title: Peer relationships and adolescents' academic and non-academic outcomes: same-sex and opposite-sex peer effects and the mediating role of school engagement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The literature has documented theoretical/conceptual models delineating the facilitating role of peer relationships in academic and non-academic outcomes. However, the mechanisms through which peer relationships link to those outcomes is an area requiring further research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study examined the role of adolescents' perceptions of their relationships with same-sex and opposite-sex peers in predicting their academic performance and general self-esteem and the potentially mediating role of school engagement in linking these perceived peer relationships with academic and non-academic outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 1,436 high-school students (670 boys, 756 girls; 711 early adolescents, 723 later adolescents).
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report measures and objective achievement tests were used. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to test the hypothesized model and its invariance across gender and age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceived same-sex peer relationships yielded positive direct and indirect links with academic performance and general self-esteem. Perceived opposite-sex peer relationships yielded positive direct and indirect links with general self-esteem and an indirect positive link with academic performance, but mediation via school engagement was not as strong as that of perceived same-sex peer relationships. These findings generalized across gender and age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents' same-sex and opposite-sex peer relationships seem to positively impact their academic performance and general self-esteem in distinct ways. It appears that school engagement plays an important role in mediating these peer relationship effects, particularly those of same-sex peer relationships, on academic and non-academic functioning. Implications for psycho-educational theory, measurement, and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory Arief D
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Liem
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D009517:New South Wales; D010379:Peer Group; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires