The study of the academic adjustment and social inclusion of immigrant students in Italy: Methodological challenges and empirical evidence

Journal title RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA
Author/s Elisa Cavicchiolo, Fabio Alivernini, Fabio Lucidi
Publishing Year 2020 Issue 2020/1
Language Italian Pages 26 P. 301-326 File size 283 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIP2020-001014
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

This paper examines some psychological aspects of the academic adjustment and social inclusion of young people with an immigrant background at school, addressing some methodological issues and discussing the empirical evidence obtained from representative samples of students in Italy. Initially we examined methodologies related to the analysis of grouped data, with reference to procedures based on statistical correction and multilevel analysis. The choice of which approach is to be used should be based on the research questions, for example by clarifying whether they are asked at an individual or at a group level. Subsequently we considered the problem of conducting school investigations on sensitive issues, where an exclusive use of closed questions can be problematic. Instruments featuring open questions based on metaphors have, in this case, the advantage of allowing students to use their own words based on their personal experiences, making it possible to deal with delicate subjects indirectly. Evidence based on representative samples shows that, as regards academic adjustment, an immigrant pupil in primary school is, on average, more and better motivated regarding his/her activities at school than are his/her peers. At the same time, in secondary school, immigrant students use less self-regulated cognitive strategies. In both cases, first-generations show a more adaptive pattern than second- generations. As regards social inclusion, Italian studies show that in class an immigrant student has lower levels of peer acceptance and has less friends than native pupils. Moreover, he/she reports being victimized more frequently at school than other students. Second-generations are more socially included than first-generations suggesting an assimilation effect. Finally, as regards attitudes towards immigrants, Italian data show students’ perceptions that, from a cognitive and emotional perspective can’t be described simply using a positive/negative dichotomy.

Keywords: Clustered data, metaphors, academic adjustment, social inclusion, psychological well-being at school, attitudes towards immigrants.

  1. Alivernini, F., Cavicchiolo, E., Girelli, L., Lucidi, F., Biasi, V., Leone, L., Cozzolino, M., & Manganelli, S. (2019). Relationships between sociocultural factors (gender, immigrant and socioeconomic background), peer relatedness and
  2. Posit ve affect in adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 76 (August), 99-108.
  3. Alivernini, F., Cavicchiolo, E., Mangane li, S. (2019). Brothers, ants or thieves: students’ complex attitudes towards immigrants and the role of socioeconomic status and gender in shaping them. Social Psychology of Education, 22(3), 629-647.
  4. Students’ psychological well-being and its multilevel relationship with immigrant background, gender, socioeconomic status, achievement and class size. School Effectiveness and School Improvement. D O I : 1 0 . 1 080/09243453.2019.1642214.
  5. Alivernini, F., Manganelli, S., Cavicchiolo, E., Chirico, A., & Lucidi, F. (2019a). The use of Self-Regulated Cognitive Strategies Across Students With Different Immigrant Backgrounds and Gender. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 37(5), 652-664. DOI: 10.1177/0734282918785072
  6. Alivernini, F., Manganelli, S., Cavicchiolo, E., Girelli, L., Biasi, V., & Lucidi, F. (2018). Immigrant background and gender differences in primary students’ motivations toward studying. Journal of Educational Research, 111(5), 603-611. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2017.1349073
  7. Alivernini, F., Manganelli, S., Cavicchiolo, & Lucidi, F. (2019). Measuring Bullying and Victimization Among Immigrant and Native Primary School Students: Evidence From Italy. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 37(2), 226-238. DOI: 10.1177/0734282917732890
  8. Alivernini, F., Manganelli, S., & Lucidi, F. (2018). Personal and Classroom Achievement Goals: Their Structures and Relationships. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 36(4), 354-365. DOI: 10.1177/0734282916679758
  9. Baiocco, R., Pistella, J., Salvati, M., Ioverno, S., & Lucidi, F. (2018). Sports as a risk environment: Homophobia and bullying in a sample of gay and heterosexual men. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 22(4), 385–411. DOI: 10.1080/19359705.2018.1489325
  10. Barban, N., & White, M. J. (2011). Immigrants children’s transition to secondary school in Italy. International Migration Review, 45(3), 702–726.
  11. Beelmann, A., & Heinemann, K. S. (2014). Preventing prejudice and improving intergroup attitudes: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent training programs. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35, 10–24.
  12. Bierman, K. L. (2004). The Guilford series on social and emotional development. Peer rejection: Developmental processes and intervention strategies. NewYork, NY, US: GuilfordPress.
  13. Bougher, L. D. (2012). The Case for Metaphor in Political Reasoning and Cognit i o n . Political Psychology, 33(1), 145-163,
  14. Bradburn, N. M, Sudman, S., & Wansink, B. (2004). Asking questions: the definitive guide to questionnaire design-for market research, political polls, and social and health questionnaires. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  15. Breckler, S. J. (1984). Empirical validation of affect, behavior, and cognition as distinct components of attitude. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47(6), 1191-1205. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.47.6.1191.
