Differences in Academic Adjustment by Acculturation Stress Trajectory Among Multicultural Adolescents During the Transition From Elementary to Middle School

This study aimed to classify multicultural adolescents by acculturation stress trajectories during their transition from elementary to middle school using data from the first to sixth waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study. A total of 1,561 participants were classified using latent class growth analysis into four distinct groups: high stress (5.5%), low stress (76.3%), stress increasing during transition (7.2%), and stress decreasing during transition (11.0%). Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in academic adjustment across groups, with those experiencing increased stress during the transition showing greater difficulties in learning activities, lower motivation, and lower satisfaction with academic performance. These findings suggest that changes in multicultural adolescents’ acculturation stress during the transition from elementary to middle school may be related to academic adjustment. The results indicate that multicultural adolescents may experience cumulative acculturation stress if they experience difficulties in schoolwork as they enter middle school.