Trajectories of Chinese students' sense of school belonging and academic achievement over the high school transition period

The present study identified the different patterns of Chinese students' academic achievement trajectories over the high school transition period and examined the relationships between students' sense of school belonging trajectories and the different patterns of academic achievement trajectories. In a sample of 567 Chinese high school students, a growth mixture model identified three different patterns of academic achievement trajectories. These were classified as the increasing class, decreasing class and normative class. The structural equation model then indicated that neither the initial status nor the rate of change of students' sense of school belonging significantly predicted the changes in their academic achievement over the high school transition period. The findings challenged the links between sense of school belonging and academic achievement.

Research Highlights
► We identified three different patterns of academic achievement trajectories.
► Increased sense of school belonging was found in the increasing class.
► Sense of school belonging was not related to the changes in academic achievement.