Approaches to Learning Profiles and Academic Outcomes in Kindergarten: A Latent Class Analysis Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten 2011

• In Event: 81.029 - Young Children's Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development

Abstract

Approaches to Learning (ATL) is an important component of school readiness, found to predict academic and social-emotional outcomes in children. This study examines ATL using latent class analysis to uncover profiles of ATL for kindergarten children using the spring ECLS-K:2011 data. This study found profiles of ATL, characterized by 1) overall high ATL, 2) overall low ATL, 3) non-learning-oriented, rule follower, and 4) learning-oriented, non-rule-follower. We used latent class regression to examine how gender, SES, and race predicted class membership and added distal outcomes to study how class membership impacts academic outcomes. Results indicate that the non-rule following but learning-oriented group performed almost as well as the group with high ATL. Implications for interventions targeted at improving ATL are discussed.

Author

• Melissa S. C. Lee, Indiana University - Bloomington