Peer Group Resource or Impediment for Pupils’ Academic Engagement? Function of Peer Group for 6th and 8th Graders Academic Engagement

Author(s):

Sanna Järvinen(presenting / submitting)Tiina Soini(presenting)Kirsi Pyhältö Janne Pietarinen

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

14 SES 07 A, School-related Transitions Within a Life Course Perspective – Intermediate Phases

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-19

17:15-18:45

Room:

ESI 2 - Aula 4

Chair:

Joana Lúcio

Contribution

Research on school engagement has shown that most pupils engage academic activities successfully (Willms 2003). However, there is also evidence that some pupils face severe problems in engaging the activities (e.g. Alexander ym. 1997; Finn & Rock 1997, Finn 1989). Especially, school transitions have shown to have a significant impact on pupils’ academic engagement (Jindal-Snape, 2010; Salmela-Aro, Kiuru & Nurmi, 2008). It has been suggested perceived fit between pupils and school’s social environment plays a central role in both in school engagement (Furrer & Skinner 2003; Osterman 2000) and hence ways in which pupils cope with the transitions (Eccles, 2004; Zimmer-Gembeck ym. 2006). Pupils are not however only influenced by the fit but they also direct and re-direct their own behavior (Salmela-Aro, Vuori, & Koivisto, 2007) and actively modify their environment. From this perspective construction of academic engagement can be understood as a process in which pupils re-negotiate the fit between themselves and various learning environments provided by school. Yet, not that much is known on how pupils’ academic engagement is constructed in nested social learning environment of school. This study focused on exploring pupil’s academic engagement and its relation to peer interaction among the Finnish comprehensive school pupils.

This study aims to gain better understanding about function of peer interaction in sixth and eighth graders academic engagement.

1.    What kinds of engaging and disengaging episodes pupils describe?
a.    How they perceive the pupil-school environment- fit in terms of peer group and pupil-teacher interaction in these events and episodes?

2.    What kinds of strategies contribute to pupils’ academic engagement or disengagement?

3.    Are there differences between a) episodes described and b) strategies used by sixth and eight graders?

Method

This study comprises data collected from the pupils of three case schools around Finland. All the sixth (78) and eighth (83) grade pupils responded to the survey, comprising altogether 161 pupils. The reason for selecting the sixth and eighth graders, were that they had recently undergone or approaching primary-lower secondary school transition. During the fieldwork on case schools the small group interviews (3 to 5 pupils) were conducted. The pupils were asked to describe both engaging and disengaging episodes in school path. Moreover, they were asked to give reasons for the course of events, and reflect strategies pupils use to cope with peers, teachers and other members of school community for the events. The data were content analyzed. At first, all the text segments in which pupils referred to school work coded into the same hermeneutic category. Secondly, the text segments were coded into two exclusive basic categories 1) engaging and 2) disengaging episodes. After this both of these two main categories were coded into two main categories: peer interaction and teacher-pupil interaction. Finally, the subcategories were coded to two exclusive sub-categories based on the action strategy used in the situation: adaptive strategy and modifying strategy.

Expected Outcomes

The pupils reported variety episodes, ranging from alienation and inadequacy to dedication and absorption. Both positive episodes causing satisfaction and engagement and negative episodes causing disappointments and disengagements were described by the pupils. The engaging and disengaging episodes were situated in social context of school environment, including peer relations and relationships with teachers. Pupils also reported different ways to deal with situations. Further investigation showed that the primary fit-strategy in school work perceived by pupils was adaptation to the practices and norms set by teacher as well as peers. In addition to adaptation pupils also identified a more active interaction fit-strategy in peer relations. Preliminary results indicated that both 6th and 8th graders preferred adaptation as a primary strategy in teacher-pupil interaction. However, while 6th graders preferred accommodative strategies in peer relations 8th graders reported adaptation to be the primary strategy also in peer relationships. The findings suggested that the perceived academic engagement is mediated by the success in complex social relations in school. Moreover at its best peers provide central resource for pupils’ academic engagement. This, however, provides learning of advanced strategic flexibility and self-regulative skills from the pupils.

References

Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Horsey, C. S. 1997. From first grade forward: Early foundations of high school dropouts. Sociology of Education 70, 87–107. Eccles, J.S. (2004). Schools, academic motivation, and stage-environment fit. In R.M. Lerner, & L.D. Steinberg (Eds.) Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 125–153). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Finn, J. 1989. Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research 59 (2), 117–42. Finn, J. D., & Rock, D. A. 1997. Academic success among students at-risk for school failure. Journal of Applied Psychology 82 (2), 221–234. Furrer, C., & Skinner, E. A. 2003. Sense of relatedness as a factor in children’s academic engagement and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology 95, 148–162. Jindal-Snape, D. (Ed.). (2010). Educational transitions. Moving stories from around the world. New York: Routledge. Osterman, K. F. 2000. Students’ need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research 70, 323–368. Salmela-Aro, K., Kiuru, N., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2008). The role of educational track in adolescents’ school burnout: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 663–689. Salmela-Aro, K., Vuori, J., & Koivisto, P. (2007). Adolescents’ motivational orientations, school-subject values, and well-being: A person-centered approach. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 4, 310–330. Willms, J. D. 2003. Student engagement at school. A sense of belonging and participation. Results from Pisa 2000. OECD. Zimmer-Gembeck, M., Chipuer, H.M., Hanisch, M., Creed, P.A., & McGregor, L. 2006. Relationships at school and stage-environment fit as resources for adolescent engagement and achievement. Journal of Adolescence 29, 911–933.

Author Information

Sanna Järvinen (presenting / submitting)

University of Tampere

School of Education

Tampere

Tiina Soini (presenting)

University of Tampere, Finland

Kirsi Pyhältö

University of Helsinki

Janne Pietarinen

University of Eastern Finland

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