DOES BEING GOOD MAKE THE GRADE - SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC COMPETENCE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

This study examined relations of prosocial and antisocial classroom be havior to academic achievement, taking into account the possible media ting effects of academically oriented classroom behavior and teachers' preferences for students. Correlational findings based on 423 student s in 6th and 7th grade indicated that prosocial and antisocial behavio r are related significantly to grade point average and standardized te st scores and to teachers' preferences for students and academic behav ior. Results from multiple-regression analyses suggested that both typ es of social behavior are significant, independent predictors of class room grades, even when academically oriented behavior and teachers' pr eference for students, IQ, family structure, sex, ethnicity, and days absent from school are taken into account. Results of regressions sugg ested that significant correlations between social behavior and academ ic outcomes can be explained in part by significant relations between social and academic behavior. The role of social behavior in promoting classroom learning is discussed.