Examining the association between school connectedness and use of self-regulation strategies in middle childhood

Schools are increasingly incorporating the teaching of social emotional learning (SEL)-informed self-regulation strategies. However, little is known about the social context that facilitates the use of these skills. The current study investigated whether students' popularity (indegree), perceived number of friends (outdegree), or school connectedness, are related to their practice of self-regulation strategies. The sample was 92 2nd through 5th graders (49% girls, 48% boys, 3% non-binary) at an elementary school. Using multilevel models to account for students nested within classrooms, we found that 2nd graders who were lower in school connectedness reported greater mean use of self-regulation strategies, but this association was not evident for third through fifth graders. By contrast, students who were more popular among their peers (i.e. higher indegree) reported using self-regulation strategies on a greater proportion of school days. Findings indicate that grade level, popularity, and connectedness to schools may impact students' use of said skills.