Developmental trajectories of children’s behavioral engagement in late elementary school: Both teachers and peers matter.

Abstract

The present longitudinal study examined how relationships with teachers and peers jointly shape the development of children's behavioral engagement in late elementary school. A sample of 586 children (46% boys; Mage = 9.26 years at Wave 1) was followed throughout Grades 4, 5, and 6. A multidimensional approach was adopted, distinguishing support and conflict as teacher-child relationship dimensions, and acceptance and popularity as peer relationship dimensions. Additive, moderation, and mediation models were tested. Latent growth curve modeling showed evidence for an additive model in which high initial and increasing levels of teacher support, and high initial levels of peer acceptance, independently reduce the normative declines in children's behavioral engagement. This implies that targeting only 1 relationship in intervention cannot compensate for negative aspects of the other relationship. Teacher conflict only predicted initial levels of behavioral engagement, whereas peer popularity did not predict behavioral engagement (not even in a subsample of children with relatively high levels of relational or physical aggression). However, cross-lagged panel mediation analyses revealed that children who were perceived as more popular in Grade 5 were less engaged in school in Grade 6. Practical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Students’ School Engagement and Their Truant Behavior: Do Relationships with Classmates and Teachers Matter?

“…These results confirm the findings of other studies reporting that peer relationships and the student-teacher relationship are correlated, but are two unique aspects of students' social integration at school (e.g. De Laet et al, 2015;Furrer & Skinner, 2003;Virtanen et al, 2014). In contrast, the student-teacher relationship and relationships with peers seem to be less important for students' truant behavior and neither of them leads to a lower or higher truancy rate.…”

“…In a number of studies the quality of students' relationships in school has been recognized as one of the prominent factors influencing students' school engagement (e.g. Birch & Ladd, 1997;De Laet et al, 2015;Makarova & Herzog, 2013;Wang & Eccles, 2013), and school-based supportive relationships were shown to have 'a key influence on academic engagement' (Suárez-Orozco, Pimentel, & Martin, 2009, p. 730).…”

“…Other studies viewed peer relationships and the student-teacher relationship as correlated aspects, but two unique predictors of school engagement (e.g. De Laet et al, 2015;Furrer & Skinner, 2003). For example, Virtanen et al (2014) reported that students' perception of teacher support was positively associated with engagement, but that perceived peer support and school engagement were not associated.…”

Development of the Student Experience of Teacher Support Scale: Measuring the Experience of Children Who Report Aggression and Bullying

“…The ages of 9 to 12 years are a key period for the development of relational aggression as children's goals of popularity and social dominance peak (De Laet et al 2015). Vaillancourt and Hymel (2006) comment that the term dominance is traditionally applied to people who manipulate the behavior of others; this relates to social power.…”

Social Acceptance of High‐Ability Youth: Multiple Perspectives and Contextual Influences

“…A large body of research has documented that being accepted by the peer group offers many advantages for children's development, not only for their psychosocial development and mental health, but also for their academic success (Gifford‐Smith & Brownell, ; Wentzel & Muenks, ). Longitudinal research has shown that children who are accepted by their peers at school tend to feel more emotionally engaged in school and display higher levels of behavioral school engagement over time (e.g., De Laet et al., ; Weyns, Colpin, De Laet, Engels, & Verschueren, ). These findings are consistent with the assumption that social acceptance fulfills children's need for relatedness, which helps fostering their engagement and achievement (e.g., Wentzel & Muenks, ).…”