The Developmental Relevance of Academic Help-Giving During Adolescence

• In Event: Factors Contributing to School Belonging and Adjustment in Ethnically Diverse Schools

Abstract

This longitudinal survey study explored the developmental relevance of academic help-giving—where students support struggling peers in their learning—during adolescence. We investigated help-giving’s association with key academic, social, and emotional outcomes in a large, diverse sample of high school students across the United States. Structural equation modeling revealed that students who provided more frequent academic help showed greater academic engagement, higher grades, increased peer acceptance, better friendship quality, enhanced social, emotional, and behavioral skills, higher life satisfaction, and lower levels of depression. Furthermore, more frequent academic help-giving at the start of the school year predicted subsequent positive changes in academic engagement. Overall, these findings highlight the important role academic help-giving plays in adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment and academic success.

Authors

• Madison Sewell, Williams College

• Amos Jeng, University of Michigan