Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the key predictors of change in sense of community during adolescence, to classify latent classes of sense of community changes, and to test the impact of key predictors on classification of latent classes. To this end, SEMforest was applied to KELS 2013 data from 3rd to 8th wave to derive the key predictors of changes in sense of community during middle school and high school, and discontinuous piecewise latent class growth analysis was utilized using a three-step approach. The results were as follows. First, as a result of SEMforest, five student-related variables were found to be common to both the middle and high school years, and two student-related variables were selected differentially for each of the middle and high school years. Additionally, one parental-related variable was derived to be common to both middle and high school years, and two parental-related variables were selected discriminatively for each of the middle and high school years. Second, three latent classes in sense of community during adolescence were identified: low-level decline (22.2%), middle-level gain-decline (52.0%), and high-level gain-decline (25.8%). Third, self-concept (academic and social), rule observance, multicultural acceptance (relationship with multicultural neighbors/friends), and volunteerism awareness were found to have a significant effect on classifying latent classes in both the middle and high school years. Finally, based on the main results, educational implications for fostering a sense of community among adolescents were discussed.

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