School Engagement Research Articles

Ostracism, school engagement, and academic achievement: Examining a mediation model among senior high school students

Ostracism and school engagement have important implications for adolescents’ academic perseverance and success. However, limited previous studies have investigated the mediating effects of school engagement on the association between ostracism and academic achievement in the Chinese cultural context. The present study fills in this research gap by examining the mediating effects of emotional engagement, cognitive engagement, and behavioral engagement on the association between ostracism and adolescents’ academic achievement. Clustered random sampling was employed, and a total of 728 adolescents (52.6% female) were recruited as participants. The results showed that ostracism was negatively associated with academic achievement. Ostracism was negatively associated with emotional engagement and cognitive engagement, which in turn were related to worse academic achievement. Notably, within the Chinese cultural context, behavioral engagement did not exhibit a mediating effect between ostracism and academic achievement. The findings of the present research have theoretical and practical implications for curtailing ostracism and improving adolescents’ academic achievement.

School-Parent Engagement on Stimulation Activities in Pre-Primary Schools in Kira Municipality in Wakiso District, Uganda

Stimulation activities are events that parents and other caregivers give to the children to support their cognitive, emotional, and physical needs right from birth onwards. For instance, playing and talking with them (even before children can respond verbally), and exposing them to words, numbers, and simple concepts while engaging in daily routines. Whereas School-parent engagement is where schools tend to create partnerships between themselves and the parents so that they are able to work together, most especially pertaining to their children’s education and holistic development. Schools can work with parents in making decisions, setting goals and attaining academic outcomes. This contributes to the enhancement of children’s holistic growth and development. This research study, therefore, aimed at examining school-parent engagement in Pre-primary schools in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda which has remained a gap for long. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative instruments. These included; Focus group discussion guides, document analysis guide, observation checklist, and questionnaires. The respondents included; headteachers, Centre Management Committee (CMC) chairpersons, parents, and teachers. The findings of this study show that parents were not closely working with the school to stimulate children’s learning. Schools reported significantly lower levels of parents came in to check on their children’s books or to submit homework, or drop and pick a child from school. Parents were majorly coming in for meetings and any event that had been organised by the school or to pay fees dues. Three major recommendations regarding parent engagement in stimulation activities were given. These included; ensuring that parents understand what stimulation activities mean, the materials to use and their role in supporting their children’s learning. Then, it also suggested the best approach to ensure that stimulation activities are provided to the children both at Pre-primary school and at home for continuity of learning. The paper concludes by suggesting recommendations on the need for school-parent engagement to ensure that effective stimulation activities are provided at the Pre-primary schools. Thus, enabling children to receive integrated stimulation opportunities that are contextualised

Youth Discharged from Residential Mental Health Treatment: A Case Study of Four Youth Who Identify as Indigenous

Youth with complex mental health disorders who identify as Indigenous may access residential mental health treatment (RT). There is a dearth of reports focussed on their community adaptation following RT. The purpose for this report was to explore the experiences of youth who identify as Indigenous from their perspective and that of their caregivers in a provincial region in Canada. In the original case study, 25 youth and parents participated in interviews; four of these youth identified as Indigenous. Their experiences in the year following discharge from RT indicated improved family relationships, continued problems in peer relationships, and improvements in school engagement. Implications for practice such as the need for culturally sensitive community services are discussed.

