School Engagement Of Children Research Articles

Child Social Support Moderates the Association Between Maternal Psychopathology and Child School Engagement

Child Social Support Moderates the Association Between Maternal Psychopathology and Child School Engagement

Predictors of child student engagement in elementary school: A mixed‐methods study exploring the role of externalising problems

AbstractStudent engagement promotes school learning and adaptation and can be a protective factor for children who are vulnerable to school failure. A longitudinal mixed‐methods study was conducted to identify individual, family and school predictors of children's school engagement as well as to explore the facilitators of and obstacles to student engagement at school amongst children with externalising problems. The sample consisted of 369 elementary school children (53.7% girls) and their parents as well as 35 teachers. Participants completed several measures to evaluate emotional and behavioural engagement at school, externalising behaviours, parental emotional support, parental involvement with the school and student–teacher relationships. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a subsample of 17 parents of children with high levels of externalising problems. Problems with externalising behaviours and student–teacher relationships were significant predictors of school engagement. Parents’ reports showed that family support, positive student–teacher relationships, and positive relationships with peers are the main facilitators of school engagement in children with high levels of externalising problems. Our study highlights the role played by externalising problems in school engagement. Limitations of the study and implications for prevention research and practice are discussed.Highlights This study aimed to analyse individual, family and school predictors of children's school engagement and to explore the facilitators of and obstacles to school engagement in a subsample of children with high levels of externalising problems. A mixed method design consisting of a longitudinal quantitative and cross‐sectional qualitative approach was used. The quantitative results show that problems with externalising behaviours and student–teacher relationships were significant predictors of school engagement. The qualitative results show that family support, positive student–teacher relationships and positive relationships with peers are the main facilitators of school engagement in children with high levels of externalising problems

Contribution of Indian philosophers in early childhood care and education during the pre-independence period

For the past decades, India has witnessed a drastic change in the field of early childhood care and education. Existing policies and programs in India had ensured considerable growth in investments together with improvements in children's school engagement. But the situation of ECCE during the pre-independence period remained dispersed, concentrated in cities, limited to specific regions of the nation, and only available to those who could afford them. Many philosophers have given their souls to develop a better education system in India. Gijubhai Badheka, Tarabai Modak, Gandhiji, and Tagore are some of the pioneers of the development of ECCE. The study aims to explore the contributions of Indian philosophers to Early Childhood Care and Education before the independence of India.

Shyness and School Engagement in Chinese Suburban Preschoolers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher-Child Closeness and Child Gender.

Shyness is associated with poorer preschool engagement, but few studies have evaluated the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study explored the mediating role of teacher–child closeness and the moderating role of child gender in the association between shyness and school engagement to fill this gap. With the cluster sampling method, a total of 532 young children (240 girls; Mage = 4.29 years, SD = 0.65 years) were recruited from 15 suburban kindergartens in East China. Mothers rated children’s shyness, and teachers evaluated children’s school engagement and teacher–child closeness five months later. The results reveal the following: (1) Shyness was related to higher cooperative participation and lower school avoidance; (2) Teacher–child closeness mediated the relationships between shyness and school engagement. Specifically, shyness negatively predicted teacher–child closeness, and teacher–child closeness positively predicted cooperative and independent participations and school liking, and negatively predicted school avoidance; (3) Child gender moderated the relationship between shyness and school engagement, and specifically, for boys but not girls, shyness was significantly linked with lower school avoidance; for girls but not boys, shyness was significantly related to higher cooperative participation and lower independent participation. These findings have implications for the school engagement of preschoolers.

The Effect of Out-of-Home Placement on the School Engagement of Child Welfare-Involved Children

The Effect of Out-of-Home Placement on the School Engagement of Child Welfare-Involved Children

School engagement, sensitivity to criticism and academic achievement in children: The predictive role of theory of mind

The present study tested the longitudinal relations among children's theory of mind (ToM), sensitivity to criticism, school engagement, and academic achievement. One hundred and twenty-one school-age typically developing children completed a ToM task (understanding of faux pas), sensitivity to criticism task (emotional reaction and motivation for improvement after critique, 30 months after ToM), and a language and mathematics achievement test (twice, 40 months apart). Teachers assessed children's school engagement 40 months after ToM. The results show that the scores on the Faux Pas Recognition Test predicted the children's motivation for improvement and language and mathematics scores. In turn, motivation predicted school engagement, and engagement predicted language and mathematics scores, even when the initial level of achievement was controlled. A hypothesized sequential mediation was established among ToM, motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. Overall, the present study emphasizes the importance of ToM development for children's academic achievement and overall functioning in school.

Bidirectional associations between emotions and school adjustment.

