The purpose of this study was to observe how within-person variation in motivation, self-efficacy and academic performance scores are correlated or can be predicted. The reciprocal association between these variables was analysed through a four-wave longitudinal study and a within-person analytical approach (random intercept cross-lagged panel…

Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we examine the association between taking Algebra I by the eighth grade and students' later achievements and advanced mathematics course-taking. To explore our research questions, we employ three distinct methods--regression analysis, fixed effects models, and propensity score matching. In all our…

Student attendance is a predictive measure of success in brick-and-mortar schools with little research examining this relationship in online schools. This study explores students in online classrooms within online schools, to determine if the days a student was active on a course during the COVID-19 pandemic predicted success. A multilevel…

Given their lower socioeconomic background and achievement, immigrants and their descendants have been shown to make more ambitious decisions regarding educational transitions. While previous research has extensively analysed transitions within and after compulsory education, research on late transitions is scarce. This study focuses on the…

This longitudinal study was initiated to assess the predictors of peer- and teacher-identified Chinese adolescent leaders. Participants were 764 8th grade (14.42 years, 348 girls) and 783 11th grade (17.67 years, 427 girls) students that completed two waves of data collection separated by 1 year. Prosocial behavior, aggression, and the interaction…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto research study was to determine if restorative practices, an alternative approach to traditional discipline, reduced behavior incidents, promoted student academic achievement, and increased attendance for African American male high school students. This study involved a targeted population of 730…

The importance of family background in determining a student's academic achievement has long been acknowledged by researchers. Nonetheless, the effect of schooling on this relationship has also been widely investigated. Some studies have shown that family background plays a far stronger role while the effect of schooling is minimal; others have…

The purpose of this study was to examine in detail the relationship between perceived parental involvement in homework (content-oriented and autonomy-oriented forms of involvement) and students' homework behavior (homework time, homework time management, and amount of homework completed). The study also looked at how the relationships between…

Students in the local school district have continued to score below the state average on the standardized American Literature end-of-course (EOC) assessment. It was unclear what 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-grade teachers in the district were doing to prepare students for success on the American Literature EOC. The purpose of this basic qualitative study…

The academic consequences of being popular are well established, but much less is known about the academic consequences of desiring to be popular. Extant research on popularity goals only focuses on the implications for students' school engagement, help-seeking, and academic achievement. The current study expands these findings by examining the…

This brief examines the outcomes of high school-aged newcomer students--recently-arrived immigrant English learners--in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Data from the 2007-2008 through 2018-2019 school years show that newcomer students who attended Liberty High School upon arrival in the U.S. had similar levels of academic…

For decades, achievement goal theory has been extensively used, but empirical research still requires a clearer understanding of the underlying factors conceptualized and measured during secondary school periods. In light of the increasing use of longitudinal studies in motivation research, this study aims to investigate the longitudinal…

The purpose of this study is to address the lack of student engagement at Northeast High school by addressing the following research questions: (1) What are the current student engagement levels at Northeast High School? and (2) How can the level of student engagement at Northeast High School be improved? For this study, student engagement…

There is a little information about whether and if so how student aspirations for college change over time. We introduce a conceptual model to explain how student aspirations may change over time, utilize panel methods to examine the extent to which this happens during high school, and investigate which factors are associated with such changes. We…

Racial and ethnic achievement gaps contribute to the lack of underrepresented minorities in STEM-related careers. This research is grounded in the expectancy-value model of achievement motivation which posits that motivation is influenced by social-cognitive variables such as self-efficacy and beliefs about the usefulness or utility of the task.…