Longitudinal Analysis of School Performance According to School Engagement and Contextual Factors: The Chilean Case

In order to quantify the effect of contextual factors on school engagement and school performance variables: grade point average (GPA) and class attendance in Chilean schoolchildren evaluated at two moments in time, a longitudinal structural equation model (SEM) was developed that relates the subdimensions of contextual factors (family, teachers and peers) and school engagement (affective, behavioral, cognitive) with school performance. The most explanatory sub-dimensions of contextual factors and school engagement of GPA and class attendance were selected, so cognitive school engagement was not included. The longitudinal SEM model showed good goodness-of-fit (RMSEA=.034; CFI=.929; TLI=.926). The comparative analysis showed significant differences of GPA and class attendance by combinations of contextual factors and school engagement sub-dimensions both transverse and over time.