We examined the relations of children's (N = 301) observed expression of negative and positive emotion in classes or nonclassroom school contexts (i.e., lunch and recess) to school adjustment from kindergarten to first grade. Naturalistic observations of children's emotional expressivity were collected, as were teachers' reports of children's school engagement and relationship quality with teachers and peers. In longitudinal panel models, greater teacher-student conflict and lower student engagement in kindergarten predicted greater negative expressivity in both school contexts. School engagement and peer acceptance in kindergarten positively predicted first grade positive emotion in the classroom. Suggestive of possible bidirectional relations, there was also small unique prediction (near significant) from negative expressivity at lunch and recess to higher teacher-student conflict, from negative expressivity in the classroom to low peer acceptance, and from positive expressivity in the classroom to higher peer acceptance. The pattern of findings suggests that the quality of experience at school uniquely predicts children's emotional expressivity at school more consistently than vice versa-a finding that highlights the important role of school context in young children's emotionality at school.

Papel del castigo parental en relación entre la adaptación económica y la inclusión escolar de niños

The aim of the paper was to examine the direct and indirect effect of economic adjustment on the emotional and behavioural school engagement of children, through parental punishment. The direct and indirect effects were examined depending on the gender of the child and the parent, and the source of the assessment of the examined constructs. Based on theoretical models, namely the Adams's and Ryan Family–School Relationships Model (2005), the Conger's and colleges Family Stress Model (2010), and the model of Yoshikawa and colleges (2012), hypothesis has been postulated about the existence of significant indirect but not the direct effect of the economic adjustment on the school engagement of boys and girls. In this paper, the data collected from 285 schoolchildren and their parents analysed. Children assessed punishment of the father and of the mother, and their school engagement and parents provided information on the economic adjustment. Using the Hayes's (2013) mediation process analysis, eight models were tested with direct and indirect effects of the economic adjustment on school engagement of the children. The results partly supported the hypothesis of the existence of significant indirect but not direct effects of economic adjustment on school engagement. The obtained results indicate that the effect of economic adjustment on school engagement of boys is only indirect, namely through parental punishment, while in girls the economic adjustment is both directly and indirectly related to school engagement. In boys, the adverse effect of economic adjustment on school engagement is realized through the behaviour of both mothers and fathers, while in girls only with the relation to maternal behaviour. The results indicate the significant and negative impact of the economic adjustment on school engagement of children.

Do Teacher–Child Relationship and Friendship Quality Matter for Children's School Engagement and Academic Skills?

This study examined three competing models assessing the directional associations between the quality of children's relationships with teachers and friends (i.e., closeness and conflict) and their emotional and behavioral school engagement (i.e., the relationship-driven, engagement-driven, and transactional models). The additive contributions of relationship quality and school engagement to prospective academic skills and age-related differences in these associations were also assessed. Models were tested using autoregressive, cross-lagged path analyses. Participants were 461 low-income, ethnically diverse children from kindergarten to Grade 3, who were assessed three times in one school term. In support of the relationship-driven model, closeness with friends and conflict with teachers and friends predicted prospective emotional engagement. In support of the transactional model, friendship closeness and teacher–child and friendship conflict transacted with behavioral engagement over the school term. Higher emotional engagement and, unexpectedly, friendship conflict predicted higher prospective academic skills. Associations between relationship closeness and behavioral engagement were significant for older children only.

"My Child has Cerebral Palsy": Parental Involvement and Children's School Engagement.

Engaged students tend to show school-committed behaviors (e.g., attend classes, get involved with the learning process), high achievement, and sense of belonging. However, students with disabilities are prone to show a lack of engagement with school due to the specific difficulties they have to handle. In fact, children with disabilities are likely to show poor participation in school when compared with children without disabilities. This poor involvement is related to their low autonomy to participate in the school activities, which, in turn, results in low school engagement. Parents play a crucial role in their children’s education. Parental involvement in school activities promotes autonomous behaviors and, consequently, school engagement. In fact, extant literature has shown close relationships between parental involvement, school engagement, and academic performance. Yet, parental involvement in school activities of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has received little direct attention from researchers. These children tend to display lower participation due to the motor, or cognitive, impairments that compromise their autonomy, and have a high likelihood to develop learning disabilities, with special incidences in reading and arithmetic. Therefore, our aim is twofold, to understand the parental styles; and how the perceived parental involvement in school activities is related to their children school engagement. Hence, 19 interviews were conducted with one of the parents of 19 children with CP. These interviews explored the school routines of children and the perceived involvement of parents in those routines. Additionally, children filled out a questionnaire on school engagement. Results show that the majority of the parents were clustered in the Autonomy Allowance and Acceptance and Support parental style, and the majority of their children were perceived as autonomous. Moreover, about a half of the children reported a high level of school engagement. Finally, neither children’s autonomous behaviors reported by parents, nor parental style, seem to be related with the children’s level of school engagement. Rehabilitation centers and schools could consider training parents/caregivers focusing on their educational needs, promotion of reflections on the usefulness of applying autonomy promotion strategies with their child, and foster their involvement.

Family resources as mediators in the relation between divorce and children's school engagement

Children are increasingly growing up in non-intact families. Because the family is a vital developmental part of growing-up, parental divorce can have far-reaching effects on children. This article investigates whether divorce interferes with children's engagement in school. According to the deprivation perspective, the effect of a parental divorce on children is mediated through the availability of family resources. Structural equation models are performed on the Leuven's Adolescent and Family Study. We conclude that the parental divorce effect on school engagement is mediated by the parent-child relationship, parental conflict, and financial problems at home.