  16. Cavicchiolo, E., & Alivernini, F. (2018). The effect of classroom composition and size on learning outcomes for Italian and immigrant students in high school. Journal of Educational, Cultural and Psychological Studies, 18, 437-448.
  17. Cavicchiolo, E., Girelli, L., Di Leo, I., Manganelli, S., Lucidi, F., & Alivernini, F. (2019). The Effects of Classroom Composition and Size on Bullying and Victimization of Italian and Immigrant High School Students. Rassegna di Psicologia, 1(36), 5-20. DOI: 10.4458/1965-01
  18. Cavicchiolo, E., Girelli, L., Lucidi, F., Manganelli, S., & Alivernini, F. (2019). The classmates social isolation questionnaire for adolescents (CSIQ-A): Validation and invariance across immigrant background, gender and socioeconomic level. Journal of Educational, Cultural and Psychological Studies, 19, 163-174.
  19. Crede, M., & Phillips, L. A. (2011). A meta-analytic review of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire. Learning and Individual Differences, 21, 337-346.
  20. Cunningham, S. A., Ruben, J. D., & Narayan, K. M. V. (2008). Health of foreignborn people in the United States: A review. Health & Place, 14, 623-635.
  21. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002). Self-determination research: Reflections and future directions. In E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 431–441). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
  22. Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., & Williams, G. C. (1996). Need satisfaction and the self-regulation of learning. Learning and Individual Differences, 8, 165–183. DOI: 10.1016/S1041-6080(96)90013-8
  23. Dessel, A. (2010). Prejudice in schools: Promotion of an inclusive culture and clim a t e . Ed u c a t i o n a n d Ur b a n S o c i e t y , 4 2, 4 0 7 - 4 2 9 . DOI : 10.1177/0013124510361852.
  24. Diemer, M. A., Li, C.-H., Gupta, T., Uygun, N., Sirin, S., & Rogers-Sirin, L. (2014). Pieces of the immigrant paradox puzzle: Measurement, level, and predictive differences in precursors to academic achievement. Learning and Individual Differences, 33, 47-58.
  25. Dimitrova, R. (2011). Children’s social relationships in the Northern Italian school context: evidence for the immigrant paradox. Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 16(4), 478-491. DOI: 10.1080/1354571X.2011.593756
  26. Dowson, M., & McInerney, D. M. (2004). The development and validation of the Goal Orientation and Learning Strategies Survey (GOAL-S). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 64, 290-310. DOI: 10.1177/0013164403251335
  27. Dusi, P. & Steinbach, M. (2016).Voices of children and parents from elsewhere: a glance at integration in Italian primary schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(8), 816-827. DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2015.1111948
  28. Espelage, D. & Holt, M. (2001). Bullying and victimization during early adolescence: Peer influences and psychosocial correlates. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2, 123-142.
  29. Fuligni, A., & Yoshikawa, H. (2004). Parental investments in children in immigrant families. In A. Kalil & T. DeLeire (Eds.), Family investments in children (pp. 139-161). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  30. Gawronsky, B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2006). Associative and propositional processes in evaluation: An integrative review of implicit and explicit attitude c ha n ge . Psychological Bulletin, 132, 692-731. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.692
  31. Glock, S. (2016). Does ethnicity matter? The impact of stereotypical expectations on in-service teachers’ judgments of students. Social Psychology of Education, 19(3), 493-509.
  32. Glock, S., Krolak-Schwerdt, S., Klapproth, F., & Bohmer, M. (2013). Beyond judgment bias: How students’ ethnicity and academic profile consistency influence teachers’ tracking judgments. Social Psychology of Education, 16(4), 555-573.
  33. Hall, J. A. (2019). How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(4), 1278-1296. DOI: 10.1177/0265407518761225
  34. Heath, A. F., Rothon, C., & Kilpi, E. (2008). The second generation in Western
  35. Europe: Education, unemployment, and occupational attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 211-235.
  36. Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content a n a l y s i s . Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288. DOI: 10.1177/1049732305276687
  37. INVALSI (2019). Rapporto Prove INVALSI 2019. INVALSI. -- https://invalsi-areaprove.cineca.it/docs/2019/Rapporto_prove_INVALSI_2019.pdf
  38. Kao, G., & Tienda, M. (1995). Optimism and achievement: The educational performance of immigrant youth. Social Science Quarterly, 76, 1-19.
  39. Kaplan, S., Bradley, J. C., Luchman, J. N., & Haynes, D. (2009). On the role of positive and negative aff ectivity in job performance: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(1), 162-176.
  40. Kindermann, T. A. (1993). Natural peer groups as contexts for individual development: The case of children’s motivation in school. Developmental Psychology, 29(6), 970-977. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.29.6.970
  41. Kish, L. (1965). Survey Sampling. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Koster, M., Nakken, H., Pijl, S. J., van Houten, E., & Van Houten-van den Bosch, E. J. (2009). Being part of the peer group: a literature study focusing on the social dimension of inclusion in education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(2), 117-140. DOI: 10.1080/13603110701284680
  42. Krippendorff, G. (2012). Content analysis. An introduction to its methodology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Krosnick, J. A., Judd, C. M., Wittenbrink, B. (2005). The measurement of attitudes. In D. Albarracin, B. T. Johnson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), The handbook of attitudes (pp. 21-76). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
  43. Ladd, G. W. (1990). Having friends, keeping friends, making friends, and being liked by peers in the classroom: Predictors of children’s early school adjustm e n t ? Child Development, 61(4), 1081-1100.
