Longitudinal Effects of Student Mobility on Three Dimensions of Elementary School Engagement

• Published in: Child development Vol. 79; no. 6; pp. 1833 - 1852
• Main Authors: Gruman, Diana H., Harachi, Tracy W., Abbott, Robert D., Catalano, Richard F., Fleming, Charles B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.11.2008; Wiley-Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement; Antisocial behavior; At Risk Students; Attitude; Attitudes; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Development; Child growth; Children; Educational psychology; Effects; Elementary Education; Elementary school students; Elementary schools; Empirical Articles; Faculty; Family - psychology; Family Environment; Family stress; Family studies; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade 5; Humans; Learner Engagement; Learning; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mobility; Modeling; Parents; Peer Acceptance; Peer relations; Positive thought; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Schools; Social Behavior; Social capital; Stress Variables; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Student Attitudes; Student Mobility; Students; Studies; Teachers; White people; Social environment; Human; Participation; Academic achievement; Peer relation; Teacher pupil relation; Attitude; Mobility; School environment; Stress; Growth curve; Behavioral disorder; School age; Social interaction; Follow up study; Family environment; Primary school; Child
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01229.x

Working within the development science research framework, this study sought to capture a dynamic and complex view of student mobility. Second- through fifth-grade date (N = 1,003, predominantly Caucasian) were drawn from a longitudinal study, and growth curve analyses allowed for the examination of mobility effects within the context of other factors that put children at risk, including behavior problems and family stress. School changes predicted declines in academic performance and classroom participation but not positive attitude toward school. Time-varying factors such as peer acceptance and teacher support had a positive influence on the growth trajectories of child outcomes. Additionally, teacher support had a particularly strong influence on positive attitudes toward school among children who had more school changes.