Academic Self-Perceptions and Academic Achievement in Chinese Children: A Multiwave Longitudinal Study

This study examined reciprocal contributions between academic self-perceptions and academic achievement. Data were collected each year in four consecutive years from a sample of children in China (initial N = 1,156; 581 boys; initial M_age  = 9.33 years). Analyses using random intercept cross-lagged panel models revealed that the effects of academic achievement on self-perceptions tended to be more evident in lower grades and the effects of academic self-perceptions on achievement tended to be more evident in higher grades. Latent growth curve analyses showed that the initial level of academic self-perceptions and achievement moderated the growth of each other. The results indicate the contributions between academic self-perceptions and achievement that occur in a progressive cascading manner in Chinese children.