The current study aimed to replicate and extend recent research by Ng, Huebner, and Hills (2015) by investigating the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and academic achievement among adolescents. Specifically, students’ baseline (Time 1) life satisfaction was examined as a predictor of academic achievement (as measured by GPA, FCAT-reading DSS scores, attitudes toward school, and goal valuation) one year later (Time 2). The same four academic achievement variables at Time 1 were also examined as a predictor of life satisfaction one year later at Time 2. Positive affect and negative affect were examined as moderators of those relationships. An archival data set that included data from 425 high school students was analyzed. In contrast to findings from prior research, results of four regression analyses indicated that life satisfaction was not a significant predictor of later academic skills (i.e., GPA, FCAT-reading DSS) or academic engagement (i.e., goal valuation, attitude towards school), although there was bivariate support for a link between Time 1 life satisfaction and later academic engagement. When academic variables were considered as predictors of later life satisfaction, there was bivariate support for the relationship between Time 1 GPA and Time 2 life satisfaction. In contrast to hypotheses, regression analyses failed to support a significant relationship between initial academic skills and later life satisfaction. However, moderated regression analyses indicated that academic skills (i.e., GPA, FCAT-reading DSS) predict later life satisfaction for students with greater initial emotional well-being (i.e., low negative affect, high positive affect). In regard to academic engagement, there was bivariate support for a small relationship between initial academic engagement and later life satisfaction, but regression analyses and moderated regression analyses failed to support that relationship. Analyses indicate that initial positive affect was a significant predictor of later life satisfaction and later goal valuation, which supports Frederickson’s (2009) broaden and build theory of positive emotions. Findings of the current study highlight the importance of promoting positive emotions among students, in part as a means to improve life satisfaction and cognitive engagement in school. The current study also provides support for offering mental health services to students with relatively high GPAs and standardized test scores who also experience symptoms of internalizing disorders (i.e., low positive affect, high negative affect). Finally, findings from the current study taken in conjunction with findings reported by Ng et al. (2015) suggest that middle school may be the optimal time for interventions aimed at improving students’ subjective well-being.

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediation and moderation effects of classroom peer norms (CPN) on the associations of teacher support with student engagement and aggression during sixth grade (first year of middle school). Current literature suggests that early adolescence is a critical developmental period with many changes occurring, including a peak in aggression, decreased academic engagement, increased peer influence, and decreased teacher support. Despite these challenging changes, teachers often serve as a powerful yet “invisible hand” (Farmer, Lines, & Hamm, 2011) that can influence student behaviors directly or indirectly via CPN. However, these two routes of teacher influence have rarely been examined simultaneously. The current study investigated these two routes by examining the partial mediation and moderation effects of CPN on the associations of teacher support with four student behaviors (overt and relational aggression, involved and disruptive behavior) among a diverse sample of 312 students from 32 classrooms across the fall and spring of sixth grade. Students self-reported teacher support (academic, emotional) and engagement (involved, disruptive behavior) and peer-nominated aggression (overt, relational). CPN was computed as a class average of a certain behavior (aggression or engagement). Multilevel modeling was used to test the mediation and moderation effects, considering the nested nature of the data (i.e., students nested within classrooms). Results indicated full mediation effect of CPN on the relations of fall teacher support with spring overt aggression, relational aggression, and disruptive behavior, and a moderation effect on spring involved behavior. Interestingly, the average classroom perception of teacher support showed a significant direct negative effect on relational aggression and disruptive behavior, and a direct positive effect on involved behavior, all of which became smaller and non-significant when CPN was taken into consideration (i.e., when the indirect or mediation effect was considered). In terms of the mediation effects, classes which had high levels of average perception of teacher support in the fall tended to have low disruptive behavior CPN, which was further associated with low levels of individual student disruptive behavior in the spring. The same mechanism applied to overt and relational aggression, except that the significance level of the relations of CPN with overt and relational aggression was marginal (i.e., p < .10). The moderation effect suggests that students who reported high levels of teacher support in the fall (relative to his/her classmates, regardless of the class average) tended to report high levels of involved behavior in the spring only if the fall involved behavior CPN was also high. These findings highlight the importance to investigate both teacher and peer influence within a classroom in order to better understand student behaviors during the first year of middle school. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as limitations and future directions.

