Casey A. Knifsend

The Role of Peer Relationships in Student Academic and Extracurricular Engagement

Friends and other peer relationships can motivate students to engage in school work as well as in extracurricular activities. To understand when and how peers matter, research on the positive and negative engagement “effects” of friends, peer support, and socially marginalizing experiences, such as peer rejection and bullying, is reviewed. The chapter starts with a brief summary of research demonstrating the links between school belonging and academic engagement and extracurricular involvement. The ways in which selection of friends and the influence of friends, quality of friendships, and type of friendship support (academic or emotional) are related to academic engagement and extracurricular involvement in school are then discussed. Studies examining whether the number of friends or the size of peer network is related to school engagement are also included. The chapter ends with a discussion about future research needs in relation to the role of peer relationships and student engagement, and implications for school policies (e.g., academic tracking, grade retention, and extracurricular practices).

Social Identity Complexity, Cross-ethnic Friendships, and Intergroup Attitudes in Urban Middle Schools

This study investigated contextual antecedents (i.e., cross-ethnic peers and friends) and correlates (i.e., intergroup attitudes) of social identity complexity in seventh grade. Social identity complexity refers to the perceived overlap among social groups with which youth identify. Identifying mostly with out-of-school sports, religious affiliations, and peer crowds, the ethnically diverse sample (N = 622; Mage in seventh grade = 12.56) showed moderately high complexity. Social identity complexity mediated the link between cross-ethnic friendships and ethnic intergroup attitudes, but only when adolescents had a high proportion of cross-ethnic peers at school. Results are discussed in terms of how school diversity can promote complex social identities and positive intergroup attitudes.

Extracurricular Activities in Multiethnic Middle Schools: Ideal Context for Positive Intergroup Attitudes?

&NA; This study examined processes by which extracurricular participation is linked with positive ethnic intergroup attitudes in multiethnic middle schools in California. Specifically, the mediating roles of activity‐related cross‐ethnic friendships and social identities including alliances with multiple groups were examined in a sample including African American or Black, East or South‐East Asian, White, and Latino youth (N = 1,446; Mage = 11.60 in sixth grade). Results of multilevel modeling suggested that in addition to activity‐related cross‐ethnic friendships, complex social identities mediated the association between availability of cross‐ethnic peers in activities and ethnic intergroup attitudes. Results are discussed in terms of how activities can be structured to promote cross‐ethnic relationships and complex social identities, as well as positive ethnic intergroup attitudes.

Friends in Activities, School-related Affect, and Academic Outcomes in Diverse Middle Schools

Participating in school-based activities is linked to positive academic engagement and achievement, but less is known about how peer relationships within activities affect these outcomes. The current study examined friends in extracurricular activities as a predictor of academic outcomes in multiethnic middle schools in California. Specifically, the mediating role of school belonging, and interactions by ethnicity and type of activity, were examined in a sample including African American or Black, East or Southeast Asian, White, and Latino youth in extracurricular activities (N = 2268; Mage = 13.36 in eighth grade; 54% female). The results of multilevel mediational models suggested that school belonging mediated the link between friends in activities and academic outcomes, and these findings replicated across groups based on ethnicity and the type of activity in which one was involved in general. These results are discussed in terms of how activities can be structured to promote positive peer relations in ways that are linked with academic engagement and achievement.

The Longitudinal Influence of 10th Grade Extracurricular Activity Involvement: Implications for 12th Grade Academic Practices and Future Educational Attainment

Although extracurricular activity involvement during high school is linked with positive academic outcomes, less is known about the longitudinal effects or the mediators of this association. The current investigation assessed the influence of 10th grade extracurricular activity involvement on educational attainment. The sample for this study (N = 11,720; 52.9% female) was drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a nationally representative, longitudinal investigation. Both breadth and intensity of extracurricular activity involvement in the 10th grade were linked with educational attainment eight years after high school. For breadth, the association was mediated by increased educational expectations in the 12th grade. The results are discussed in terms of the implications and importance of extracurricular activity involvement.

Intensity of activity involvement and psychosocial well-being among students:

The transition to university, while a time of growth, can also be difficult for many students, with declines in psychosocial well-being common. Specific stressors can include both those related to academics and those related to life transitions during this time, like moving out or being away from one’s family. Understanding the factors that can bolster well-being, such as campus activity participation (e.g. in sports or social organizations), is likely to be especially important to student success. The study examined linear and curvilinear associations of campus activity intensity and psychosocial well-being. Results suggested the greatest benefits to belongingness, loneliness, and social anxiety at the highest levels of activity intensity, over 10 hours a week spent in activities. An interaction tested by ethnicity showed that effects of activity intensity on belongingness differed for underrepresented minority students versus non-underrepresented students. Findings suggest that students may benefit from getting involved as much as they can, and that universities may highlight the importance of engaging in activities outside of the classroom through messaging or in-class presentations about the utility of campus involvement.