Student's and Classmates' Prosocial Behavior predict Academic Engagement in Middle School.

Students' academic engagement is greatly informed by a classroom's social climate. However, more research is needed regarding how specific peer behavior, especially prosocial behavior, come to shape academic engagement. The present study investigated whether students' perceptions about their classmates' prosocial behavior were associated with their academic engagement (cognitive, behavioral, affective) across the school year. Indirect effects via increases in students' own prosocial behavior were examined. Participants were 905 middle school students from rural, low-income communities in the Midwestern United States (50% girls, 46% boys; Mage = 12.94 years). Students completed self-report surveys in the fall and spring of the 2022-2023 school year. Results revealed that students' perceptions of their classmates' prosocial behavior were positively associated with students' own prosocial behavior. Students' own prosocial behavior was positively associated with all three dimensions of engagement. The positive indirect effect of classmates' prosocial behavior on engagement through students' own prosocial behavior was significant. The findings highlight the importance of classmates' behavior on individuals' academic engagement and offer insights into classroom-based interventions aimed at improving collective behavior.

Positive student-teacher relationships and exclusionary discipline practices.

Teacher-student relationships are beneficial for students and especially important in the middle school context. Suspensions are critical to reduce as it can be detrimental to the educational trajectory of students, particularly for marginalized students in underfunded schools. This study looked at the relations between teacher-student relationships and suspensions across the academic year in a sample of students (N = 541) and teachers (N = 51) in two urban school districts in the Midwest. A brief measure of teachers' perceptions of relationships with students completed in the fall of the academic year predicted the odds of receiving in-school suspension (ISS; odds ratio [OR] = 0.65) and out-of-school suspension (OSS; OR = 0.72) by the end of the school year. Student reports of the relationships were also associated with ISS (OR = 0.94), but not OSS. On average, teachers' report on the scale improved over the course of the school year (d = 0.11); however, student report of the relationships worsened (d = 0.30). The difference in the student report of the relationships from fall to spring was also associated with the odds of receiving ISS and OSS (ORs = 0.94). These findings suggest that student and teacher perceptions together are associated with harsh discipline practices that can negatively impact students' developmental trajectories. Relationships can change but direct action is necessary to develop, maintain, and repair relationships during the academic year.

Profiles of middle school teacher stress and coping: Concurrent and prospective correlates.

This study examined the stress and coping patterns of middle school teachers. A final teacher sample of 102 and student sample of 1450 agreed to participate in the study. We conducted a latent profile analysis of the teachers' self-reported levels of stress and coping at the beginning of the school year and used the resulting profiles to predict teacher practices and student outcomes over time. Nearly all teachers were characterized by high stress and high coping (66%) or high stress and low coping (28%). Based on concurrent ratings and observations, the High Stress/Low Coping profile had higher burnout and lower self-efficacy, higher rates of observed reprimands, and higher student-reported depression in comparison to the other classes. The most adaptive profile, Low Stress/High Coping (6% of sample), had lower burnout, greater parent involvement and higher student prosocial skills in comparison to the other groups. Profiles also predicted the maintenance of most of these effects and the increase of some effects over the school year. Examining stress and coping in combination can inform efforts to improve teacher well-being and have a positive influence on student learning environments.

Bullying involvement, teacher-student relationships, and psychosocial outcomes.

Students involved in bullying experience mental health issues and negative psychosocial outcomes. Few studies have investigated how teacher-student relationships (TSRs) may buffer the negative outcomes experienced by students involved in bullying. To investigate the moderating role of TSRs with bullying involvement status and psychosocial outcomes, we used data from 691 middle school students, 85 teachers, and 6 schools in one urban district. We used both student- and teacher-reported outcomes and regression models included baseline measures (i.e., depression, concentration problems, emotional regulation problems, behavioral engagement) taken 8 months earlier. Regardless of bullying involvement, student-reported TSR had a beneficial association for all outcomes controlling for baseline measures and student demographic variables. However, bully/victims with low TSRs experienced a heightened risk for depressive symptoms suggesting increased attention to this subgroup of students. (PsycINFO Database Record

Literacy Practices Among Adult Education Participants.

Readers' individual literacy practices involve a variety of materials such as books, newspapers, magazines, technical materials and work documents. This study explored the relationship between readership (reading as a form of communication, an advancement of culture, and the development of the individual) and readers' choice of materials for participants in adult education, whose skills varied from very low literacy to high school/General Education Development (GED) levels. In this study we reviewed adult education participants' pattern of reading materials and the frequency of usage among participants. A representative sample of 273 adult education participants was recruited from 12 Kansas adult education programs. Their literacy practices were evaluated in terms of age, education level, and reading skill levels. Our results pointed to differences based on age but not educational completion level. The implications are discussed in terms of matching curricular materials used in instruction to salient learner characteristics. Recommendations for literacy instructors are provided that could enhance the learners' persistence and success.