To persist or not? Examining the relations between parental education, self‐regulation, school engagement and persistence in post‐compulsory education

AbstractThere are few longitudinal studies of adolescent students’ choice to persist in post‐compulsory education. Hence, the present study introduces a longitudinal model that describes the interplay between sociological and psychological explanations of adolescents’ choice to persist in post‐compulsory education in the UK. Data on parental education, early childhood self‐regulation (age 5), sustained school engagement (ages 7, 11, 14) and persistence in education after the end of compulsory schooling (age 17) were utilised. The sample comprised 8333 (51.1% females, 89.5% white) children from the Millennium Cohort Study. Statistical analyses included state–trait modelling, longitudinal mediation and multigroup moderation. A trait–state–occasion model was run to disentangle the trait from state variance in school engagement. Afterwards, two hypotheses were formulated, namely the ‘instilment’ and the ‘differential’. The ‘instilment’ hypothesis involved a longitudinal predictive model, whereby parental education predicted early childhood self‐regulation which, in turn, predicted sustained school engagement which predicted students’ choice to persist. The ‘differential’ hypothesis examined whether higher vs. lower parental education changed the nature of the predictive relations between self‐regulation, sustained school engagement and persistence. The results were in favour of an ‘instilment’ hypothesis, whereby higher parental education was translated to higher levels of early self‐regulation which predicted higher sustained engagement, which, in turn, predicted greater probability of persisting in post‐compulsory education. The findings suggest a pathway from early childhood experiences to educational outcomes via the development of a trait of engaging with school.

Optimized Hamiltonian Deep Neural Network-Based Art Education Teaching Content and Evaluation System

The organized educational processes and experiences created to promote a comprehension and appreciation of the visual arts are referred to as art education. It includes a variety of exercises designed to foster artistic abilities, the ability to express oneself creatively, and a greater understanding of artistic ideas and background. There are several places where art instruction can take place, such as private studios, museums, community centers, and schools. In this manuscript, Optimized Hamiltonian Deep Neural Network-Based Art Education Teaching Content and Evaluation System (HDNN-AETC-ES) is proposed. Initially the data is collect from MADS dataset. To execute this, input data is pre-processed using Adaptive Distorted Gaussian Matched Filter (ADGMF) and it removes the noise from collected data. Then, data is fed to Hamiltonian Deep Neural Network (HDNN)for effectively categorized Technology-Based Art Teaching Platform. Generally, HDNN doesn’t express adapting optimization approaches to determine optimal parameters to ensure accurate art teaching. Hence, the Tasmanian Devil Optimization Algorithm (TDOA) to optimize Hamiltonian Deep Neural Network which accurately evaluated the art teaching. Then the proposed HDNN-AETC-ES is implemented and the performance metrics likes accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, computation time, ROC are analyzed. Performance of the HDNN-AETC-ES approach attains 18.41%, 24.08% and 32.57% higher accuracy, 20.31%, 21.08% and 22.57% higher Precision and 21.41%, 22.08% and 23.55% higher recall when analyzed through existing techniques like art education teaching content using optimization of digital art teaching platform depend on information technology with deep learning (DAT-IT-DL), building arts education policy utilizing tools of out-of-school time youth arts organizations (BAEP-ST-YAO) and investigating arts education effects on school engagement with climate (IAE-ES-EC) methods respectively.

Measurement invariance of the inventory of teacher-student relationships among middle and high school students.

Teacher-student relationship quality (TSRQ) predicts academic motivation (Wentzel, 1997), school engagement, and academic achievement (Hughes, 2011). However, TSRQ appears to differ across demographics. For example, boys and racially/ethnically minoritized students consistently have poorer relationships with their teachers than girls and White students (Koomen & Jellesma, 2015; Murray et al., 2008). Ensuring that TSRQ is consistently conceptualized across individuals will allow demographic differences on TSRQ to be compared. The present study aims to further validate a survey instrument used to measure TSRQ, called the Inventory of Teacher-Student Relationships (IT-SR; Murray & Zvoch, 2011). Participants included 3,541 middle and high school students in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesized three-factor structure of the instrument. The instrument demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across race/ethnicity (Black/African American, White, Hispanic/Latinx, and multiracial) and partial metric and scalar invariance across gender (boys and girls) and school level (middle school and high school). Significant latent mean differences were found, where boys, Black/African American students, Hispanic/Latinx students, and high school students reported lower scores on various factors on the IT-SR compared to girls, White students, multiracial students, and middle school students, respectively. Results support future research and applied use of the IT-SR with middle and high school students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotional Intelligence and Success in Initial Vocational Education and Training: A Study Among Healthcare Assistants and Social Care Workers

