Engagement Norms Buffer Academic Risks Associated with Peer Rejection in Middle School.
Leah M Lessard1, Jaana Juvonen2
1University of Connecticut.
International Journal of Behavioral Development
|March 24, 2021
Summary
In schools with strong academic engagement norms, peer rejection did not lead to academic difficulties. Popular peer behaviors can positively influence marginalized youth, showing academic challenges are not inevitable.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Peer rejection is a risk factor for academic difficulties.
- Social norms within schools may influence individual academic trajectories.
- Understanding moderators of peer influence is crucial for supporting vulnerable youth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how school-level academic engagement norms moderate the relationship between peer rejection and academic outcomes.
- To investigate if norms influence students susceptible to peer influence, specifically socially marginalized youth.
- To analyze variations in academic engagement norms across diverse middle schools.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multilevel models to analyze data from 5,991 U.S. middle school students across 26 schools.
- Examined peer rejection in sixth grade and its association with changes in grade point average (GPA) and academic engagement from sixth to eighth grade.
- Assessed the moderating role of school-wide academic engagement norms.
Main Results:
- The negative association between peer rejection and academic engagement was significantly attenuated in schools with salient academic engagement norms.
- The link between peer rejection and grade point average (GPA) was eliminated in these high-norm schools.
- Findings support the hypothesis that school context, specifically engagement norms, can buffer the negative effects of peer rejection.
Conclusions:
- School academic engagement norms can mitigate the adverse academic consequences of peer rejection for vulnerable youth.
- The behaviors of popular peers, reflecting salient norms, appear to influence socially marginalized students.
- Academic difficulties for rejected youth are not predetermined and can be influenced by the school environment.
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