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Longitudinal Antecedents of School Bonding in Adolescence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2012

Gill Terrett ,
Meredith O'Connor ,
Mary T. Hawkins ,
Ann Sanson  and
Diana Smart
Gill Terrett*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Australia
Meredith O'Connor
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Mary T. Hawkins
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Ann Sanson
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Diana Smart
Affiliation:
Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Gill Terrett, School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne Campus, Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy, MDC VIC 3065, Australia. E-mail: gill.terrett@acu.edu.au
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Abstract

School bonding has been identified as a protective factor for a broad range of adolescent outcomes, and it is thus important to identify factors that foster positive relationships with school. The ecological perspective suggests the importance of both individual and contextual antecedents across developmental periods, yet previous research has tended to examine only a narrow selection of school bonding correlates. This study sought to identify longitudinal influences on school bonding, examining the role of both individual and contextual factors over childhood and early adolescence. We draw on data from 1,308 participants (51% female) in the Australian Temperament Project, a large representative Australian sample that has followed the psychosocial development of participants from infancy to adulthood, and thus provides a rare opportunity to address this gap in the literature. Path analysis was conducted to examine individual and contextual predictors of school bonding at 15–16 years. The individual characteristics of higher academic achievement and sociability, and lower hyperactivity predicted school bonding. Contextual factors also made a significant contribution, including the parent–child relationships and maternal education. The results indicate that both individual and contextual factors make unique contributions to school bonding in adolescence, suggesting a number of potential targets for intervention.

Keywords

school bondinglongitudinal analysisindividual characteristicscontextual factors
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , December 2012 , pp. 107 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2012

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