Popularity and Academic Adjustment in the United States and China: A Meta-Analytic Study.

SUMMARY During middle childhood, children begin to navigate their own ways through societal structures, forming ideas about their individual talents and aspirations for the future. The ability to forge a positive pathway can have major implications for their success as adults. The pathways to success, however, may differ for children of diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds. This article provides a conceptual model of child development that incorporates the contextual, racial, and cultural factors that can play critical roles for children who are not part of society. Key observations emerging from this model include the following: * It is the interplay of the three major derivatives of social stratification--social position, racism, and segregation--that creates the unique conditions and pathways for children of color and of immigrant families. * A segregated school or neighborhood environment that is inhibiting due to limited resources may, at the same time, be promoting if it is supportive of the child's emotional and academic adjustment, helping the child to manage societal demands imposed by discrimination. * The behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, and motivational deficits of minority and immigrant children are more appropriately recognized as manifestations of adaptive cultures, as families develop goals, values, attitudes, and behaviors that set them apart from the dominant culture. Society should strive to promote positive pathways through middle childhood for all children, regardless of their background, by ensuring access to critical resources now and in the future. The authors conclude by suggesting various strategies for working with children of color and children of immigrant families to accomplish this goal. ********** Middle childhood, from 6 to 12 years of age, is a crucial stage in development when children begin to have sustained encounters with different institutions and contexts outside of their families and to navigate their own way through societal structures. It is during this period that children develop a sense of competence, forming ideas about their abilities, the domains of accomplishment they value, and the likelihood that they will do well in these domains. (1) In particular, a child's academic self-perceptions emerge and consolidate in middle childhood, (2) contributing to academic attainment in middle school and beyond. Thus, during middle childhood the development of positive attitudes toward school, academic achievement, and aspirations for the future can have major implications for children's success as adults. In light of the changing demographics of the childhood population in the United States, it is critical to understand how successful developmental pathways may differ for children of diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds. During middle childhood, children of color and of immigrant backgrounds may, for the first time, directly experience exclusion, devaluation, invisibility, discrimination, and racism and these may become important potential sources of influence on their interactions and reactions to mainstream society. (3) Thus, while similar developmental competencies are required of all children, those from non-mainstream backgrounds, or outsiders, may follow different developmental pathways. (4) Experiences within the family, institutions, and communities create particular realities for such children that need to be better understood in order to provide appropriate supports to ensure their success. (5) This article explores when and under which circumstances children are likely to form healthy ethnic/racial identities in spite of negative messages from society, (6) and why some succeed academically while others, in the same schools and from the same backgrounds, do not. Available research documents that children of color generally are overrepresented in high-risk categories, and that economic disadvantage plays a major role in these outcomes. …

Institute of International Education (Open doors report on international educational exchange: International student enrollment trends, 1948/49–2017/18) data indicated that during the 2017–2018 academic year, 1,094,792 international students were studying at a college or university in the United States, of which 62% came from Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Recognizing the importance of a diverse student body, universities have developed programs to assist international students in adapting to the U.S. culture and education system. Music therapy programs, particularly at the graduate level, continue to attract students from Asian countries, although the exact number of students is unknown. Furthermore, little is known about the extent to which music therapy programs provide support for Asian international students, or how Asian international students themselves adjust to, and experience, the first few years of their academic training. Within this context, the purpose of this study was to interview Asian international students studying in graduate music therapy programs in order to understand their experiences during their first 3 years in the United States, particularly the cultural and educational challenges they encountered. Six students and five new professionals were interviewed, with interview transcripts analyzed using methods consistent with qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that almost all the Asian international students interviewed experienced challenges associated with cultural and academic adjustment. Recommendations for students and educators suggest ways to support Asian students as they adapt and integrate into U.S. cultural and academic environments.

ABSTRACTThere are a limited number of individuals who possess the skills to fulfill the workforce demand in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the United States. Therefore, community colleges and 4-year institutions must be able to identify academic and social factors that impact students’ participation in the areas of STEM. These institutions must also explore the possibility that these factors contribute to the high rate of students switching out of STEM fields. This study’s purpose was to develop a better understanding of the perceptions of community college transfer students who continue at a 4-year institution to determine academic and social factors that influenced their academic success in STEM. To collect the quantitative data, the Laanan-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire was utilized. The results of this study reveal that Academic Adjustment was predicted by father’s highest level of education, interaction with faculty at the community college and university, and perception as a transfer student at the university. The cumulative grade point average (GPA), was predicted by the highest level of education of the father, associate degree obtained at the community college, community college transfer GPA, general courses from the community college, transfer credit hours, and university course learning. Overall, the findings indicate that community colleges and 4-year institutions should encourage students to be connecting more in class and after class—not only with their peers, but also with faculty. Findings also suggest that students should become more involved academically and socially to enhance their academic and social adjustment at a 4-year institution.

