ERIC Number: EJ755961
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 21
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-3830
EISSN: N/A
Social Support as a Buffer in the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Performance
Malecki, Christine Kerres; Demaray, Michelle Kilpatrick
School Psychology Quarterly, v21 n4 p375-395 Win 2006
The present study was an investigation of the potential moderating effect of social support on academic performance for students living in poverty. Data were collected in one urban middle school from 164 primarily Hispanic students using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000) and students' course grade point averages (GPA). Regarding socioeconomic status (SES), students were classified as lower-SES if they received free or reduced-cost lunches or higher-SES if they did not receive free or reduced-cost lunches. First, for students with higher SES, correlational analyses revealed no significant associations between social support and academic performance as measured by GPA. Alternatively, for students of lower SES, significant, moderate associations were found between GPA scores and social support scores. Second, as predicted, regression analyses provided evidence that social support may moderate the relationship between poverty and academic performance. Implications for school psychologists and suggestions for future research are provided. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)
Descriptors: Socioeconomic Status, School Psychologists, Poverty, Grade Point Average, Academic Achievement, Social Support Groups, Urban Areas, School Districts, Hispanic Americans, Measures (Individuals), Lunch Programs, Middle School Students, Risk
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: Counselors; Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A