Context: Research on emotional intelligence (EI) shows this concept's decades-long positive influence on well-being, self-efficacy, employability, and academic and professional achievement. Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that students with high EI have better grades and quality of life, as well as are more employable than students with low EI. By considering the two conceptualizations of EI as either an ability or personality trait, the present study investigates EI's influence on training achievement in initial vocational education and training (IVET). We posited that the two types of EI positively influence training achievement in a complementary way: Ability EI relates to achievement in theoretical training, while trait EI relates to achievement in practical training. Furthermore, these links are mediated by apprentices' engagement at school and in learning. Method: To test our hypotheses, 92 dual IVET health and social care apprentices in their last year of vocational school completed an online survey composed of validated scales measuring EI as an ability, EI as a personality trait, personality traits, and school engagement. The apprentices' grades were also obtained with their permission. Results: The findings confirmed our hypotheses and reflected EI's positive influence on training achievement. We observed that participants with high EI (as an ability and personality trait) obtained better grades than participants with lower EI. Moreover, our results showed that ability EI has a direct influence on achievement in theoretical health and social care training, while the link between trait EI and practical training is indirect and mediated by engagement in learning. Conclusion: The present study confirms EI's positive influence on school achievement in the VET context and further corroborates the important role that EI can play in dual IVET apprentices' achievement, particularly in the health and social sectors. This original study contributes to research on the VET system by placing EI among the skills necessary to ensure professional success.

Individual Interest of students in Physical Education and School Engagement in fostering Physical Culture inside the campus: The case of two prominent local colleges in Pampanga, Philippines

Interest has been globally established as a powerful predictor that triggers engagement, especially in fostering physical culture among students. Scholarly works in PE have already shown that situational interest triggers individual interest, which can lead to highly engaged students. However, little is known about the impact of individual interest alone on students’ school engagement. In this regard, this study is focused on determining the significant difference between the sex and institution of students concerning individual interest and school engagement. Moreover, it aimed to assess the relationship and direct influence of individual interest on school engagement. After obtaining data from 1659 samples of undergraduate students from the most prominent local colleges in Pampanga, it was revealed that there is no significant difference concerning individual interest and school engagement between sex and institution. Fascinatingly, a significant association between students’ individual interests and school engagement was observed. Lastly, individual interest, along with its three factors, predicts school engagement. It can be concluded that individual interest has a direct positive influence on school engagement. Recommendations for future research direction and PE teachers to fully translate physical culture to students to improve their overall well-being are hereby presented.

Cyberbullying and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in Adolescence: Exploring Moderators and Mediators through a Systematic Review.

(1) Objective: This systematic review explores the intricate relationship between cyberbullying and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, acknowledging the dynamic nature of these phenomena in the evolving landscape of technology and social norms. (2) Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched, and 14 studies were selected based on the eligibility criteria, focusing on participants aged 10 to 19, cyberbullying roles, and NSSI as the predictor and outcome variables, respectively. (3) Results: Internalizing symptoms, specifically depression and anxiety, emerged as the most prominent mediators. However, factors such as externalizing symptoms, stress, and negative emotional responses (emotion reactivity, negative emotions) were also identified to play a significant role in the relationship between cyberbullying and NSSI. On the other hand, protective factors against the negative impact of cyberbullying on NSSI risk, such as strong peer connections and school engagement, were identified. (4) Discussions: This review underscores the multidimensional nature of the cyberbullying-NSSI association, emphasizing the roles of potential risk factors such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms, stress, and negative emotional response. Internalizing symptoms played a central role as pathways between cyberbullying victimization and NSSI. Additionally, social factors, including peer connections and school engagement, were found to act as protective elements. (4) Conclusion: Continuous investigation is crucial in order to adapt interventions to the evolving technological and social landscape. The study advocates for targeted interventions that prioritize positive social connections to mitigate the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent well-being.

