Alice J. Davidson

Relatedness with teachers and peers during early adolescence: an integrated variable-oriented and person-oriented approach.

The primary aims of the present longitudinal study were to examine (a) patterns of early transition relatedness with teachers and peers in 6th grade, (b) whether pre-transition behavior in 5th grade predicted early transition relatedness in 6th grade, and (c) how unique indicators of early transition relatedness with teachers and peers and patterns of early transition relatedness were associated with school adjustment among 383 rural, lower- to middle-class, White youth. Results suggest that behavioral characteristics in elementary school may contribute to early transition patterns of relatedness with teachers and peers in middle school. Findings also indicate that having a pattern of poor relationships with the primary social partners in the school context is negatively associated with adjustment above and beyond the independent indicators of relatedness. Implications for school practice are discussed.

Parent/Peer Relationship Patterns among Mexican-Origin Adolescents.

This study examined patterns of mothers’ and fathers’ acceptance and youths’ friendship intimacy among 246 Mexican-origin 7th graders. Three patterns were identified using mixture modeling: (a) low mother and father acceptance, and average friendship intimacy (Low Parent Profile); (b) average mother acceptance, high father acceptance and friendship intimacy (Positive Profile); and (c) high mother acceptance, average father acceptance, and low friendship intimacy (Low Friend Profile). Profiles differed with respect to cultural characteristics and youth adjustment. Findings demonstrated the benefit of a person-oriented approach to illuminate how parental and peer experiences are connected in different ways for different youth and are linked with youth adjustment. Results highlighted the need for research to attend to the unique cultural experiences of minority youth.

“Im Gonna Tell You All About It”: Authorial Voice and Conventional Skills in Writing Assessment and Educational Practice

ABSTRACT Writing assessments have attended to the mechanics of writing, reflecting a value on the teaching of writing conventions. One quality of writing rarely assessed is authorial voice, a personal style that communicates the authors stance toward events reported and the authors relationship to the audience. The authors explore associations among authorial voice, writing mechanics, and academic performance. In the fall and spring of 1 academic year, 115 third- through fifth-grade students wrote personal narratives that were coded for 2 measures of mechanics and 4 measures of authorial voice. Students and teachers completed measures of academic performance. Mechanics, but not voice, predicted academic performance. The authors suggest that mechanics-focused state standards discourage authorial voice, and they propose attention to voice as a springboard to develop other writing skills.

Patterns of Conflict Experience That Emerge in Peer Reports and Personal Narratives During Middle Childhood

The present study used a person-centered approach to examine patterns of conflict experience among 198 3rd–6th grade children. Peer reports of aggressive behavior, sociability, victimization, and an assessment of psychological mindedness in narrative accounts of conflict experiences were used. Three patterns were identified using mixture modeling: Managers, Avoiders, and Sustainers. Patterns differed with respect to narrative skills and social adjustment. Findings demonstrate the benefit of examining childrens ability to tell their own stories in combination with peer perceptions of childrens behavior. Discussion focuses on how children may rely on behavioral and narrative skills to develop different ways of responding to peer conflict in context, as well as on the application of findings in school settings.