Does learning-related social competence in the 1st grade predict academic achievement in the 3rd grade?

Abstract

This longitudinal study investigated the links between school anxiety, social competence, and teacher–student relationship in the 1st grade and academic achievement in the 3rd grade. The sample consisted of 389 Lithuanian school children who at the time of the study started their 1st year in elementary school. Regression analyses indicated that while the learning-related aspect of social competence at the 1st grade strongly predicted academic achievement in the 3rd grade, interpersonal aspect of social competence did not add any extra variance to the prediction. Both teacher–student conflict and social school anxiety at school entry made small but significant contributions towards prediction of academic achievement in the 3rd grade.