Links between social competence and school adjustment at the 1st and 2nd grades of elementary school

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to assess significance of social competence at the beginning of elementary school for school adjustment indicators in the 1st and 2nd grade. Method: A measure of social competence included subscales for interpersonal social competence and learning related social competence. School adjustment was assessed using measures for academic achievement, popularity in class, student-teacher relationship, school anxiety, involvement in bullying, and learning motivation. Subjects were 403 children attending 14 schools in Kaunas, Lithuania. Results: Results of structural equation modeling revealed that learning-related social competence in the 1st grade showed moderate relationships with academic achievement and weak relationship with student-teacher relationship conflict, general anxiety, involvement in bullying, and popularity in class in the 2nd grade. Interpersonal social competence had moderate links to student-teacher closeness and social anxiety, as well as weak links to student-teacher relationship conflict, general anxiety, and popularity in class. None of the aspects of social competence had any significant links to learning motivation. Conclusion: These results indicate that differences in social competence at the beginning of the 1st grade seem to persist and affect adjustment at least through the 2nd grade