Predicting change in academic achievement: A model of peer experiences andself-system processes

The purpose of this study was to test a model of peer experiences and acade mic achievement among elementary school children. This model postulates tha t the quality of children's social relations (e.g., social preference) in t he peer group can foster or inhibit feelings of connectedness (e.g., loneli ness), which in turn affects children's perceptions of academic competence. Finally, perceptions of academic competence are hypothesized to predict ch ange in academic achievement. Participants were 397 school children (206 gi rls, 191 boys; mean age = 108 months, range = 88-157 months). Results from structural equation modeling provided support for the proposed model. Discu ssion centers on the mediational role of self-system processes between chil dren's social relations and change in academic achievement.