| Relations between school engagement and academic competence were assessed through the use of Grades 5 and 6 data from the longitudinal, 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Factor analyses provided evidence for two school engagement components, Behavioral and Emotional. The results of hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that several individual and contextual factors predicted both facets of school engagement: e.g., youth who had higher scores for intentional self regulation, who perceived mothers as being warmer, and perceived their school atmosphere as being more positive reported higher levels of behavioral and emotional school engagement. There were sex differences for both behavioral and emotional school engagement, but not for perceived academic competence. Behavioral school engagement at Grade 5 predicted higher perceived academic competence in Grade 6, after demographic and individual variables were controlled. Emotional school engagement did not predict perceived academic competence. Results were discussed in regard to promoting students' engagement levels in order to enhance academic competence. |