A randomized controlled trial examining the effect of camp HOPE Tennessee on youth functioning: Results from a pilot study.

Family violence can negatively affect youth's psychosocial functioning. Strengths-based interventions may enhance positive youth functioning among youth experiencing adversity, but little is known about the effectiveness of camp-based interventions for youth exposed to family violence. The current study examined the effectiveness of Camp HOPE Tennessee in promoting multidimensional well-being and school engagement among youth exposed to family violence. This pilot study employed a nonmasked, parallel randomized controlled design. Participants were 47 children and their caregivers who sought services from a Family Justice Center. Children were 7-12 years old (M = 9.55, SD = 1.63; 79% Black/African American). Using block randomization, caregiver-child dyads were assigned to the camp (n = 23) or waitlist control (n = 24) condition and completed evaluations at baseline, 2-month follow-up, and 5-month follow-up. Children reported on two indicators of positive functioning: multidimensional Quality of Life (i.e., Physical Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, Autonomy And Parent Relations, Social Support And Peers, And School Environment) and School Engagement. Piecewise latent growth curve models evaluated between-group differences in positive youth functioning at 2- and 5-month follow-up (ClinicalTrials.gov: CampHopeTN). Results suggest that Camp HOPE positively impacted children's psychological well-being (difference = 12.28, SE = 2.84, p < .001, g = 0.94) and autonomy and parent relations (difference = 7.96, SE = 2.95, p = .007, g = 0.77) at 2-month follow-up. Additionally, the camp appeared to have a long-term effect on school engagement at 5-month follow-up (difference = 9.97, SE = 4.83, p = .039, g = 0.59). Results suggest that camp interventions may enhance positive functioning among youth exposed to family violence. Larger investigations are needed to strengthen the evidence base for Camp HOPE's effectiveness and support further dissemination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding boys' underrepresentation in private and enriched programmes during the transition to secondary school.

In the past decades, there has been a growing concern to understand why boys struggle in school. One of the turning points in students' educational trajectories likely to exacerbate boys' academic difficulties is students' enrolment in private or enriched school programmes, as boys are underrepresented in such programmes. To better understand this gender imbalance, our research draws on a longitudinal design to examine whether grade 6 students' externalizing behaviours, school engagement and school grades in mathematics and language arts relate to secondary school programme attendance, among a sample size of 577 students (277 boys). Path analysis showed that only language arts grades predicted enrolment in private or selective public programmes and contributed to boys' underrepresentation in these programmes. Such findings have important implications for understanding boys' underachievement and low persistence in school as well as to guide interventions to promote gender and overall educational equity in school.

Implementation of Basic Continuity and Recovery Plan, Teacher Engagement, and Parental Involvement in Public Secondary School: A Basis for School-Home Framework

As the face-to-face classes progress schools reopen their ground for the school year 2022-2023. Although expected, it is discovered that many learners do not meet the expected outcomes in mastery of basic numeracy and literacy skills and competencies. The Department of Education instantly developed a recovery learning plan framework to guide schools in addressing learning gaps. The main thrust of this paper was to determine the level of implementation of the Basic Continuity and Recovery Plan, Teacher Engagement, and Parental Involvement in public schools. The findings of the study revealed that the implementation level of basic continuity and recovery plan as assessed by the school head in terms of the development and implementation of long-term and catch-up plans to accelerate learning and reintegration of learners’ safe return to the school system was implemented. in terms of establishment of teachers' and learners' support systems through community and stakeholders' collaboration, literacy and numeracy assessment levels and learners' overall situation, especially the marginalized and modification learning package focused on fundamental skills towards resiliency were fully implemented. The level of teacher engagement in terms of vigor, dedication, and absorption were very often. The level of parental involvement was highly involved. There was no significant difference amongst respondents’ assessment on Implementation of Basic Continuity and Recovery Plan, Teacher Engagement, and Parental Involvement. There was a significant relationship between basic continuity and recovery Plan, teacher engagement and parental involvement. A localized School-Home Framework that focused on the four pillars of school-home partnership and connection was proposed.

