School performance and social behavior in adolescents

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To analyze the association between school performance, age, gender, economic classification and social behaviors – strengths and difficulties – according to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - SDQ-Por, of students enrolled in junior high school.

Methods

The sample consisted of 124 adolescents of both genders, enrolled in junior high school, aged between 11 and 14 years of age. All students answered the Participant Characterization Questionnaire and the – SDQ-Por questionnaire and their parents or guardians answered the Brazil Economic Classification Criteria (CCEB). The school performance analysis was determined by simple arithmetic average of the final grades obtained by the students. The instruments used for data collection in this study were available through online forms in Google Forms. Descriptive and bivariate data analyzes were performed.

Results

Most participants presented adequate results regarding the analysis of the total SDQ score, which refers to the difficulties and the analysis of pro-social behavior. Regarding school performance, most of the participants presented very good or excellent results as well as an association with age, gender and school year of the students.

Conclusion

Female students, 11 years old, performed better and adolescents with larger behavioral difficulties were in the lowest category in the school performance classification.

Keywords:
Academic performance; Socioeconomic factors; Social behavior; Learning; Population characteristics; Child; Adolescents