Citation

Engels MC, Colpin H, Van Leeuwen K, Bijttebier P, Den Noortgate WV, Claes S, Goossens L, Verschueren K. J. Sch. Psychol. 2017; 64: 61-75.

Affiliation

KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, box 3717, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Society for the Study of School Psychology, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsp.2017.04.006

PMID

28735608

Abstract

This accelerated longitudinal study examined how peer status (i.e., peer likeability and popularity) is involved in adolescents' school engagement trajectories. A large sample of students was followed from Grades 7 to 11 (N=1116; Mage=13.79years). Students' school engagement and peer status were assessed using self-reports and peer nominations, respectively. Latent growth curve modeling revealed that different engagement dimensions were differentially associated with peer status. Likeability was positively related to both behavioral and emotional engagement in Grade 7, but not to behavioral and emotional disaffection. In contrast, popularity was related to less behavioral engagement and more behavioral disaffection at the start of secondary education, but not to emotional engagement and disaffection. Moreover, students' aggressive behavior moderated the relation between popularity and behavioral engagement in Grade 7, denoting the risk of popularity in combination with average and high levels of aggression.

RESULTS suggest that adolescents' popularity may interfere with meeting academic demands in general and with showing engagement in particular.

Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; Aggression; Developmental trajectories; Peer likeability; Peer status; Popularity; School engagement