to observe each participant’s subjective point of view of three dimensions: social support, academic achievement, and educational goals and motives. The results showed that the relationship between social support and attention and involvement in class was negative and mediated by students’ goals. The adolescents with a high level of social support mainly pursued social goals and neglected achievement and future goals. Consequently, these students were less attentive and involved in class. The results also showed that social support was predictive of students’ investment and interest in personal work and success, but only when the students pursued achievement and future goals.     

The social costs of academic success across ethnic groups

This study explores the longitudinal association between academic achievement and social acceptance across ethnic groups in a nationally representative sample of adolescents (N = 13,570; M(age) = 15.5 years). The effects of school context are also considered. Results show that African American and Native American adolescents experience greater social costs with academic success than Whites. Pertaining to school context, findings suggest that the differential social consequences of achievement experienced by African Americans are greatest in more highly achieving schools, but only when these schools have a smaller percentage of Black students. Students from Mexican descent also showed differential social costs with achievement in particular contexts. The implications of these findings to theory, policy, and future research are discussed.     

Motivation and ability: which students use online learning and what influence does it have on their achievement?

There has been much recent research examining online learning in universities, but two questions seem to have been largely overlooked in this context: (1) Which students voluntarily utilise web‐based learning; and (2) Does this use influence their academic achievement? The current study aimed to determine whether the approaches to studying, ability, age, and gender of 110 undergraduates in the second year of a psychology degree predicted the extent to which they utilised online learning using Web Course Tools (WebCT) in support of a core Biological Psychology unit. Data were obtained from WebCT's student tracking system, Entwistle and Ramsden's 18‐item Approaches to Studying Inventory (1983) and academic records. Multiple linear regressions and discriminant function analysis were used to examine whether individual differences predicted WebCT use, while analysis of covariance determined whether web use influenced academic achievement. The number of hits, length of access, and use of the bulletin board was predicted by age, with older students using WebCT more. These factors were also influenced by ability and achievement orientation. The degree of participation in self‐assessment was not predicted by student variables, but, of those that repeated an online quiz, improvement was more likely in those with lower achievement orientation. Only bulletin board use influenced achievement, with those posting messages outperforming those not using, or passively using bulletin boards. However, because individual differences will determine the extent to which students utilise this facility, it is suggested that future research should focus on developing online learning environments that incorporate activities with both a beneficial influence on learning and appeal to a wide student population.     

Peers and academic achievement: A longitudinal study on selection and socialization effects of in-class friends

The present study was conducted to analyze whether in-class friends influence each other's grades, and whether adolescents tend to select friends that are similar to them in terms of academic achievement. During 1 academic year, 542 eighth-grade students (M age = 13.3 years) reported on 3 different occasions on their in-class friendship networks. At these occasions their report card grades for 3 subjects were copied from their files. We tested whether academic achievement functions as a selection criterion for friendship, and whether academic achievement is influenced by in-class friends, using social network analytic techniques. Socialization effects for Dutch and English language grades, but not for mathematics grades, were found. We found no support for selection effects of grades.     

The peer group as a context: mediating and moderating effects on relations between academic achievement and social functioning in Chinese children

The purpose of the study was to examine, in a large sample of Chinese children and adolescents at 9, 13, and 16 years of age, the contextual effects of the peer group on relations between academic achievement and social functioning. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning and academic achievement were collected from multiple sources. It was found that peer groups were highly homogenous on academic achievement. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that academic achievement and social adjustment were associated at both the within-group individual level and the group level. Moreover, group academic performance moderated the relations between academic achievement and social adjustment such as peer acceptance, social competence, and leadership, suggesting that individual-level relations might be enhanced or exacerbated by group academic norms.     

A longitudinal analysis of gender differences in academic self-concept and language achievement: A multivariate multilevel latent growth approach

This study investigated the development of academic self-concept and language achievement from Grade 7 to Grade 12 by repeated assessment of 2826 Flemish adolescents in 50 secondary schools. Latent growth curve modeling showed that both girls and boys experience a declining academic self-concept during the period of secondary education and that girls declined at a faster rate. Furthermore, girls were shown to have an increase in Dutch language achievement over time, whereas boys showed a decrease in middle years, followed by an increase from Grade 9 on. The multivariate multilevel growth curve model suggested that the evolution of academic self-concept was not related to the evolution in achievement, neither at the individual level, nor at the school level. There is, however, a positive relation between students’ academic self-concept and their achievement, the magnitude of which decreased throughout secondary school. At the school level, the correlation is small, but also positive, except for the girls from Grade 10 on. The results are discussed in relation to the reciprocal effects model and the developmental perspective regarding the self-concept/achievement relation.     

Longitudinal analysis of Chinese high school student’s stress in school and academic achievement

In previous research, few studies have examined the effects of adolescents’ stress in school on the change rates of their academic achievement. In the present study, we seek to examine the longitudinal relationships between adolescents’ stress in school and the change rates of their academic achievement. The results indicated that for those whose academic achievement significantly declined over time, the students’ stress from teacher–student interaction significantly predicted the change rates of their academic achievement. The findings provided support to the notion that stress was a risk factor in students’ academic development.     

