Perceived classmate, teacher, and parent support and self -regulated learning skills during middle school

This study investigated the relationship between students\u27 social supports from their parents, teachers, and classmates and their self-efficacy and use of self-regulated learning strategies. Previous research has demonstrated that social support has a positive impact on students\u27 academic achievement, their general well-being, and their use of learning strategies. However, the relationship between students\u27 perception of the frequency and importance of social support with usage of specific learning strategies including cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and self-efficacy remained unclear. Data were collected by administering selected subtests from the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) to middle school students from two New York—area middle schools. One-way and contrast ANOVAs demonstrated that students in eighth grade perceived significantly less parent support and teacher support than students in the younger age groups. Contrast results also demonstrated that students in eighth grade had significantly less cognitive strategy use and metacognitive strategy use than students in sixth and seventh grade. Social support was also positively correlated with the use of self-regulated learning strategies. The results clearly demonstrate the need to further explicate middle school students\u27 needs in terms of the supports that they receive in order to attain maximum academic success