In this investigation, we replicated Skinner et al.'s study of the dynamics of engagement with a more diverse sample of Grades 6 and 7 students from a middle school with a large English learner (primarily Spanish-speaking) student population. We tested dimensions of the self-system model of motivational development in a specific academic domain (i.e., social studies). Some relationships found by Skinner and colleagues were supported, whereas others were not. Emotional engagement predicted changes in behavioral engagement and disaffection. The classroom context and students' self-perceptions predicted changes in engagement and disaffection. Students' self-perceptions also mediated the relation between teacher support and engagement and disaffection. None of these relations were moderated by language status. C 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Engagement (i.e., active participation in activities) has been identified as a multifaceted and crucial factor in predicting and preventing school dropout (Christenson et al., 2008;Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004) that is positively associated with desired academic, emotional, and social learning outcomes (Klem & Connell, 2004). For English learner (EL) students, engagement in academics and school is of the utmost importance. ELs, especially adolescents, have consistently fallen behind their English native-speaking peers academically (e.g., 70% of eighth graders identified as ELs scored below the basic level in national reading assessments compared to 20% of non-ELs, Aud et al., 2013). As such, academic engagement has drawn increased interest from researchers and practitioners (Fredricks et al., 2011).Given declines in student engagement across the elementary, middle, and high school years (Marks, 2000; National Research Council, 2004), there is a particular need to understand the dynamics underlying changes in engagement. In particular, Skinner, Furrer, Marchand, and Kindermann (2008) examined the internal dynamics of engagement (i.e., how the components of engagement related to each other over time) as well as how the components of engagement are related to contextual and personal factors. Although this study has important implications for understanding the internal and external factors that contribute to changes in students' engagement, the sample was relatively homogeneous and the authors examined engagement across academic contexts. In the current investigation, we replicated and expanded on Skinner et al. (2008) by exploring the internal and external dynamics of engagement for EL students (i.e., primarily Spanish-speaking) and non-EL students in a content domain (i.e., social studies).
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