Institute for Psychology of Learning and Instruction, Kiel University, Germany.
Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education at Kiel University, Germany.
Br J Educ Psychol. 2021 Mar;91(1):27-45. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12347. Epub 2020 Apr 1.
Although many studies have suggested that students' externalizing (aggressive and rule-breaking) behaviour is detrimental to their academic achievement, the underlying mechanisms have rarely been investigated.
We conducted a longitudinal investigation of whether the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement operationalized as grades and test scores is mediated by students' task-focused behaviour while controlling for the effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. We conducted separate analyses for different rating perspectives (i.e., parents and teachers) on students' externalizing behaviour to investigate the robustness of effects and determined whether gender moderated the mediation.
Participants were N = 1,039 students in 55 classes from different school types who were followed from fifth to ninth grade.
In fifth grade, parents and teachers rated students' externalizing behaviour, and students were administered standardized tests in mathematics, German, and general cognitive abilities. In seventh grade, teachers rated students' task-focused behaviour. In ninth grade, students were again administered standardized tests in mathematics and German, and their grades were obtained from school registries.
Structural equation models consistently revealed indirect effects of externalizing behaviour via task-focused behaviour on grades and test scores beyond effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. Result patterns were similar for parents' and teachers' ratings of externalizing behaviour and male and female students.
This study extends knowledge about the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement in adolescents by showing that there is an indirect relation through task-focused behaviour. Implications are discussed.
尽管许多研究表明学生的外向型（攻击性和违反规则）行为不利于他们的学业成绩，但很少有研究探讨其潜在机制。
我们进行了一项纵向研究，考察了外向型行为与学业成绩（以成绩和考试分数来衡量）之间的负相关是否通过学生的任务型行为来中介，同时控制初始成绩和一般认知能力的影响。我们对学生的外向型行为进行了来自不同评分视角（即父母和教师）的单独分析，以考察效应的稳健性，并确定性别是否调节了中介作用。
参与者为来自不同学校类型的 55 个班级的 1039 名学生，从五年级到九年级进行了跟踪研究。
在五年级，父母和教师对学生的外向型行为进行了评分，学生参加了标准化的数学、德语和一般认知能力测试。在七年级，教师对学生的任务型行为进行了评分。在九年级，学生再次参加了数学和德语的标准化测试，并从学校注册处获得了成绩。
结构方程模型一致显示，外向型行为通过任务型行为对成绩和考试分数的间接影响，超出了初始成绩和一般认知能力的影响。父母和教师对外向型行为的评分以及男女学生的结果模式相似。
本研究通过显示通过任务型行为存在间接关系，扩展了关于青少年外向型行为与学业成绩之间负相关的知识。讨论了其启示。