The Suppressor Effect of Presenteeism in The Relation Between Gaming Addiction and School Engagement Among Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of presenteeism on the correlation between gaming addiction and school engagement among secondary school students. The participants of the study comprised 300 children aged between 12 and 16 who were in secondary schools in the Aegean region in Türkiye. The mean age of the children was 13.52 (SD = 0.65). The study will use the 'Computer Game Addiction Scale for Children (CGAD)' to measure children's addiction to computer games, the 'Child-Adolescent Presenteeism Scale (C-APS)' to measure presenteeism levels in classroom, and the 'School Engagement Scale (SAS)' to measure school engagement. The analyses were conducted using the SPSS 23 software package at significance levels of .05 and.01. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between variables, and multiple regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of variables for each other. The results of both Pearson correlation and bootstrapping showed a negative relationship between gaming addiction, presenteeism, and school engagement. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between presenteeism and game addiction. The regression analyses also found similar results. To better understand developmental differences in anxious emotion variance during childhood and adolescence, it is important to disaggregate aspects of anxious emotions and pay attention to potential suppressive effects.

Investigating Remote School Attendance, Retention and Engagement

Predating the introduction of the Closing the Gap strategy in 2007, First Nation students’ attendance, retention and engagement in remote schools has been a concern for educators and successive governments. The following paper describes a case study—one part of a large Australian federally funded ‘Emerging Priorities Program’ project that sought to examine these issues. Specifically, it explores those factors that contribute to either exacerbating the decline in attendance, engagement or retention or lead to improved outcomes. The case study was undertaken at a Vocational Education and Training boarding school catering for Aboriginal students, mostly from remote areas of Western Australia. Students travel considerable distance to attend the school, often because of their family connections to the school. In this study students from one of the English classes became co-researchers in the project, providing input and collaborating at every stage of the research process.The findings indicate the need to adopt a strength-based approach when teaching remote students. This can be achieved through positive relationships between educators and students, which, in turn, is developed through cultural awareness and the use of community members and Aboriginal educators as role models and human resources for schools.

School climate and connectedness predict problematic smartphone and social media use in Italian adolescents

ABSTRACT Adolescents and young adults are most at risk for developing problematic smartphone and social media use that negatively impacts their mental health and well-being. Students’ perceptions of their school environment are likely a key area of potential risk and protective factors for adolescents’ problematic smartphone and social media use, but more scientific evidence is needed. To examine the associations between school climate, connectedness, affective engagement, and problematic smartphone and social media use, 529 Italian high school students were surveyed. Statistical methods (Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis) were used to analyze the data. The results of the study showed that all variables in the study were significantly correlated with each other. There was a negative correlation between school climate, connectedness to school, affective school engagement, and problematic smartphone and social media use. Among the predictor variables, school climate and connectedness to school were the only predictors of both problematic smartphone and social media use. Studies using an experimental design should be conducted to confirm our findings and demonstrate directionality. Mobile media education in school, combined with adolescents’ sense of well-being at school, could play an important role in preventing problematic smartphone and social media use.

Researching School Engagement of Aboriginal Students and Their Families from Regional and Remote Areas Project

Over the last few years, attendance rates in remote schools have fallen, and Year 12 completions have also dropped. We are not sure why this is, though events like COVID-19, floods and other natural disasters have not made it easy. The case study presented here was part of a bigger project that sought to understand what people in remote schools and the communities they are in think makes a difference to attendance and Year 12 completion. This case study outlines the findings specific to one of the four case study sites, namely, Yipirinya School on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). The overarching finding of the study indicates that attendance alone cannot be the primary measure of school success; rather, engagement needs to be the focus. To tease out this finding, the three main themes: relationships, purpose, and cultural safety, are identified as factors that made a difference at Yipirinya School.

