Levels Of School Engagement Research Articles

Facets of Career Development in a New Immigrant Destination: Exploring the Associations Among School Climate, Belief in Self, School Engagement, and Academic Achievement

With contemporary career challenges facing Latino/a youth, particularly those from immigrant communities, counselors and career development professionals may find it challenging to provide effective career services for this unique population. Students from one middle school and one high school located in a new immigrant destination were surveyed to test the hypothesis that belief in self and school engagement (i.e., behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement) played a serial mediating role in the association between school safety and academic achievement (i.e., grade point average). Moderation of the mediation model by ethnicity was also examined. Results from the sample ( N = 877) indicated that school safety was associated with higher levels of belief in self, which in turn was associated with higher levels of school engagement. Only behavioral engagement, however, was associated with greater academic achievement. Associations did not differ by ethnicity. Career implications on the importance of behavioral engagement among teachers, counselors, career development professionals, and administrators to support the academic achievement of marginalized youth are provided.

Does Art Make You Smart? A Longitudinal Experiment of the Effects of Multiple Arts- Focused Field Trips

This paper presents second year results from the first ever multi-visit, longitudinal experiment on the benefits from arts-focused field trips. Students in fourth and fifth grades in ten elementary schools in a large urban school district were randomly assigned to receive three arts-related field trips throughout the school year, including an art museum, a live theater production, and a symphony performance or to serve as a control. We find that treatment students exhibit higher levels of school engagement as measured by students’ behavioral infractions and self-reported engagement. We also find that treatment students perform significantly better on their end of year standardized tests, up to 16% of a standard deviation increase. These effects are persistent even one year following treatment. However, the effects appear to be stronger for the first cohort of students in our sample.

Effect of Participation in School Sports Teams on Middle School Students’ Engagement in School

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of participation in school sports teams of students studying in middle school on their levels of school engagement. The relational screening model was used in the study. The study group of the research consisted of a total of 610 students selected by the random sampling method and studying at middle school level (fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades). For analysis of the data obtained from the participants by means of the ‘School Engagement Scale’, descriptive statistics were calculated and interpreted with independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the research findings, the mean level of school engagement of the participants was found to be 3.62 ± 0.51. In terms of the gender variable, a significant difference in favour of female participants was found. With respect to another variable, that of state of participation in school teams, it was determined that as length of participation in school teams increased, mean level of school engagement of the participants also increased. In conclusion, it was determined that participation in school teams made a positive contribution to students’ engagement in school, and it is recommended that in order to further increase students’ level of school engagement, measures should be taken to ensure students’ participation in school teams.

A longitudinal study on risk factors of grade retention among elementary school students using a multilevel analysis: Focusing on material hardship and lack of school engagement

Given the recent skyrocketing rates of grade retention and their adverse effects, better understanding is needed to identify intervention practices that ameliorate risk factors across school and family domains. This prospective, longitudinal study examines the relationship between material hardship, school engagement, and grade retention among at-risk elementary school children (N = 4329) from 410 public elementary schools in Louisiana. The study utilized multilevel logistic regressions with a two-level hierarchical structure to address the nesting effects of children within schools. Baron and Kenny's mediation analysis approach was used to identify the mediating effect of school engagement on the relationship between material hardship and grade retention. Results show that 42.34% of children in the sample repeated at least one grade over the four school years examined in this study. Material hardship was associated with a greater likelihood of grade retention, and this association was partially mediated by levels of school engagement. This study suggests that children in families experiencing material hardship need interventions not only for basic needs, but also for interventions that increase levels of engagement in school. Addressing material hardship and low levels of school engagement may have profound implications on school success.

Examining Bidirectional Associations Between School Engagement and Mental Health for Youth in Child Welfare

Children in contact with the child welfare system (CWS) represent a vulnerable population that is at an increased risk of poor mental health and academic outcomes. Although the majority of research has focused on the academic benefits of school engagement, studies have also found a negative association between school engagement and youth mental health outcomes. Surprisingly limited research, however, has considered the possibility of a bidirectional relationship between school engagement and youth mental health, and even fewer studies have examined this relationship in high-risk populations, such as children in contact with the CWS. The present study addresses this issue by utilizing longitudinal data from a national sample of 2633 children in contact with the CWS, the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW I), to examine the possible bidirectional relationship between school engagement and mental health symptoms. Data were collected from this sample (mean age = 10.04; 52.3% female) over three time points (18 months apart). Structural equation modeling results indicated that students’ mental health (externalizing/internalizing symptoms) predicted subsequent school engagement levels. School engagement, on the other hand, was not a predictor of mental health symptoms at later time points. Findings point to the existence of a unidirectional relationship from mental health symptoms to school engagement for children in contact with the CWS. Directions for future mental health interventions for this population are discussed.

