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Volume 24, Issue 4 (Winter 2023)
Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2023, 24(4): 74-87 |
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Davaee S, Kadivar P, Arabzadeh M, Keramati H. Explaining academic engagement based on perceived social support during the transition into high school with mediating role of perceived self-worth and subjective well-being and moderating role of gender and socioeconomic-status. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2023; 24 (4) :74-87
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1431-en.html
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1431-en.html
1- PhD Student in Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (838 Views)
Introduction
The unique nature of transition periods is results from the interaction between changes at both individual and social levels. According to the life course approach, transition periods occur in close social contexts, so addressing the changes in perceptions of supporting close relationships during transition periods and their effect on various aspects of people's life becomes significant. These relationships, which exist in the form of vertical relationships (relationships with adults such as teachers and parents) and horizontal forms (relationships with peers), have different effects on adolescents' academic engagement. The self-system model of motivational development is used, consisting of the four-structural model of context, self-system, action, and outcomes, to explain this interaction to understand the mechanism of this relationship.
In this proposed model, the perception of social support was considered a contextual variable, and academic engagement as an action. Since essential relationships positively affect self-worth perceptions and subjective well-being, and these two variables are related to positive life outcomes, the current study examined them as mediating variables in this model. Two variables of gender and socioeconomic status were considered as two moderating variables in this regard.
Methods
The statistical population of the study consisted of adolescent students (male and female) in the transition period that were entering secondary school and studying in the tenth year in Tehran’s high schools. They were selected by the available sampling method. The sampling method was as follows: referring to the Tehran General Department of Education and obtaining the necessary permits from different educational districts of Tehran (22 in total); three districts were selected for the research. The researcher selected five girls' and boys' schools from each region. With the target of the tenth-grade students from each school, the questionnaires were given to the school principal, and the necessary explanations were provided. The questionnaires were distributed electronically to 1000 tenth-grade students, and 578 questionnaires were answered. Song et al.’s perception of social support scale (2015), Reeve’s academic engagement scale (2013), Rosenberg’s self-worth scale (1985), and Diner’s subjective well-being scale (1984) were used to gather the data. The validity of these tools was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. Then, in order to analyze the data, the descriptive indices (mean and standard deviation) and the multivariate normality test were examined by Kurtosis and skewness tests, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the correlation matrix between variables. The researcher used the structural equation model by Amos software version 20 to examine her assumptions.
Results
Based on the findings of descriptive statistics, the amount of skewness and Kurtosis of all obvious variables of the model were in the range of (+2 and -2), which indicates the normality of the data at the level of 0.05. The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test also revealed that all the obtained values are more significant than 0.05, and as a result, the data have a normal distribution. In addition, the results of the correlation matrix showed that all correlations are significant at the level of 0.01. The highest correlation between engagement components and dimensions of support was between emotional engagement and teacher support (0.46). The highest correlation between engagement components and self-worth was between cognitive engagement and self-worth (0.37); the highest correlation between the components of engagement and the components of subjective well-being was between emotional engagement and the emotional component of subjective well-being (0.38). The highest correlation between the dimensions of support perception and self-worth was between the perception of parental support and self-worth (0.45), and the highest correlation between the dimensions of support perception with subjective well-being components was between cognitive components of subjective well-being and parental support (0.57). Then, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that all indicators are desirable and within an acceptable range, and the model generally fits well with the data. The standardized coefficients of direct and indirect effects of the paths in the model also showed that all effects were significant at the level of 0.001, and the highest immediate effect in this study was related to the direct effect of support on subjective well-being (0.48), through which, 23% of the variance of subjective well-being is explained. The Bootstrap method was used to investigate the indirect effects, and the results showed a significant indirect effect of academic involvement support. Moreover, the Sobel test confirmed the mediating role of subjective well-being and self-worth variables in the relationship between social support and academic engagement. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to investigate the moderating effects of two variables of gender and socioeconomic status on the relationship between perceptions of social support and academic engagement.
Conclusion
Recent findings support the model of self-system motivational development in the transition to high school. This model integrates contextual variables and self-perceptions and considers each of these variables as part of a dynamic motivational cycle. Accordingly, contextual support perceptions from teachers, parents, and peers can influence students’ academic engagement by controlling one’s perception of oneself as a valuable self and experiencing positive emotions and life satisfaction. This effectiveness is more important in the sensitive period of academic transition. Furthermore, this relationship, while not affected by socio-economic status, is affected by gender. Thus, in male students, with the perception of social support, the possibility of academic engagement in all dimensions increases. The present study demonstrates the underlying mechanism of the relationship between social support and academic engagement of students in the transition period and the mediating role of self-worth and subjective well-being in this regard, supports cumulative models, and shows each support sources have a significant and largely separate role in student engagement.
Ethical Consideration
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The informed consent of the volunteers to participate in the research was obtained. Necessary instructions were provided to the participants at the beginning of the research. The principle of confidentiality regarding the information received from students was considered. Participants in the research had the right to leave the study whenever they wanted and not to have to continue answering questions. Code of Ethics: IR.KHU.REC.1401.072.
Authors’ contributions
Ideation and editing by Parvin Kadivar; Research design by Mehdi Arabzadeh; Summarizing the research by Hadi Karamati. Soodeh Davaee did all stages of writing and implementation.
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant and has been done at personal expense.
Acknowledgment
The present article is extracted from the PhD Dissertation of the first author of this article. The authors are grateful to the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of Kharazmi University and the Tehran General Department of Education for the necessary cooperation to conduct this research.
Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The unique nature of transition periods is results from the interaction between changes at both individual and social levels. According to the life course approach, transition periods occur in close social contexts, so addressing the changes in perceptions of supporting close relationships during transition periods and their effect on various aspects of people's life becomes significant. These relationships, which exist in the form of vertical relationships (relationships with adults such as teachers and parents) and horizontal forms (relationships with peers), have different effects on adolescents' academic engagement. The self-system model of motivational development is used, consisting of the four-structural model of context, self-system, action, and outcomes, to explain this interaction to understand the mechanism of this relationship.
In this proposed model, the perception of social support was considered a contextual variable, and academic engagement as an action. Since essential relationships positively affect self-worth perceptions and subjective well-being, and these two variables are related to positive life outcomes, the current study examined them as mediating variables in this model. Two variables of gender and socioeconomic status were considered as two moderating variables in this regard.
Methods
The statistical population of the study consisted of adolescent students (male and female) in the transition period that were entering secondary school and studying in the tenth year in Tehran’s high schools. They were selected by the available sampling method. The sampling method was as follows: referring to the Tehran General Department of Education and obtaining the necessary permits from different educational districts of Tehran (22 in total); three districts were selected for the research. The researcher selected five girls' and boys' schools from each region. With the target of the tenth-grade students from each school, the questionnaires were given to the school principal, and the necessary explanations were provided. The questionnaires were distributed electronically to 1000 tenth-grade students, and 578 questionnaires were answered. Song et al.’s perception of social support scale (2015), Reeve’s academic engagement scale (2013), Rosenberg’s self-worth scale (1985), and Diner’s subjective well-being scale (1984) were used to gather the data. The validity of these tools was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. Then, in order to analyze the data, the descriptive indices (mean and standard deviation) and the multivariate normality test were examined by Kurtosis and skewness tests, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the correlation matrix between variables. The researcher used the structural equation model by Amos software version 20 to examine her assumptions.
Results
Based on the findings of descriptive statistics, the amount of skewness and Kurtosis of all obvious variables of the model were in the range of (+2 and -2), which indicates the normality of the data at the level of 0.05. The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test also revealed that all the obtained values are more significant than 0.05, and as a result, the data have a normal distribution. In addition, the results of the correlation matrix showed that all correlations are significant at the level of 0.01. The highest correlation between engagement components and dimensions of support was between emotional engagement and teacher support (0.46). The highest correlation between engagement components and self-worth was between cognitive engagement and self-worth (0.37); the highest correlation between the components of engagement and the components of subjective well-being was between emotional engagement and the emotional component of subjective well-being (0.38). The highest correlation between the dimensions of support perception and self-worth was between the perception of parental support and self-worth (0.45), and the highest correlation between the dimensions of support perception with subjective well-being components was between cognitive components of subjective well-being and parental support (0.57). Then, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that all indicators are desirable and within an acceptable range, and the model generally fits well with the data. The standardized coefficients of direct and indirect effects of the paths in the model also showed that all effects were significant at the level of 0.001, and the highest immediate effect in this study was related to the direct effect of support on subjective well-being (0.48), through which, 23% of the variance of subjective well-being is explained. The Bootstrap method was used to investigate the indirect effects, and the results showed a significant indirect effect of academic involvement support. Moreover, the Sobel test confirmed the mediating role of subjective well-being and self-worth variables in the relationship between social support and academic engagement. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to investigate the moderating effects of two variables of gender and socioeconomic status on the relationship between perceptions of social support and academic engagement.
Conclusion
Recent findings support the model of self-system motivational development in the transition to high school. This model integrates contextual variables and self-perceptions and considers each of these variables as part of a dynamic motivational cycle. Accordingly, contextual support perceptions from teachers, parents, and peers can influence students’ academic engagement by controlling one’s perception of oneself as a valuable self and experiencing positive emotions and life satisfaction. This effectiveness is more important in the sensitive period of academic transition. Furthermore, this relationship, while not affected by socio-economic status, is affected by gender. Thus, in male students, with the perception of social support, the possibility of academic engagement in all dimensions increases. The present study demonstrates the underlying mechanism of the relationship between social support and academic engagement of students in the transition period and the mediating role of self-worth and subjective well-being in this regard, supports cumulative models, and shows each support sources have a significant and largely separate role in student engagement.
Ethical Consideration
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The informed consent of the volunteers to participate in the research was obtained. Necessary instructions were provided to the participants at the beginning of the research. The principle of confidentiality regarding the information received from students was considered. Participants in the research had the right to leave the study whenever they wanted and not to have to continue answering questions. Code of Ethics: IR.KHU.REC.1401.072.
Authors’ contributions
Ideation and editing by Parvin Kadivar; Research design by Mehdi Arabzadeh; Summarizing the research by Hadi Karamati. Soodeh Davaee did all stages of writing and implementation.
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant and has been done at personal expense.
Acknowledgment
The present article is extracted from the PhD Dissertation of the first author of this article. The authors are grateful to the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of Kharazmi University and the Tehran General Department of Education for the necessary cooperation to conduct this research.
Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Keywords: Perceived social support, Academic engagement, Transition into high school, Perceived self-worth, Subjective well-being
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2022/06/5 | Accepted: 2022/09/22 | Published: 2023/02/19
Received: 2022/06/5 | Accepted: 2022/09/22 | Published: 2023/02/19
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