The Role of Students’ Attentiveness and Teachers’ Preferences for Students in Explaining Relations Between Social Behavior and Academic Achievement

Abstract

 The present study examined the role of students’ attentiveness and teachers’ preferences for students as mediators of the effects of sociability and disrespect (both of which are social behavior) on academic achievement. Data pertaining to the above variables were obtained from randomly selected 120 students in Meseret elementary school (in Gondar town). Indices of social behavior, attentiveness, teachers’ preferences and academic achievement were measured. Analysis involving mainly multiple regression suggested that both types of social behavior did not independently (directly) contribute to variation in academic achievement. However, both types of social behavior appeared to have an effect on academic achievement indirectly via their significant relations with students’ attentiveness (academically oriented behavior). The estimated path model confirmed that the effects of sociability and disrespect assumed strength as they operated indirectly through students’ attentiveness. The importance of the results particularly in relation to the mediating role of academically oriented behavior (attentiveness) in determining the social behavior and the kinds of social behavior (condition) that help to promote classroom learning are discussed.