Longitudinal effects of peer support and classroom justice on academic engagement and disaffection among Chinese adolescents: A mediation and multigroup analysis

Background The impacts of classroom climate on students' academic engagement and disaffection have been well documented. However, previous research has focused primarily on teacher‐led instructional time; the impacts of classroom climate indicators that permeate both instructional and noninstructional periods on academic engagement and disaffection remain unclear. Aims This study explored how peer support and classroom justice jointly influence academic engagement and disaffection via mastery goals and resilience, and investigated the potential differences in these effects between low‐ and high‐achieving students. Sample A total of 1398 Chinese adolescents (T1: M age = 13.04, SD age = .66, 47.30% female; T2: M age = 13.55, SD age = .66, 47.60% female; T3: M age = 14.00, SD age = .66, 47.80% female) participated in a three‐wave longitudinal investigation that featured 6‐month intervals. Methods Data were collected at three time points, measuring peer support, classroom justice and academic achievement at T1; mastery goals and resilience at T2; academic engagement and academic disaffection at T3. Results Findings indicated that peer support and classroom justice significantly related to engagement and disaffection via mastery goals, and their effects were significant on engagement via resilience. The influencing pathways varied across achievement levels. The mediating effects of mastery goals and resilience were significant only for low‐achieving students, but not for high‐achieving students. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of attending to general classroom climate indicators, suggesting that educators should cultivate a supportive and equitable classroom climate and promote students' mastery goals and resilience while implementing differentiated interventions across achievement levels to activate the best academic development pathways for distinct student groups.