Temperament and School Functioning during Early Adolescence

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Abstract
Individual differences in temperament have been shown to be important correlates of school success in young children; however, their significance during early adolescence has not been studied extensively. In this study, the relation between temperament assessed by parent report and a wide range of measures relating to school functioning was examined. Data were collected on over 100 Fullerton Longitudinal Study participants at their 10-, 11-, 12-, and 13-year assessments. Results showed that parent ratings of temperament accountedfor approximately 25% to 30% of the variance in teacher ratings of classroom behavior, 5% to 10% of the variance in academic achievement when entered after IQ, and 10% of the variance in self-concept and pupil-teacher relationships. Temperament was unrelated to academic intrinsic motivation, however It was concluded that the temperament dimension of persistence was most salient in the school environment during the transition to adolescence.