Self-other agreement measures of acceptance in predicting academic achievement: A longitudinal analysis

Students' goal orientations and their perceived peer relationships

The perception of positive social interactions is important for positive experiences in heterogeneous groups, cultural diversity and inclusion in educational contexts. Based on social-cognitive theories, findings on motivation in school are available from numerous studies. However, only few studies focus on longitudinal relationships between students’ mastery vs performance goal orientations and their later perception of peer relationships in school. Aim of the current research was to clarify the extent to which reciprocal effects exist between students’ mastery vs performance goal orientation and their perception of peer relationships. To test the assumed reciprocal effects, data from 204 primary school students (on average 11 years of age) of the longitudinal study RUMBA-S in Switzerland were analyzed using cross-lag structural-equation modeling. The results suggest a statistically significant effect of the students' mastery goal orientation on their later positive perception of peer relationships, but not vice versa. Thus, no other and no reciprocal relationships exist. Performance goal orientation is related to the perception of peer relationships. The results highlight the importance of students’ mastery goal orientation for their academic and social learning.

Development of adolescents’ self-esteem and general academic self-concept: perceived classroom climate makes a difference

We investigated rank-order continuity and mean-level change in adolescents’ self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept and tested whether interindividual differences in intraindividual change could be explained by four dimensions of classroom climate (i.e., teachers’ focus on students, learning community, pressure related to social or achievement issues, and rivalry and disruptions in class). The effects of classroom climate dimensions were investigated at the individual and classroom levels. The study comprised 2722 students from 98 classes who participated in four waves from grades 5 to 8. Rank-order continuities of self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept were substantial. Multilevel regressions revealed a significant nonlinear mean-level change in all constructs under investigation, indicating an initial decrease that became smaller over time. In self-esteem and social self-concept, the trend shifted from an initial decrease to an increase. Multilevel regressions revealed significant interindividual differences in the changes over time in all constructs. Change in academic self-concept was significantly predicted by all classroom climate dimensions on the individual level. Change in self-esteem was predicted by teachers’ focus on students and pressure related to social or achievement issues on the individual level. Change in social self-concept was not predicted by any classroom climate dimension.