Keywords
Academic achievement
Role models
Peer support
Vocational education
Preschool teacher training
China
Multiple regression
How to Cite
Abstract
This study investigates the comparative effects of four dimensions of social environment—companionship, encouragement, neighborhood social cohesion, and role models—on academic achievement among preschool education students in vocational colleges in Ganzhou, China. A total of 500 participants completed standardized questionnaires measuring perceptions of social environment and self-reported academic achievement. Multiple regression and structural regression analyses revealed that all four dimensions significantly predicted academic achievement, jointly accounting for 46.4% of the variance. Among them, role models emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by companionship, encouragement, and neighborhood social cohesion. These findings highlight the importance of disaggregating social environment into distinct components to better understand their educational impacts. The study contributes to ecological and social cognitive theories by clarifying how interpersonal and community-level factors influence student performance in under-resourced educational contexts. Practical implications include the promotion of role model programs, peer support initiatives, and emotionally supportive learning environments. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
References
Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making human beings human: Bioecological perspectives on human development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Duncan, G. J., & Aber, J. L. (2000). Neighborhood poverty: Policy implications in studying neighborhoods. Russell Sage Foundation.
Chen, L., & Sun, J. (2021). Investigating the impact of teaching quality on learning engagement in vocational colleges: Evidence from preschool education majors. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 11(2), 45–59.
Chen, Y., & Yang, J. (2024). Reform and challenges in early childhood teacher education in rural China. Chinese Education Studies, 19(1), 14–27.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x
Kindermann, T. A. (2007). Effects of naturally existing peer groups on changes in academic engagement in a cohort of sixth graders. Child Development, 78(4), 1186–1203.
Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). The neighborhoods they live in: The effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent outcomes. Psychological Bulletin, 126(2), 309–337.
Luo, Y., Zhang, X., & Yang, D. (2020). Regional disparities in academic achievement among college students: Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey. Chinese Education & Society, 53(3), 191–210.
Oyserman, D., Bybee, D., & Terry, K. (2006). Possible selves and academic outcomes: How and when possible selves impel action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(1), 188–204.
Ryan, A. M. (2001). The peer group as a context for the development of young adolescent motivation and achievement. Child Development, 72(4), 1135–1150.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Váchová, A., & Novotny, P. (2020). A multidimensional approach to assessing academic achievement: Development and validation of a new instrument. Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation, 45(2), 137–154.
Wang, M. T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents' perceptions of school environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 633–662. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209361209
Wentzel, K. R. (2005). Peer relationships, motivation, and academic performance at school. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 279–296). New York: Guilford Press.
Wentzel, K. R. (2017). Peer influence on academic motivation: Classroom and school contexts. In A. J. Elliot, C. S. Dweck, & D. S. Yeager (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation: Theory and application (2nd ed., pp. 586–603). New York: Guilford Press.
Wilkinson, R. G., Marmot, M., & World Health Organization. (2007). Social determinants of health: The solid facts (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Zhang, Y., & Li, H. (2019). Psychological and academic factors affecting rural students in teacher training programs. Journal of Rural Education Studies, 14(2), 88–104.
Zhou, M., & Brown, D. (2015). Educational learning theories: 2nd edition. Education Open Textbook Collection, 1. https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/education-textbooks/1
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mingda Wang (Author)