The initial and maintenance effects of a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) intervention and fading procedure on Academic Engaged Time (AET) of a 6-year-old boy with Developmental Delay and Attention Deficits were evaluated with a reversal design. Following an initial baseline, the DBRC was implemented and then completely removed followed by reapplication of the DBRC. Subsequently, the report card was gradually reduced in the frequency of its use from very daily to every other day. Increased AET reliably varied with the application and then removal of the DBRC. Whereas complete removal of the DBRC resulted in substantial decreases in AET, response dependent fading of the card was associated with AET of 80% or above. Teacher intervention ratings demonstrated social validity of the intervention in terms of its effectiveness, acceptability and efficiency. Research and practical issues are discussed.

Daily Behavior Report Card effects on Academic Engaged Time of a 6 year-old boy with Developmental Delay and attention deficits were evaluated with a reversal design. Increased AET was maintained at normative levels during DBRC response dependent fading. Teacher intervention ratings demonstrated social validity. Research and practical issues are discussed

Culture, as an advanced form of social life, is internalized within each individual as an essential component of learning, socializing, and developing (Baumeister, 2011; Greenfield et al., 2003). Self-regulated learning (SRL), as demonstrated in the literature, is essential for students’ academic success, where self-regulated learners strategically and metacognitively plan, monitor, and adapt their learning processes to achieve their goals in learning (Winne & Hadwin, 1998; Winne, 1995; Zimmerman, 2002). Because SRL theories significantly emphasize the importance of social contexts, culture is likely to influence how individuals develop and gain SRL competency. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of cross-cultural studies of SRL research; thus, this study aimed to examine and compare Chinese international and Canadian domestic students’ self-reported engagement in SRL processes and their academic performance. To achieve this purpose, we adopted an emic approach by evaluating Winne and Hadwin’s (1998) model of SRL and systematically comparing it with Chinese conceptualization of learning (e.g., Confucianism). Then, we used an advanced statistical method to investigate the measurement invariance of the Regulation of Learning Questionnaire (RLQ) designed to capture SRL as dynamic processes unfolding over time for Chinese and Canadian groups. Our findings supported configural and metric invariances across Chinese and Canadian cultural groups. Based on the evidence of partial scalar invariance, we also identified single items that contributed to scalar non-invariance. This study demonstrated the significance of examining the measurement invariance across cultures, which warrants comparability in cross-cultural comparisons, and contributed greatly to the current literature on the relation between culture and SRL. / Graduate

Research shows that children with disabilities are more likely engage in problem behaviors and have behavioral, social, and academic deficits in a school classroom than those children without disabilities (e.g., Owens et al., 2012; Pierce, Reid, & Epstein, 2004). Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have been found to improve disruptive behaviors, such as task refusal or calling out in class, of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual and developmental disorders and typically developing students; however, research evaluating the efficacy of DBRCs with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is lacking. Studies also indicate that DBRCs can be effectively implemented by teachers (e.g., Taylor & Hill, 2017) and that peers can implement a variety of interventions with fidelity (e.g., Check in check out [CICO]; Collins, Gresham, & Dart, 2016). Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of DBRC, implemented by peers, on the behaviors of students at risk for EBD and whether peers can implement the intervention procedures with high integrity. The study used a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants. In this study peer mediated DBRC led to a decrease in disruptive behavior and an increase in appropriate behavior for all three target students who were at risk for EBD. The peer mediators also implemented the DBRC procedures with high integrity.

The sustainable development of working students in tertiary education institutions is important for student retention and institutional success. As the number of working students is on the rise, it is imperative that the needs of working students are well-recognized to ensure academic satisfaction and engagement. As these students encompass the role of both an employee and a student, inter-role conflict is experienced when pressures from the workplace disrupt academic responsibilities and influence academic outcomes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the impact of type of employment (part-time employment and full-time employment) on university outcomes, namely academic satisfaction and academic engagement of working students. The study proposed that those working students in part-time employment would on average experience less work-school conflict, more academic satisfaction and more academic engagement than those working students in full-time employment. The study implemented a secondary crosssectional descriptive design, whereby secondary data was used. The study's sample consisted of working students (n = 482). Independent samples t-tests and mediation analyses were conducted to analyse the study's hypotheses. A significant difference was found between those working students who participated in part-time and full-time employment, in terms of their work-school conflict and academic satisfaction. However, no significant difference was found for the academic engagement outcome. The analyses revealed that work-school conflict mediated the relationship between type of employment and academic satisfaction, however mediation effects were not found between type of employment and academic engagement. The findings of the study have theoretical contributions and practical implications for university intuitions and researchers. Lastly, research contributions and suggestions for future research are presented.

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