This study examined the role of perceived discrimination, social connectedness, age, gender, years of study in the US, English language competency, and social contact patterns on adjustment difficulties among a sample of 229 Turkish international students studying in the United States. Findings indicated that students who reported higher levels of social connectedness, lower levels of perceived discrimination, more years of study in the US, and higher levels of English language competency reported lower levels of adjustment difficulties. Other results showed that (lack of) social connectedness and perceived discrimination were predictors of adjustment difficulties. In addition, results indicated that students who socialized with individuals from the US had lower levels of adjustment difficulties than did those who socialized with coculture members. Implications are discussed and suggestions for interventions are provided.

Student identity development is an important aspect of college life for traditional age college students and may influence learning. Sense of community in online courses may also promote learning. A non-experimental, correlational research design was used to determine how student identity development and sense of community independently and together predict academic adjustment. Traditional-age students, 18-25, from ten rural-serving, suburban-serving, or urban-serving community colleges in a Southeastern state in the United States who had taken distance learning courses and a minimum of twelve credits were administered three survey instruments during spring or fall semester. The Student Developmental Task & Lifestyle Assessment was used to measure level of student identity development and was completed by 111 students. The Classroom Community Scale was used to measure sense of classroom community, and the Academic Adjustment subscale of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire was used to measure perceived academic adjustment. Each was completed by 169 students. Chickering’s theory of student identity development provided a framework for the research. A moderate positive correlation was found between achievement of student identity development and perceived academic adjustment, between student sense of classroom community and perceived academic adjustment, and between the two constructs together and student perceived academic adjustment. Additional research is needed to fully examine the relationships among student identity development, classroom community, and academic adjustment.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe undergraduate Chinese international students' experiences during and subsequent to participation in the Drexel Preview, a pre-departure orientation. Thirteen undergraduate international students from China who attended the Pre-Departure Orientation in Shanghai and Beijing (the Drexel Preview) participated in semi-structured interviews to identify the kinds of influences the Drexel Preview had on their cultural and academic adjustment at the university. Data gathering sought to answer three research questions: (a) How do undergraduate Chinese international students at Drexel University describe their experiences with the Drexel Preview? (b) How do these undergraduate Chinese international students describe their academic and cultural transitions into Drexel University? (c) What have undergraduate Chinese international students experienced that is beneficial to them through their participation in the Drexel Preview? The six key findings emerged from the dataset were: (a) prefers United States higher education, (b) impression of United States higher education, (c) initial concerns before attending the Drexel Preview, (d) the Drexel Preview was helpful, (e) initial adjustment struggles after arriving in the United States, and (f) means used to overcome initial adjustment struggles. Through a process of subsuming these themes, four major key results became apparent: (a) Chinese international students' understanding and expectations of United States culture and higher education system prior to attending the Drexel Preview, (b) Chinese international students' initial concerns prior to attending the Drexel Preview, (c) experiences of Chinese international students' participation in the Drexel Preview, and (d) Chinese international students' cultural and academic adjustment during the first year at Drexel University. Stemming from the six key findings and four results of this research study, the researcher made recommendations for providing an influential orientation program that alleviates potential adjustment issues. The three major recommendations for this research study are: (a) develop comprehensive pre-departure virtual information and cost efficient pre-departure orientation program internationally, (b) deliver fall orientation that primarily focuses on engaging students socially by providing activities and opportunity to make connections, and (c) provide transitional courses that enhance international and global competencies.

The current study sampled students from a college in the United States Midwest, and examined the independent predictive strength of a variety of intrapersonal factors (alcohol use, procrastination, perfectionism, perceived level of stress, and coping style) with academic adjustment while controlling for academic motivation. These relations were also examined for moderation by academic motivation. The sample consisted of 273 college students, ranging in age from 18 to 25. Motivation contributed a significant amount of variance in predicting academic adjustment, and the examined predictor variables explained a significant amount of additional variance above that of motivation. Amotivation moderated associations of multiple intrapersonal variables with academic adjustment.

The Critical Relationship Between Anxiety and Depression.

The academic and social transitions of transferee learners are critical determinants of their success in a new school environment. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the transfer experiences of junior high school students and their levels of engagement and sense of belongingness at Valencia National High School. It aimed to know how these aspects are associated with students' academic achievement and social adjustment. There is an increasing number of transferee students in the Philippine educational context, many of whom experience difficulties in academic adjustment, integration, and emotional well-being. It is important to know their experiences in developing school-based interventions that support inclusive education and fair learning opportunities. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, quantitative data were gathered through structured survey questionnaires administered to 313 transferee students from Grades 7 to 10. The study assessed variables such as academic and social engagement, coping mechanisms, acceptance, and sense of belongingness. Findings revealed that while most students reported positive transitions, issues with academic adjustment and social connectivity persist. A significant correlation was found between transfer experiences, engagement, and sense of belongingness, with belongingness being the strongest predictor of student engagement. The influences were teacher support, peer relationships, and institutional programs such as orientation and mentoring. The findings suggest that enhancing school support systems with a focus on relationship development and emotional safety will yield better academic performance and integration for transferee students. The study, therefore, contributes to developing responsive educational practices and policies to sustain student mobility and to foster inclusive learning environments.

This study explored students' perceptions of 3 dimensions of school climate (teacher support, student-student support, and opportunities for autonomy in the classroom) and the associations between these dimensions and adolescent psychological and academic adjustment in China and the United States. Data were drawn from 2 studies involving 706 middle school students (M = 12.26) from Nanjing, China, and 709 middle school students (M = 12.36) from New York City. Findings revealed that students in China perceived higher levels of teacher support, student-student support, and opportunities for autonomy in the classroom than students in the United States. Furthermore, students' perceptions of teacher support and student-student support were positively associated with adolescents' self-esteem and grade point average but negatively associated with depressive symptoms for both Chinese and American adolescents.

This study examines the structure of social support and its relationship to adjustment for adolescents from high-stress lower socioeconomic class inner-city backgrounds. An attempt is made to (a) identify meaningful dimensions of perceived social support for this population; (b) examine the degree to which the perceived helpfulness of each source of support varied as a function of age, sex, and ethnic background; and (c) determine the relationship between the dimensions of social support, personal characteristics of the adolescent, and indices of personal and academic adjustment. Factor analyses reveal three distinct support dimensions: Family, Formal, and Informal Support. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance show differences in the perceived helpfulness of the support dimensions as a function of the adolescent's age, sex, and ethnic background as well as in the relationship of each source of support to the adjustment indices. Implications of the findings for elaborating the impact of social support on coping efforts are discussed.

International students have been continuously transitioning to U.S. colleges in pursuit of high-quality education and social mobility opportunities. Multiple studies have dealt with the adjustment of international students in their process of transitioning to a new environment. The purpose of our study is to explore if college sports fan identification can contribute to this population’s adjustment process. This study used lived experiences from 10 international graduate students regarding their college sports fan experiences and how that helped them adjust to American colleges. Results showed that answers from international students derived two themes: social and academic adjustments. Social adjustment was specified as a sense of belonging and academic adjustment was specified as finding a way to relax from their academic burden. The results of this study can help both the international student office and athletic departments to utilize college sports to help international students with their adjustment to their new environments.

Peer cultures of effort and achievement influence early adolescents' academic adjustment. A randomized controlled trials design was used to test the extent to which aspects of peer cultures of effort and achievement were enhanced following teachers' participation in the Supporting Early Adolescents' Learning and Social Success (SEALS) intervention. Observational and survey data from teachers (N = 188) and survey data from 6th-graders (N = 2,453) in 36 rural schools across the United States were analyzed. Results indicated that in SEALS versus matched control schools, social prominence was more favorably associated with effort and school valuing, and peer group injunctive norms were more supportive of effort and achievement. Findings indicate that aspects of peer cultures respond to the school context and provide evidence of the efficacy of the SEALS model.

Parents and friends are important influences on adolescents’ academic outcomes. We examine whether and how adolescents’ social networks compensate for or enhance the effects of their parents’ education on academic outcomes. Among a large ethnoracially diverse sample of high school students in the Southwestern (N = 2,136) and Midwestern (N = 1,055) United States, results from network autocorrelation models showed that higher levels of mother and father education were related to greater academic self‐efficacy and engagement and higher aspirations, expectations, and grade point averages at both schools. Friends’ parents’ education levels were positively associated with adolescents’ academic aspirations, expectations, and grade point averages across all of the models; higher levels of friends’ parents’ education were related to greater academic self‐efficacy across all models, except for mothers in the Southwest; and friends’ fathers’ education levels were positively related to adolescents’ academic engagement for students in the Midwestern school only. There were no significant interaction effects between parents’ and friends’ parents’ education levels in predicting academic outcomes. Differences in the distribution of parental education across ethnic‐racial groups shaped the implications of the model for adolescents’ academic adjustment. Findings highlight the impact of educational opportunity across generations in shaping academic inequities.

It was examined whether early adolescents' involvement in a romantic relationship would be differentially related to adjustment, depending on their relations with the same-sex peer group. Three hundred and twelve 7th graders were assessed with respect to their social acceptance by same-sex peers, involvement in reciprocal same-sex friendships, involvement in romantic relationships, self-esteem, antisocial behavior, and academic performance. Social acceptance by other-sex peers and involvement in reciprocal other-sex friendships were also assessed for control purposes. The results showed that having a boyfriend/ girlfriend was related to poorer emotional and behavioral adjustment for those early adolescents who were unpopular among same-sex peers. For adolescents who were popular among same-sex peers, romantic involvement was not related to emotional and behavioral adjustment. Independently of same-sex peer acceptance, however, romantic involvement was negatively related to academic performance, albeit only for girls. The results are discussed in light of Sullivan's theory of social development.