Citation

Lam SF, Jimerson SR, Kikas E, Cefai C, Veiga FH, Nelson B, Hatzichristou C, Polychroni F, Basnett J, Duck R, Farrell P, Liu Y, Negovan V, Shin H, Stanculescu E, Wong BP, Yang H, Zollneritsch J. J. Sch. Psychol. 2012; 50(1): 77-94.

Affiliation

University of Hong Kong, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Society for the Study of School Psychology, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsp.2011.07.004

PMID

22386079

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in school and were rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the contextual and personal factors associated with girls' and boys' academic performance around the world.

Language: en