Parental Participation in Religious Services and Parent and Child Well-Being: Findings from the National Survey of America’s Families

Using data from the 1999 and 2002 National Survey of America's Families, a large-scale nationally representative sample, this study finds that parental religious attendance is positively associated with parent self-rated health, parent mental well-being, positive parenting attitudes, child health, and child school engagement. Although the strength of these associations varies to some extent according to socio-demographic factors, the interactive patterns are not consistently predictable. Moreover, parental health and well-being and positive attitudes toward parenting appear to be important pathways linking parental religious attendance to child well-being. These findings suggest that opportunities for participation in local religious services offered by faith-based organizations may be fruitful avenues through which the government and society can help American families enhance parent and child well-being.

Family Distance Regulation and School Engagement in Middle‐School‐Aged Children

The purpose of this study was to explore how family distance regulation and other family demographic factors influence parenting behavior and family routines, which, in turn, influences the child's school engagement. The data from the project came from a larger study conducted in a large Northwestern urban area and included both two‐parent and single‐parent families. These two family structures were compared in order to emphasize that it is the foundational family process of family distance regulation that supports other parenting practices as well as chronic stress that leads to school engagement regardless of the number of parents in the household. Implications for practice and the results of this study in relation to previous literature are discussed.

Sanctions and Education Outcomes for Children in TANF Families

Most research on the impact of Welfare Reform has been upon the employment status of parents and trends in declining caseloads. Recent research has examined how children in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program families are faring, with growing interest in the effects upon children of the disruptions to cash benefits that result from program sanctions, the policies that are intended to motivate parents to comply with work requirements. Adding to the body of knowledge on children and TANF sanctions, this study used administrative data to examine school attendance rates and disruptions to enrollment, for children from families with at least one sanction. Findings indicate that there are important probable connections between the factors that contribute to challenges to employment that relate to parenting and the school engagement of children in TANF families.

What Will My Teacher be Like? Picture Storybooks about Starting School

CHILDREN LEARN A GREAT DEAL about school, what happens at school, and the people they will meet at school as they engage with popular culture, such as television, games and books. One of the issues raised by many children as they contemplate starting school concerns what their teacher will be like. Children's expectations about teachers are important contributors to the relationships that develop between teachers and children. Such relationships are themselves a critical factor in children's school engagement. Examining some of the information that contributes to children's expectations about teachers supports a focus on children's experiences as they start school. This article reports a study of the images of teachers within children's picture storybooks—an accessible form of popular culture about school. A collection of 164 English language picture storybooks spanning 1967–2007 was analysed to explore the representations of teachers in schools. Three areas of analysis were undertaken: how teachers are represented; the dominant images of teachers; and the images that are omitted. The analysis demonstrates the generally benign images of teachers and questions the understandings the books promote about teachers and the roles of teachers in schools.

Social Capital and Adolescent Well-Being in a National Sample

Using data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) on 11,809 boys and girls aged 12 to 17 years, the present study examined measures of adolescent social integration and the availability of community programs against the outcome measures of the Child Behavioral and Emotional Problems Scale (CBEPS) and the Child School Engagement Scale (CSES). On ordinary least squares regression analysis, adolescent participation in an organized activity, the adolescent's not changing schools, and a community program targeting adolescent pregnancy, drugs, or crime were significantly associated with higher scores on both scales. Adolescent employment was associated with a lower CSES score and had no effect on CBEPS. Neither residential stability (years in the home) nor parental religious attendance had any effect on the outcomes, but parental volunteerism was associated with a higher CSES score. The findings may be useful for the design of community programs targeting adolescents in particular because the NSAF has a focus on low-income families.

Maternal work schedules and child outcomes: Evidence from the National Survey of American Families

Using the 1997 and 1999 waves of a nationally representative dataset collected by the Urban Institute and Child Trends, this paper investigates the associations between contemporary maternal nonstandard work schedules and children's outcomes at various ages through 17 years of age. Some weak associations were found between mothers' contemporary nonstandard work hours and children's outcomes at ages 6–11 and 12–17. In particular, children's school engagement at ages 6–11 and attending extracurricular activities at ages 12–17 were negatively associated with maternal nonstandard work schedules. The patterns of the results suggest complex links between contemporary maternal work schedules and child outcomes. Implications for further research are discussed.

Household food insecurity and children's school engagement

Data on 11,614 children (ages 6–11) from the 1999 National Survey of American Families were used to examine a model linking household food insecurity, child health, and emotional well-being to school engagement. The results, using path analyses revealed that (i) the proposed model fit the data quite well; (ii) food insecurity predicted health status, emotional well-being, and negatively predicted school engagement; (iii) health status predicted emotional well-being, and negatively predicted school engagement. Finally, emotional well-being negatively predicted school engagement. Results of mediation analyses showed that food insecurity had a significant indirect effect on emotional well-being via its effect on health status, and a significant indirect effect on school engagement via its effects on health status and emotional well-being.