Temperamental task orientation: Relation to high school and college educational accomplishments

To evaluate the role of temperamental task orientation in adolescents' academic success, we examined its relation to educational accomplishments in high school and college using longitudinal data. Participants (N = 110) were assessed at 15, 16, and 17 years of age with a follow-up at 24 years. Adolescent self-report and parent reports of task orientation at 16 were used to predict high school and college GPA, SAT scores, perseverance in college, and degree attainment. Task orientation related to high school GPA and accounted for variance above and beyond SES and IQ in predicting high school and college GPA. An interaction emerged between IQ and task orientation: increasing levels of task orientation were associated with higher GPA for students with higher intelligence, but not for those with relatively lower intelligence. These findings highlight the contribution of non-intellective factors to academic achievement in secondary and post-secondary education.     

Theory of Mind: Deaf and Hearing Children's Comprehension of Picture Stories and Judgments of Social Situations

We compared 20 prelingually profoundly deaf adolescents (age: 11-16 years) and 20 matched, hearing adolescents on a picture-sequencing task and on a social judgment test. In addition, we also tested 14 younger deaf children (age: 6-10 years) and compared their data with those from 20 hearing peers as well as those from the older deaf participants on the picture-sequencing task. The results from this study did not provide evidence for the hypothesis that deaf adolescents possess significantly poorer knowledge about social reasoning than age-matched hearing peers, but it did present further additional support for Peterson and Siegal's (1995) conversational hypothesis: a proposal that a deprivation in conversations about mental states leads to an impairment in the development of an awareness of mental states in the younger deaf children.     

AGE‐RELATED DIFFERENCES IN ACADEMIC BURNOUT OF KOREAN ADOLESCENTS

Korean adolescents experience considerable stress because of an educational system that focuses primarily on college entrance examinations, pressure for academic achievement, and a competitive atmosphere in school. The main purpose of this study was to explore age differences in the construct of Korean adolescents’ academic burnout. Once assumptions of configural, factor loading, and intercept invariance were satisfied, we compared means of latent variables (four components of academic burnout in the present study). Results of the latent mean analysis showed that all four subscales (exhaustion, antipathy, cynicism, and inefficacy) of academic burnout increased gradually as age increased. Moving from elementary to middle and middle to high school appears to be stressful for students. Implications for school professionals and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Effects of the peer group on the development of social functioning and academic achievement: a longitudinal study in Chinese children

This longitudinal study examined, in a sample of Chinese children (initial mean ages = 9.5 and 12.7 years, N = 505), how the peer group contributed to social functioning and academic achievement and their associations. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning, and academic achievement were collected from multiple sources. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that group academic performance made direct contributions to children's social development. Group academic performance also moderated the individual-level relations between academic performance and later social functioning. Whereas high-achieving groups strengthened the positive relations between academic achievement and social competence, low-achieving groups facilitated the negative relations between academic achievement and social problems. The results indicate the significance of the peer group for social functioning from a developmental perspective.     

自我提升研究概述

自我提升是个体对自己不切实际的一种积极评价或过高评价,是个体在自我认识和社会比较中努力保持和提升自我的一种倾向,它影响着人们的心理健康状态、成绩表现、人际交往及任务选择等多方面,同时自我提升的水平和表现形式又受到文化差异、自尊、人格特质以及人际关系和评价等因素的影响。在自我提升的研究中,还存在着概念不统一、测量方法多样、结构不明确、实证研究少、样本群体单一以及对任务选择和成绩表现的作用探讨较少等问题,未来研究可在这些方面开展。     

我国学习不良儿童社会性发展研究综述

学习不良是指个体的实际学业成就与根据其智力潜能期望达到的学业成绩之间的差异,这种差异达到一定标准时就是学习不良。我国对学习不良儿童社会性发展的研究主要从其社会认知、社会行为与相关因素三个方面来探讨学习不良儿童社会性发展的内在机制、特点及影响因素。本文总结了国内这方面的相关研究,以便理清思路,为今后的研究提供借鉴。     

Learning support and academic achievement among Malaysian adolescents: the mediating role of student engagement

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between learning support, student engagement and academic achievement among adolescents. We also examined the extent to which affective, behavioural and cognitive engagement play a mediating role in students’ perceived learning support from parents, teachers and peers, and contribute to their academic achievement. Malaysian adolescents (aged 12–17 years, N = 2359) completed a self-administered questionnaire based on an adapted version of the Student Engagement And Learning Support Scale. Item and factor analyses were performed to ensure appropriate psychometric properties of the scales. Pearson correlation analysis identified the relationship between variables and structural equation modelling was conducted to identify the role of student engagement as a mediator between learning support and academic achievement. The study provides empirical support for the hypothesis that perceptions of learning support influence adolescents’ affective, behavioural and cognitive engagement in school in different ways, which in turn influences their academic achievement. Cognitive engagement seemed to be the best predictor of academic achievement and the strongest mediator for all three types of learning support. Behavioural engagement was negatively associated with academic achievement, and affective engagement did not have a direct relationship with academic achievement, although it contributed indirectly through cognitive and behavioural engagement. The results of this study provide a basis for policy makers to initiate prevention and intervention programs for increasing the quality of parent–child, teacher–student and peer–peer relationships which ultimately could lead to improved academic competence and outcomes.     

