A1 Journal article (refereed)
Dropout intentions in secondary education : Student temperament and achievement motivation as antecedents (2023)

Anttila, S., Lindfors, H., Hirvonen, R., Määttä, S., & Kiuru, N. (2023). Dropout intentions in secondary education : Student temperament and achievement motivation as antecedents. Journal of Adolescence, 95(2), 248-263. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12110

JYU authors or editors

Anttila, Satu
Lindfors, Heidi
Määttä, Sami
Kiuru, Noona

Publication details

All authors or editors: Anttila, Satu; Lindfors, Heidi; Hirvonen, Riikka; Määttä, Sami; Kiuru, Noona

Journal or series: Journal of Adolescence

ISSN: 0140-1971

eISSN: 1095-9254

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 03/11/2022

Volume: 95

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 248-263

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12110

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83962

Abstract

Introduction
As early school leaving and dropping out from education pose a challenge for later life adjustment, it is important to identify antecedent factors for the risk of school dropout to tailor individual support for adolescents. Consequently, this study examines the role of adolescents' motivational beliefs and behaviors (i.e., success expectations, planning, and task-avoidance) as well as their temperament (i.e., extraversion/surgency, negative affectivity, effortful control, and affiliativeness) in their dropout intentions in the first year of upper secondary education.

Methods
Participants were Finnish adolescents' (n = 536; 57% girls, mean age 12.39 at outset, standard deviation = 0.35) and their motivational beliefs and behaviors were measured in Grades 6 and 9. Their temperament was also measured in Grade 9. As for dropout intentions, they were measured in upper secondary education. The effects of gender, academic achievement, task value, and educational track were controlled for in the analyses.

Results
The results of latent growth modeling showed that, of motivational beliefs and behaviors, high success expectations and low task avoidance independently predicted lower dropout intentions. Success expectations in Grade 6 also mediated the effects of extraversion/surgency, negative affectivity and effortful control on subsequent school dropout intentions, whereas an increase in task avoidance in lower secondary school was a mediator between extraversion/surgency and dropout intentions.

Conclusions
Our study provides novel understanding about how temperament is linked with motivational beliefs and behaviors and what roles they together play in subsequent school dropout intentions. Supporting students with different temperaments and achievement motivations would be important to prevent adverse consequences for both the individual and society.

Keywords: preteen children; upper comprehensive school; upper comprehensive school pupils; study motivation; school drop-outs; temperament

Free keywords: achievement motivation; adolescence; risk of school dropout; temperament

Fields of science: