Journal of School Psychology最新文献

This study explored supportive relational processes for immigrant children's well-being between peers, teachers, and parents in the development of school-based creative interventions in European multi-ethnic societies. Within the present study, we integrated the perspectives of teachers and parents to broaden the dominant focus on the assessment of individual symptomatology within the existing body of studies of school-based interventions studies. As a part of a larger multi-method study on the implementation of a creative expression program for immigrant children ages 8–12 years in three schools in Belgium, we conducted focus group discussions to learn parents' and teachers' perspectives on the role of school-based creative interventions in children's coping with histories of migration and life in exile. Parents and teachers identified the need for the intervention to foster emotional expression impacting children's self-esteem and social connectedness with peers and to foster emotional connections between parents, teachers, and children. Parents also stressed the importance of the intervention within society as a forum to engage with social conditions, promote cultural belonging, and social integration. Results identified the importance of school-based interventions in terms of individual benefits as well as connectedness and coherence in entire communities, thereby strengthening the development of transcultural research evidence for school-based interventions in multi-ethnic societies.

Decades of research have indicated that reading self-concept is an important predictor of reading achievement. During this period, the population of emergent bilinguals has continued to increase within United States' schools. However, the existing literature has tended to examine native English speakers' and emergent bilinguals' reading self-concept in the aggregate, thereby potentially obfuscating the unique pathways through which reading self-concept predicts reading achievement. Furthermore, due to the overreliance of native English speakers in samples relating to theory development, researchers attempting to examine predictors of reading achievement may a priori select variables that are more aligned with native English speakers' experiences. To address this issue, we adopted Elastic Net, which is a theoretically agnostic methodology and machine learning approach to variable selection to identify the proximal and distal predictors of reading self-concept for the entire population; in our study, participants from the United States who participated in PISA 2018 served as the baseline group to determine significant predictors of reading self-concept with the intent of identifying potential new directions for future researchers. Based on Elastic Net analysis, 20 variables at the student level, three variables at the teacher level, and 12 variables at the school level were identified as the most salient predictors of reading self-concept. We then utilized a multilevel modeling approach to test model generalizability of the identified predictors of reading self-concept for emergent bilinguals and native English speakers. We disaggregated and compared findings for both emergent bilinguals and native English speakers. Our results indicate that although some predictors were important for both groups (e.g., perceived information and communications technologies competence), other predictors were not (e.g., competitiveness). Suggestions for future directions and implications of the present study are examined.

Longitudinal data can provide inferences at both the between-person and within-person levels of analysis, but only to the extent that the statistical models chosen for data analysis are specified to adequately capture these distinct sources of association. The present work focuses on auto-regressive cross-lagged panel models, which have long been used to examine time-lagged reciprocal relations and mediation among multiple variables measured repeatedly over time. Unfortunately, many common implementations of these models fail to distinguish between-person associations among individual differences in the variables' amounts and changes over time, and thus confound between-person and within-person relations either partially or entirely, leading to inaccurate results. Furthermore, in the increasingly complex model variants that continue to be developed, what is not easily appreciated is how substantial differences in interpretation can be created by what appear to be trivial differences in model specification. In the present work, we aimed to (a) help analysts become better acquainted with the some of the more common model variants that fall under this larger umbrella, and (b) explicate what characteristics of one's data and research questions should be considered in selecting a model. Supplementary Materials include annotated model syntax and output using Mplus, lavaan in R, and sem in Stata to help translate these concepts into practice.

Disentangling the connections between subjective and psychological well-being may help practitioners identify effective targets of intervention to promote mental health in school settings. Based on theoretical foundations of well-being, the present study utilized psychometric network analysis to explore prospective associations between the subjective and psychological well-being of adolescents over 2 years. To this end, a cross-sectional network was estimated at Time 1 (n = 560) and Time 2 (n = 281), followed by a longitudinal network incorporating individual changes across time points in each component (n = 235). The networks included different indicators of subjective (e.g., life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect) and psychological well-being measured by means of self-reported questionnaires. The results revealed direct connections between indicators of subjective and psychological well-being over time. Positive affect, especially feeling happy and satisfied, exhibited most of these connections. Only one negative longitudinal association emerged, which involved negative affect (e.g., feeling worried) and psychological well-being. The suitability of the network approach to represent the structure of subjective and psychological well-being can be used to widen research on adolescents' well-being. Considering the longitudinal associations identified, the present study makes an exploratory hypothesis to propose specific connectors between subjective and psychological well-being as potential targets for interventions aimed at promoting adolescents' mental health.