The effects of social supports on changes in students’ perceived instrumentality of schoolwork for future goal attainment

Research on perceived instrumentality of students’ academic work for attaining life goals has shown to have positive effects on academic achievement and motivation The purpose of the study was to examine the changes in perceived instrumentality over time and to identify how significant others such as parents, teachers and peers affect changes in perceived instrumentality. The variables of gender, prior achievement levels, academic pressure and socioeconomic status, which had significant influences on perceived instrumentality according to previous research, were used as control variables. Longitudinal data were collected for four years of 6908 students and analysed using the Growth Curve Modelling technique. Parents’ and teachers’ academic expectations and their career guidance, and social support from peers were used as predictors for changes in perceived instrumentality. Our results revealed that perceived instrumentality increased over time but in a decelerated pattern. In addition, parents and peers had significant influences on perceived instrumentality and its change, but teachers did not. The results suggest that support from parents and peers helps students to understand and internalise why they have to study hard in school to achieve their future long-term life goals.     

Teachers' reflections on cooperative learning: Issues of implementation

Cooperative learning (CL) is a well documented pedagogical practice that promotes academic achievement and socialization, yet many teachers struggle with implementing it in their classes. This study reports on the perceptions of 10, middle-year teachers who implemented cooperative learning in a unit of work across two school terms. Data from the interviews indicated that while the teachers had positive experiences with CL, a number encountered difficulties with implementing it in their classrooms. Issues identified included students socializing during group activities and not working, managing time effectively, and the preparation required. Other issues that the teachers identified as being important for successful group work included the composition of the groups, the task the group was to undertake, the social skills training needed, and the assessment of the learning that occurred in the group.     

Primary school children’s beliefs associating extra-curricular provision with non-cognitive skills and academic achievement

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the beliefs of primary school children aged 7–11 years in England concerning the impact of adult-led after-school extended provision (EP) on their development of non-cognitive skills (NCS). In responses to a questionnaire survey and focus group interviews, children were more positive than parents, teachers and school governors, believing EP enabled them to acquire numerous NCS, including most emotional intelligence competences, but excluding social skills related to locus of control. Findings support the argument that EP affording NCS development may enhance academic achievement, indicating that NCS development embedded in primary curricula may also benefit academic achievement.     

A CROSS CULTURAL STUDY OF LEADERSHIP,SOCIAL MATURITY AND CREATIVE POTENTIAL IN ADOLESCENTS

This study investigated relationships among leadership potential, social maturity, creativity, intelligence, and academic achievement among adolescents in the United States and Singapore. Results showed higher intelligence but lower leadership potential among Singapore students and a positive correlation in general between social maturity and intelligence, while creativity was found to be negatively correlated with both intelligence and academic achievement.     

The effects of faculty behaviors on the academic achievement of first-year Cambodian urban university students

Research on the faculty impact on students’ academic achievement has been disproportionately confined to the context of countries with developed higher education systems. Few studies have been undertaken in the developing world like Cambodia. This study employed hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationships between faculty behaviors and the academic achievement of university students in Cambodia, using the data of 923 first-year students from nine universities in Phnom Penh City. Results indicated that faculty behavior, namely their support and feedback to students, was a unique factor that had a strong and positive influence on students’ academic achievement. Its effect was the same for all students regardless of their pre-university academic experience and geographical origin and partially moderated by student engagement in time spent on course-related tasks outside the classroom, assigned homework/tasks, class participation, and class preparation. Contrary to existing findings from faculty impact studies, no relation was found for faculty’s instructional organization and clarity or classroom practices that challenge students on academic achievement. Practical implications for assessment policies and instructional practices are discussed.     

Postponement in the completion of the final dissertation: an underexplored dimension of achievement in higher education

Research on academic achievement at a university has mainly focused on success and persistence among first year students. Very few studies have looked at delay or failure in the completion of a final dissertation. However, this phenomenon could affect a substantial proportion of students and has considerable costs. The purpose of the present study is to identify factors which predict postponement in the completion of the final dissertation. Several potential predictors (e.g., background, personality, social support, motivational beliefs, and engagement) were selected through an integrative review of the literature on achievement in higher education. A questionnaire assessing these variables was administered to 341 students a few months before the deadline for their final dissertation. Results indicate that perceived peer support, perceived relatives support, role conflict, and age have an independent and significant effect on whether or not the final dissertation is completed on time. In addition, self-efficacy and behavioral engagement appeared to be mediators of the relationship between the social support and the final dissertation completion.