Effect of Students’ Perceived Mastery Goal Orientation on Engagement in Chinese Rural Schools: Mediator Role of Grit

Effect of Students’ Perceived Mastery Goal Orientation on Engagement in Chinese Rural Schools: Mediator Role of Grit

Scaling up effective juvenile delinquency programs by focusing on change levers: Evidence from a large meta‐analysis

AbstractResearch summaryThe primary outcome desired for juvenile delinquency programs is the cessation of delinquent and related problematic behaviors. However, this outcome is almost always pursued by attempting to change intermediate outcomes, such as family functioning, improved mental health, or peer relations. We can conceptualize intermediate outcomes that are related to reduced delinquency as change levers for effective intervention. A large meta‐analysis identified several school‐related change levers, including school engagement (i.e., improved attendance and reduced truancy), nondelinquent problem behaviors, and attitudes about school and teachers. In addition, family functioning and reducing substance use were also effective change levers. In contrast, effects on youth getting/keeping a job, peer relationships, and academic achievement were not associated with reduced delinquency.Policy implicationsOnly a small percentage of rehabilitative programs provided to youth involved in the juvenile justice system have been established as evidence based. Moreover, there are constraints on what local policy makers and practitioners can do regarding the selection, adoption, and implementation of programs from the available lists of evidence‐based programs. Adopting programs that focus on effective change levers and avoiding those that concentrate on ineffective ones has the potential to increase the likelihood that a local agency is engaged in effective programming. Based on our data, programs known to improve family functioning, attachment to and involvement in schooling, and reducing substance use are justified by the change lever evidence, even if these programs’ effectiveness in reducing delinquency has not been directly proven. In contrast, programs focusing on vocational skills, academic achievement, and peer relations are less likely to be beneficial. Furthermore, a change lever perspective can help frontline staff select appropriate programs for different juvenile offenders and focus their quality control efforts on those aspects of a program that are likely to be essential to maintaining effectiveness.

Understanding the Perceptions of School Engagement of Parents of Students With Autism

Family–school engagement is integral to the success of students with autism. However, limited research has examined the conceptualization of family–school engagement from the perspective of parents of children with autism. With this in mind, we conducted focus groups with 22 parents of school-age children (ages 3–21) with autism. Using qualitative analysis, the authors identified seven types of engagement, each of which requires specific supports and has different barriers that may limit their use. These included: (a) collaborative partnership, (b) home-school communication, (c) advocacy, (d) school-based participation, (e) home-based participation, (f) service coordination, and (g) classroom observation. Adding two novel types of family engagement to the existing literature, findings contribute to a conceptualization of school engagement that incorporates the preferences and experiences of diverse parents of children with autism. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

I belong; hence, I engage? A cohort study of transitions between school engagement classes and academic achievement: The role of relational school climate

AbstractThe role of the school climate in buffering disengagement remains relatively underresearched. The present study examined transitions between classes of early adolescents’ school engagement and relational school climate factors influencing classes of students’ (dis-)engagement, and how these were linked with academic achievement in mid-adolescence. A representative sample of 3,643 early adolescents (48.72% females) from the Growing Up in Australia cohort study was utilised. Latent transition analyses indicated three classes of school engagement, namely mostly disengaged, moderately engaged and highly engaged. Significant transitions were found between classes with fewer students becoming moderately engaged and mostly disengaged. Having a positive teacher–student relationship and higher feelings of school belonging predicted membership to the highly engaged classes. Highly engaged students were fewer by age 12 but had the best achievement only in numeracy, writing and spelling tests at age 14/15. The study underscores the importance of positive relational school climate for fostering school engagement and achievement.