Dynamics between perceived social support and study engagement among primary school students: A three‑year longitudinal survey

Abstract

Perceived high study engagement relates to higher school achievement and has been found to promote social and emotional well-being as well. Social support for studying has typically been examined as a resource for study engagement. However, the interrelation between social support and study engagement is likely to be bidirectional: engaged students might be more willing to find and share social support in their studies. The students’ emotions and attitudes toward studying (i.e., study engagement) may also influence the teachers’ and guardians’ tendency to provide support for that individual student’s studies. This study explores the bidirectional interrelations between perceived social support for studying and perceived study engagement using three-wave longitudinal survey data in which students are followed from the fourth to sixth grade collected in 2017, 2018, and 2019 (N = 2401). The data are analyzed using the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). The results indicate that perceived study engagement is a stronger and more consistent predictor of later perceived social support from teachers and among peers than vice versa. Moreover, teacher support has a bidirectional interrelation with study engagement. Girls perceive more study engagement, teacher support, and peer support in the fourth and fifth grades when compared with boys.