Relations Between Social Competence And Academic Achievement In Middle Childhood

During middle childhood, social and academic adjustments are goals of social development. The relations between them have remained critical areas of inquiry. Western research has demonstrated that social competence and academic achievement are related. However, the nature of this relation is still unclear. Moreover, because of .the difference between Chinese and western culture, it is not suitable to generalize the findings based on western samples to Chinese ones. Consequently, It is not only possible but also necessary to investigate the relations of social competence and academic achievement of Chinese children in middle childhood.Sociometric nomination and questionnaire method were applied in this survey. 490 Children in an elementary school, from the third grade to the sixth grade, completed peer nomination and three scales, the Revised Class Play, Friendship Quality Questionnaire, and Who Am I, in June 2002 and so did 514 children in the same school and grades in December 2002. Cross-section design and longitudinal design were employed to explore correlation and predictor relations between social competence and academic achievement.The findings indicate that:1. Significantly positive correlation was found between academic achievement and social preference, social/leadership behaviors, while no significant correlation between academic achievement and passive/solitary behaviors. Significantly negative correlation was found between Chinese achievement and passive friendship quality.2. The correlation between social competence and academic achievements of the high-low-achievement group is higher than that of the moderate-achievement group.3. While the scores of high-achievement group in social preference and social/leadership behaviors are higher than that of low-achievement group, the scores of high-achievement group and low-achievement group in passive/solitary behaviors are not different. The scores of high Chinese achievement group hi positive friendship quality are higher than that of low Chinese achievement group, however, no difference was found between high and low maths achievements group.4. Grade difference was found in negative friendship quality. The students in the third grade to the fourth grade get fewer score than the students in the fifth grade to the sixth grade. Moreover, gender differences were found in social preference, social/leadership behaviors, aggressive behaviors and passive/solitary behaviors. Boys get more score in aggressive behaviors than girls, while girls get more score in the three others than boys.5. Results from cross-lagged regression analysis indicate while social preference, social/leadership behaviors in time 1 are positive predictors of achievement and aggressive behaviors is negative predictor of achievement, achievement is positive predictors of self-perception social competence.6. Results from SEM indicate that social competence is the predictor of achievements rather than the opposite.