Predictors of school engagement in foster children: A longitudinal study

Children in foster care are often characterized by low academic outcomes which negatively impact their later lives. School engagement may be a key element to promote their academic and educational outcomes. However, little is known about the development of school engagement in foster children and longitudinal studies are lacking. The current study reports the findings of a three-wave longitudinal study wherein we examined the development of school engagement and analyzed which factors were predictive of school engagement in a sample of 363 Dutch foster children (age range 5–18 years, 46.6% girls). Multilevel analyses showed that characteristics related to demographics, school functioning, foster children, and foster families predicted levels of school engagement of children in foster care. Foster children's behavioral functioning and foster parents’ positive parenting appeared to be characteristics important to consider in screening and interventions. Based on the findings we suggest that teachers and foster care professionals should collaborate to ensure that school engagement and consequently school functioning becomes part of foster children's personal development plans.

Segregation paradox? School racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition and racial/ethnic differences in engagement

This study examines the associations between school racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition and school engagement levels among Mexican-origin Latinos/as, African Americans, and non-Latino/a whites. Prior research suggests that whiter and more affluent schools should promote engagement, but some studies reveal paradoxes of school segregation whereby minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students exhibit worse outcomes in schools with white and socioeconomically advantaged peers. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study examines the associations between the percent of non-minority students in the school, average school socioeconomic status, and three engagement outcomes: Liking school, involvement in school-sponsored activities, and coursework engagement. The findings reveal an affective-behavioral trade-off for students in schools with higher proportions of white students. Students who attend whiter schools are less likely to report that they like school, but they are more engaged in coursework. This affective-behavioral paradox is not unique to any particular racial/ethnic group.

Differential impacts of participation in organized activities and maltreatment types on adolescent academic and socioemotional development

Participation in organized activities has been largely regarded as beneficial for academic and socioemotional development for adolescents, but the impacts of various types of organized activities for adolescents at risk for maltreatment have been rarely tested. In this study, we investigated the differential impacts of five types of maltreatment exposure (physical maltreatment, sexual maltreatment, neglect, other type, and multiple types) on the associations between four types of organized activities (mentored groups, art and music clubs, sport clubs, and academic clubs) and academic and socioemotional development (school engagement, delinquency, depressive symptoms, and trauma symptoms) of adolescents who were investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) for maltreatment exposure. Data came from a national, longitudinal sample of 790 adolescents in contact with CPS in the U.S. After controlling for demographic characteristics of participants and prior levels of each outcome, multiple linear regression models were fitted to the data with interactions between the organized activities and the maltreatment types. The main findings of this study included: 1) adolescents who participated in mentored groups, sport clubs, and academic clubs reported higher levels of school engagement; 2) adolescents who participated in academic clubs reported fewer depressive symptoms; 3) adolescents who participated in art and music clubs reported more trauma symptoms compared to non-participants; and 4) the effects of participation in mentored groups on delinquency and trauma symptoms differed by maltreatment type. These results indicate both possible benefits and risks of organized activity participation for adolescents with certain maltreatment exposures.

Effects of physical activity and breaks on mathematics engagement in adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether physical activity has a positive relationship with school engagement regardless of the presence or absence of a recess or lunch break before the classroom lesson. Data were collected over three ten-week periods: January-April 2014 (Time 1), October-December 2014 (Time 2), and April-June 2015 (Time 3). A cohort of 2194 adolescents (mean age=13.40years, SD=.73) wore an accelerometer during the hour before a mathematics lesson and completed a questionnaire following the mathematics lesson to assess school engagement in that lesson. Linear mixed models indicated that moderate-intensity activity before a mathematics lesson had a positive linear relationship with cognitive engagement (β=.40, p<.05). Recess breaks before a mathematics lesson had a negative relationship with overall, behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement (β=-.18, p<.01, β=-.19, p<.01, β=-.13, p=.03, and β=-.13, p=.04, respectively). Promoting moderate-intensity activity prior to mathematics lessons could improve students' cognitive engagement. Educators should be aware that students tend to demonstrate the lowest levels of school engagement after recess breaks.

Relationships Among Supports and Barriers and Career and Educational Outcomes

Interest in the roles of environmental supports and barriers in career and educational development has increased steadily over the past few decades, enough to warrant a meta-analysis of this vast and still growing literature. The current study presents the results of a meta-analytic investigation, employing 276 samples drawn from 249 published articles ( N = 104,440), on the relationships of supports and barriers to nine different career and educational outcomes. Employing a random effects meta-analytic model and sampling and measurement error-corrected effect size estimates, the study found that supports tended to account for more variance ( M = 10%) across all outcomes than did barriers ( M = 3%). Several moderators were also found, suggesting that (a) men’s self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations are more strongly related to supports than women’s, (b) Latino(a) students’ levels of school engagement and performance are more weakly related to supports than White students, and (c) supports (and perhaps barriers) seem to be more highly related to elementary school students’ levels school engagement than high school students. The implications of the results are discussed as well as potential avenues for future investigation suggested by some gaps in the literature uncovered in this meta-analysis.

