title: A longitudinal multilevel model analysis of the within-person and between-person effect of effortful engagement and academic self-efficacy on academic performance.
abstract: Using data from an accelerated longitudinal study, we examined the within-person and between-person effect of effortful engagement and academic self-efficacy on academic performance across students (N=135) in elementary school. Teachers assessed participants' effortful engagement and participants rated their academic self-efficacy once per year for 3 years. Academic performance was assessed through standardized test scores in reading and math. Multilevel models indicated that within-person change in Effortful Engagement and Academic Self-Efficacy scores significantly predicted concomitant within-person change in reading test scores, B=2.71, p=.043, Pseudo-R2=.02 and B=4.72, p=.005, Pseudo-R2=.04, respectively. Participants with higher between-person levels of Effortful Engagement had higher initial reading test scores, B=10.03, p=.001, Pseudo-R2=.09, and math test scores, B=11.20, p<.001, Pseudo-R2=.15, whereas participants with higher between-person levels of Academic Self-Efficacy showed a faster rate of increase in math test scores across elementary school, B=10.21, p=.036, Pseudo-R2=.25. At the between-person level, Effortful Engagement mediated the association between Academic Self-Efficacy and both reading and math test scores, although no support was found for mediation at the within-person level. Collectively, results suggest that trait-level psychological factors can vary meaningfully within school-aged children and that both within-person change and between-person individual differences in these traits have important consequences for academic performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Electronic address: gallabri@sas.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Galla
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsukayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Har
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Angela W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Langer
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D002648:Child; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D011932:Reading; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Academic engagement; Academic performance; Noncognitive skills; Self-efficacy; Self-regulation