Among the many social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions available, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have become increasingly popular, particularly for preadolescent children who were once thought to not possess the metacognitive abilities or cognitive resources to benefit from such training. Although previous research syntheses indicate that MBIs show promise in promoting positive outcomes across a range of domains, the effectiveness of MBIs for preadolescent children may be masked by the effects of older children who have comprised the majority of samples in past meta-analyses. Hence, to better understand the impact of mindfulness-based training on preadolescent children (ages 6–12 years), the present study reviewed treatment effect estimates across a range of outcomes, including mindfulness, attention, metacognition and cognitive flexibility, emotional and behavioral regulation, academic achievement and school functioning, positive emotion and self-appraisal, negative emotion and subjective distress, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, social competence and prosocial behavior, and physical health. Thirty-two studies (n_participants = 3640) were identified and included in a random-effects meta-analyses. The results from multiple meta-analytical analyses conducted in the present study suggest that preadolescents have experienced significant benefits across attention, emotional and behavioral regulation, positive emotion and self-appraisal, and social competence and prosocial behavior (g = 0.19 to 0.39). However, the overall effect was deemed small (g = 0.34). Due to the lack of comparison studies with SEL interventions, it remains unclear whether MBIs are as effective as traditional approaches in promoting healthy development and academic achievement for preadolescent children. Additionally, results from the present meta-analysis suggest various recommendations for future studies to ensure a continued growth in understanding how MBIs can be used with children.

Past research on situated expectancy-value theory has regularly provided evidence of different motivational patterns indicating that not only can students be characterized by different levels of motivation (e.g., low vs. high), but also by divergent profiles (e.g., high success expectancies, low task values). This person-oriented two-wave study (a) identified and compared the motivational patterns of secondary school students from different learning environments (i.e., Student-Centered Learning vs. Teacher-Directed Learning), (b) analyzed the stability of and changes to these patterns during a school year, and (c) examined whether achievement-related choices and performance predicted the pattern changes. Using data from German secondary school students (T1: N = 1153; M = 13.97 years, SD = 1.37; 49% girls) multigroup latent transition analysis revealed four different motivational patterns, including a (a) High Motivational pattern, (b) Medium Motivational pattern, (c) Low Motivational pattern, and (d) Highly Confident/Hardly Interested pattern. The distribution of these patterns differed significantly between students from Student-Centered-Learning and Teacher-Directed-Learning environments. Approximately 47% of students in Teacher-Directed Learning were in the low motivational class whereas the Student-Centered Learning environment exhibited approximately half of that number. The extremely stable nature of these classes highlights the strong relevance of the educational context for student motivation and supports situated expectancy-value theory.

Emotion regulation is assumed to underlie academic achievement through different mechanisms (e.g., a positive orientation toward school and schoolwork, better mental health). However, few studies have contrasted these mediating mechanisms within a longitudinal analytic framework, which is necessary to determine which mechanism(s) are most likely to translate emotion regulation into academic success over time. The present study addressed this gap by examining whether children's emotion regulation capacities were associated with later academic achievement through school-related (i.e., school bonding and academic motivation) and mental health mediators (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms). Participants included 300 4- and 8-year-old children (n = 150 in each age cohort; 50% female) and their caregivers from Canada. Measures were collected over 4 years. Path analyses indicated that higher emotion regulation (T1; age 4/8 years) was associated with better academic achievement 3 years later (T4; age 7/11 years) through stronger school bonding and lower internalizing symptoms in the interim (T2; age 5/9 years; the indirect effect through internalizing symptoms held after controlling for initial levels of internalizing symptoms). Significant effects were derived from both caregiver and child informants when applicable and indirect effects held across age cohorts and genders. Findings highlight the interplay of social-emotional, academic, and mental health development across childhood, as well as the potential benefits of extending academic interventions to the social-emotional and mental health domains.

Defending the victim in bullying situations is a moral behavior that has received increasing attention in the literature. However, important questions about the development and maintenance of defending behaviors remain unanswered. The present study adopted a longitudinal design with two main goals: (a) identifying trajectories of change in individuals' defending behavior over time and (b) describing and comparing the initial levels and dynamics of change in normative and social adjustment and self-perceived popularity between the different defending trajectories. A total of 3303 students (49.8% girls; Wave 1 M_age = 12.61 years; SD = 1.47) participated in the study. Data were collected in four waves with self-report questionnaires. Using growth mixture modeling, we found four defending trajectories (84% stable-high, 5% decrease, 4% increase, and 7% stable-low). Growth mixture model multigroup and comparative analyses found that adolescents in the stable-high defending group exhibited the highest initial levels of normative adjustment (M_intercept = 5.47), social adjustment (M_intercept = 5.48), and self-perceived popularity (M_intercept = 5). Adolescents in the decrease defending group tended to reduce their normative adjustment over time (M_slope = −0.09), whereas the increase defending group increased their social adjustment (M_slope = 0.18) and self-perceived popularity (M_slope = −0.04). The stable-low defending group showed low and stable levels of normative adjustment (M_intercept = 5.01), social adjustment (M_intercept = 5.03), and self-perceived popularity (M_intercept = 4.4). These results indicate a strong association between normative and social adjustment and self-perceived popularity and involvement in defending behaviors. Bullying prevention programs could improve by adding a stronger focus on the development of classroom dynamics that promote adjusted behaviors and class-group cohesion.

Due to their promise as a feasible tool for evaluating the effects of school-based interventions, Direct Behavior Ratings (DBR) have received much research attention over the past 2 decades. Although DBR methodology has demonstrated much promise, favorable psychometric characteristics only have been demonstrated for tools measuring a small number of constructs. Likewise, although a variety of methods of DBR have been proposed, most extant studies have focused on the use of single-item methods. The present study examined the dependability of four methods of formative behavioral assessment (i.e., single-item and multi-item ratings administered either daily [DBR] or weekly [formative behavior rating measures or FBRM]) across eight psychological constructs (i.e., interpersonal skills, academic engagement, organizational skills, disruptive behavior, oppositional behavior, interpersonal conflict, anxious depressed, and social withdrawal). School-based professionals (N = 91; i.e., teachers, paraprofessionals, and intervention specialists) each rated one student across all eight constructs after being assigned to one of the four assessment conditions. Dependability estimates varied substantially across methods and constructs (range = 0.75–0.96), although findings of the present study support the use of the broad set of formative assessment tools evaluated.

Participation in organized extracurricular activities (EAs) has become increasingly common among preschool-aged children. Prior studies have shown inconsistent findings on the association between young children's involvement in EAs and their subsequent developmental outcomes. Moving beyond examining the main effects of EA participation, this study focused on whether children's behavioral regulation and approaches to learning—two important domain-general skills closely linked to learning—would moderate the association between EA participation and academic readiness. Participants included 317 Chinese preschoolers residing in Shanghai. The breadth of EA participation positively predicted children's early math skills, but only for those demonstrating relatively lower behavioral regulation or less positive approaches to learning. The findings provide support for the compensatory hypothesis that participation in EAs is more beneficial for children at greater developmental risk. Unexpectedly, the intensity of EA participation negatively predicted receptive vocabulary beyond certain thresholds among children with relatively poor behavioral regulation or approaches to learning (B = −2.272, p = .032, effect size (ES) = 0.423), but this relationship was not significant for children with better learning behaviors (B = 0.111, p = .712, ES = 0.021). According to the findings, children with worse behavioral regulation and approaches to learning were actually more vulnerable to the negative effects of intensive participation in EAs (B = −15.698, p = .022, ES = 1.797). EA participation did not predict children's Chinese word reading (ps > 0.05). The findings revealed a complex pattern of relationships between preschoolers' EA participation and academic readiness and have highlighted the importance of considering child characteristics when examining the developmental effects of EA involvement.