Academic Self-Efficacy, School Engagement and Family Functioning, Among Postsecondary Students in the Caribbean

A neglected area of study in adolescent development is family functioning in relation to adolescents’ sense of self and academic success. This study investigates students’ perceptions of their levels of family functioning (cohesiveness and adaptability) as it relates to their academic self-efficacy and school engagement, and answers the following questions: (1) Are there any significant differences in the academic self-efficacy beliefs and school engagement of Caribbean adolescents based on levels of family cohesion and family adaptability? (2) To what extent does the combination of family cohesion and family adaptability predict the academic self-efficacy and school engagement of Caribbean adolescents? Data were collected from a sample of 523 adolescents (197 males and 326 females) aged 17–19 years, enroled in postsecondary institutions in two Anglophone Caribbean countries (Barbados and St. Lucia). Results indicated that adolescents from families with balanced cohesion held significantly higher academic self-efficacy beliefs and school engagement levels than those from families with low cohesion. Regression analyses indicated that the family functioning model significantly predicted academic self-efficacy and school engagement. Interpretation of these results are discussed.

English

The main goal of this study is to analyze &ldquo;Students&rsquo; school engagement in terms of friendship and teacher behaviors&rdquo;. The population of the study is all students at 4th grade within the boundaries of Ä°stanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The data of the study were gathered from 2066 students from 62 schools. &ldquo;School Engagement Scale&rdquo;, &ldquo;Peer Attachment Scale&rdquo; and &ldquo;Perceived Teacher Behaviors Scale&rdquo; were used apart from an information form developed by the researcher. Multiple Regression Analysis, T-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results show that; students&rsquo; relationship with their friends predicts school engagement most. Female students have a higher level of school engagement. Students who do cultural and sports activities, those who get support from counseling service and those who do not have a problem with transportation have a higher level of school engagement. Students in crowded classrooms have a lower level of school engagement. It is reckoned that this study is significant in terms of presenting negative variables affecting students&rsquo; engagement in school which has an important role in their personal and social lives and in terms of taking necessary precautions. Key words: Engagement, friendship, teacher behavior.

"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.

Student Engagement: Associations with Teachers and Peers as Motivators

The construct on student engagement is increasingly prevalent in the field of education serving as the foundation of dropout prevention and high school reform initiatives. The purpose of the study is to examine the predictive relationships between relationships motivation and student engagement by The Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), Relationships Motivation Scale (REMO), and the Student’s Information Sheet were administered to a sample of 1,014 high school students from selected private and public schools in Metro Manila. Six subscales of student engagement were considered: control and relevance of schoolwork, future aspirations and goals, and extrinsic motivation are considered cognitive engagement. Affective engagement included teacher-student relationships, family support for learning, and peer support for learning. Teachers, peers as motivators, and individual learning behavior were included in the subscales for Relationships Motivation Scale. Results generally indicated that there are significant relationships between the different factors of student engagement and relationship motivation. Subscales of the REMO significantly predicted cognitive and affective engagement after controlling for demographic variables. Based on the results, a proposed student engagement program is developed to promote higher levels of engagement in school.

Positive psychological strengths and school engagement in primary school children

AbstractA sizeable body of research has investigated the impact of specific character strengths or traits on significant outcomes. Some recent research is beginning to consider the effects of groups of strengths, combined as a higher order variable and termed covitality. This study investigated the combined influence of four positive character traits, gratitude, optimism, zest and persistence, upon school engagement, within a sample of 112 Australian primary school students. The combined effect of these four traits, in defining covitality as a higher or second-order factor within a path analysis, was found to predict relatively higher levels of school engagement and pro-social behaviour.

The Reciprocal Relation Between Adolescents' School Engagement and Alcohol Consumption, and the Role of Parental Support.

While school engagement and the use of alcohol are subject to change during the course of adolescence, studies have shown that being engaged in school equates with a later onset of alcohol consumption. Cross-sectional studies also indicate that alcohol use correlates to school engagement, but the reciprocal nature of these factors has never been investigated. This study examines the reciprocal relation between school engagement and alcohol consumption during adolescence. Further, the moderating effect of perceived parental support in this reciprocal relation between school engagement and alcohol consumption is tested. Data were obtained from Dutch high school students (n = 906, 52.5 % boys, mean age = 12.19 years) who annually completed a digital questionnaire over 4 years (age 12 to 15). A cross-lagged autoregressive model was applied in AMOS. Results showed that more school engagement at ages 12 and 14 predicted lower levels of alcohol use 1 year later. In addition, more alcohol consumption at ages 12 and 14 predicted lower levels of school engagement 1 year later. Higher school engagement at age 13 predicted less alcohol use at age 14, whereas no significant effect of alcohol use on school engagement was found at this age period. Furthermore, a reciprocal relation was found only for adolescents who perceived high parental support. The reciprocal nature of school engagement and alcohol consumption should be a consideration in future research and prevention program development.

Extracurricular Activity Participation and the Acquisition of Developmental Assets: Differences Between Involved and Noninvolved Canadian High School Students

In order to prepare students for adulthood and responsible citizenship, most high schools offer extracurricular activities designed to facilitate the learning of a wide range of competencies. The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in a single or a combination of extracurricular school activities for high school students may impact both their developmental outcomes and their level of school engagement. Results indicated differences between youth who participated in a combination of both sport and nonsport activities as well as sport only activities compared to youth not involved in extracurricular activities on a number of developmental assets and school engagement. It is recommended that parents and adult leaders encourage and support students in their involvement in various extracurricular activities, including high school sport, in order to facilitate positive youth development.

Lise Öğrencilerinde Tükenmişliği ve Okul Bağlılığını Etkileyen Faktörler: Çalışma Alışkanlıkları, Yetkinlik İnancı ve Akademik Başarı

This study examines high school students' levels of burnout and school engagement with respect to academic success, study habits, and self-efficacy beliefs. The data were gathered during the 2011-2012 school year from 633 students attending six high schools located in Ankara, Turkey. The analyses were conducted on responses from 605 students. The research methods included the Personal Information Form comprising items about students' demographic characteristics, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Form, the Utrecht School Engagement Scale, the Study Habits Inventory, and the Scale for Self-Efficacy Expectations among Adolescents. The data were analyzed with multivariate analysis of variance. The results suggested that students with low self-efficacy beliefs had higher burnout levels. In addition, students with inadequate study skills and those with low self-efficacy beliefs were at higher risk of losing their beliefs. Another finding was that students with high academic success also had high self-efficacy. Unexpectedly, students with inadequate study skills and low self-efficacy beliefs were found to have high self-efficacy. Students with adequate study skills and high self- efficacy beliefs also had high school engagement levels. The study findings were discussed in relation to the literature and interpreted. Based on the interpretations, recommendations were made to school counselors and researchers.

Two approaches to entrepreneurship education: The different effects of education for and through entrepreneurship at the lower secondary level

The objective of this paper is to analyse the influence of two different approaches to entrepreneurship education at the lower secondary level of education. The influence of education for entrepreneurship and education through entrepreneurship on pupils' level of school engagement and entrepreneurial intentions is analysed and assessed. The paper builds on and extends research about entrepreneurship education for pupils at the lower secondary and upper secondary levels of education (Johannisson, 2010; Pepin, 2012; Peterman & Kennedy, 2003; Surlemont, 2007) by including theories about cognitive and non-cognitive skill formation (Bowles & Gintis, 1976, 2002; Cunha & Heckman, 2007, 2008, 2010), school engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Libbey, 2004), and purposeful learning (Illeris, 2009; Newmann, 1991; Wentzel & Brophy, 2013) in the theoretical framework. It is found that education for entrepreneurship, which focuses on content and cognitive entrepreneurial skills, has a positive influence on pupils' entrepreneurial intentions but a negative influence on their level of school engagement. The opposite is true for education through entrepreneurship, which has a more pedagogical orientation and focuses on fostering non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills. Furthermore, the role of supportive teaching styles and action-based teaching methods in entrepreneurship education at this level of education is investigated. The analysis is based on data from two surveys including 801 randomly selected Danish ninth-graders (aged 14–15) and 576 randomly selected Danish tenth-graders (aged 15–16). The findings have implications for policy makers and curriculum designers, inasmuch as the influence of two educational approaches is assessed and analysed, but also for the academic community since it presents an alternative way to assess educational dimensions (content and teaching methods) separately.

Brief report: The protective effects of school engagement for African American adolescent males.

This study examined whether school engagement was protective with regard to externalizing behaviors, gang involvement, sexual debut, and unsafe sexual behaviors among African American adolescent males. Self-administered surveys were administered to 219 male students from an urban Chicago high school. Controlling for age and socioeconomic status, higher school engagement levels were associated with lower rates of aggressive behaviors, lower levels of gang involvement, delay of sexual debut, and lower levels of unsafe sexual behaviors. Findings support the development of school-based interventions designed to promote student-teacher bonds, academic performance, and after-school activities for African American youth.