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Immigrant Students’ Emotional and Cognitive Engagement at School: A Multilevel Analysis of Students in 41 countries

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Abstract

Central to student learning and academic success, the school engagement of immigrant children also reflects their adaptation to a primary institution in their new country. Analysis of questionnaire responses of 276,165 fifteen-year-olds (50 % female) and their 10,789 school principals in 41 countries showed that school engagement has distinct, weakly-linked cognitive and emotional components. Native students had weaker attitudes toward school (cognitive engagement) but greater sense of belonging at school (emotional engagement) than immigrant students or students who spoke a foreign language at home. Students with better teacher–student relationships, teacher support or a classroom disciplinary climate often had a greater sense of belonging at school and had better attitudes toward school than other students. While immigrant students often have solid attitudes toward school, teachers can help them feel a greater sense of belonging at school.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by a grant from the Spencer Foundation. We appreciate the research assistance of Choi Yik Ting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Ming Ming Chiu

  2. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Suet-ling Pong & Izumi Mori

  3. City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow

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  1. Ming Ming Chiu
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  2. Suet-ling Pong
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  3. Izumi Mori
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  4. Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow
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Correspondence to Ming Ming Chiu.

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Chiu, M.M., Pong, Sl., Mori, I. et al. Immigrant Students’ Emotional and Cognitive Engagement at School: A Multilevel Analysis of Students in 41 countries. J Youth Adolescence 41, 1409–1425 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9763-x

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