Individual Typological Trajectories of School Engagement in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

In recent years, the research on school engagement has has increasingly focused on studying this phenomenon at the individual typological level. The purpose of the present study was to identify individual typological trajectories of school engagement and to analyze the predictive and resource roles of conscious self-regulation in determining these trajectories among adolescents in grades 6 to 8. The sample for this longitudinal study consisted of 80 students from secondary schools. The research methods employed included M.-T. Wang et al.'s adapted into Russian by T.G. Fomina and V.I. Morosanova; V.I. Morosanova's Profile of Learning Activities Questionnaire Five – Children's Version, adapted into Russian by S.B. Malykh et al.; the of Academic Motivation of Schoolchildren by T.O. Gordeyeva et al.; and the methodology A.D. Andreeva and A.M. Prikhozan, modified by I.N. Bondarenko et al. The results revealed two typological groups of students characterized by different profiles of school engagement: one group exhibited low engagement, while the other demonstrated high engagement across all components. Notably, 60% of the students displayed a stable engagement trajectory. Among those with a variable trajectory, half showed high engagement in the 6th grade, which subsequently declined in the 7th and 8th grades. Additionally, these students exhibited lower levels of regulatory-personal traits such as responsibility and reliability, as well as a personal disposition toward conscientiousness, alongside a decrease in cognitive activity during their transition from 6th to 7th grade. For the first time, this study demonstrates that the development of self-regulation is associated with the formation of a harmonious engagement profile characterized by high levels of all components during the transition from 7th to 8th grade. During the transition from 6th to 7th grade, the establishment of such a profile is facilitated by openness to new experiences. The findings of this study can be applied in psychological and pedagogical practice to develop programs that support school engagement through the enhancement of conscious self-regulation among secondary school students.

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