  44. Ladd, G. W., Kochenderfer, B. J., & Coleman, C. (1997). Classroom peer acceptance, friendship and victimization: Distinct relational systems that contribute uniquely to children’s school adjustment? Child Development, 68(6), 1181-1197.
  45. Laghi, F., Pallini, S., Baiocco, R., & Dimitrova, R. (2014). Parent and Peer Attachment and Psychosocial Adjustment of Chinese Immigrant Adolescents in Italy. In: Dimitrova R., Bender M., van de Vijver F. (eds) Global Perspectives on Well-Being in Immigrant Families. Advances in Immigrant Family Research, vol 1. Springer: New York, NY.
  46. Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
  47. Lenzi, M., Vieno, A., Santinello, M., & Perkins, D. D. (2013). How neighborhood structural and institutional features can shape neighborhood social connectedness: A multilevel study of adolescent perceptions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 51(3-4), 451-467.
  48. Lucidi, F., Alivernini, F., & Pedon, A. (2008). Metodologia della ricerca qualitative. il Mulino: Bologna.
  49. Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative Content Analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 1(2), Art. 20. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0002204. Accessed 28 January 2016.
  50. de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0002204. Accessed 28 January 2016.
  51. McCoach, D. B., Quarterly, J. A. G. C., 2010. Dealing with dependence (Part I): Understanding the effects of clustered data. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54(2), 152-155. DOI: 10.1177/0016986210363076
  52. McNeish, D., Stapleton, L. M., & Silverman, R. D. (2017). On the unnecessary ubiquity of hierarchical linear modeling. Psychological Methods, 22(1), 114-140.
  53. MIUR (2019). Gli alunni con cittadinanza non italiana. A.S. 2017/2018, Ufficio Statistica e studi, Roma.
  54. Muthen, L. K., & Muthen, B. O. (1998-2017). Mplus user’s guide (8th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Author.
  55. Neidert, L., & Farley, R. (1985). Assimilation in the United States: An analysis of ethnic and generation differences in status and achievement. American Sociological Review, 50(6), 840-850. DOI: 10.2307/2095507
  56. Newcomb, A. F., & Bagwell, C. L. (1995). Children’s friendship relations: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 117(2), 306-347. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.117.2.306
  57. Nuno, A., & John, F. A. V. S. (2014). How to ask sensitive questions in conservation: A review of specialized questioning techniques. Biological Conservation, 189, 1-12.
  58. Ozdemir, S. B., Ozdemir, M., & Stattin, H. (2016). What Makes Youth Harass Their Immigrant Peers? Understanding the Risk Factors. Journal of Early Adolescence, 36(5), 601-624. DOI: 10.1177/0272431615574887
  59. Parks, M. R. (2007). LEA’s series on personal relationships. Personal relationships and personal networks. Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  60. Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., & Perry, R. P. (2002). Academic emotions in students’ self-regulated learning and achievement: A program of qualitative and quant itative research. Educational Psychologist, 37(2), 91-105. DOI: 10.1207/S15326985EP3702_4
  61. Pintrich, P. R. (2004). A conceptual framework for assessing motivation and selfregulated learning in college students. Educational Psychology Review, 16, 385-407.
  62. Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33-40. DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.82.1.33
  63. Pong, S., & Zeiser, K. L. (2012). Student engagement, school climate, and academic achievement of immigrants’ children. In C. G. Coll & A. K. Marks (Eds.), The immigrant paradox in children and adolescents: Is becoming American a developmental risk? (pp. 209-232). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  64. Portes, A., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2001). Legacies: The story of the immigrant second generation. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  65. Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and metaanalysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138, 353-387.
  66. Rumbaut, R. G. (2004). Ages, life stages, and generational cohorts: Decomposing the immigrant first and second generations in the United States. International M i g r a t i o n R e v i e w , 3 8, 1 1 6 0 - 1 2 0 5 . -- R e t r i e v e d f r o m http://www.jstor.org/stable/27645429.
  67. Ruppel, F., Liersch, S., & Walter, U. (2015). The influence of psychological wellbeing on academic success. Journal of Public Health, 23(1), 15–24.
  68. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55, 68-78. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
  69. Ryan, R. M., Stiller, J. D., & Lynch, J. H. (1994). Representations of relationships to teachers, parents, and friends as predictors of academic motivation and self-esteem. T h e J o u r n a l o f E a r l y A d o l e s c e n c e , 1 4, 2 2 6 - 2 4 9 . DOI : 10.1177/027243169401400207.
  70. Stapleton, L. M., Yang, J. S., & Hancock, G. R. (2016). Construct Meaning in Multilevel Settings. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 41(5), 481-520. DOI: 10.3102/1076998616646200
  71. Suarez-Orozco, C., Pimentel, A., & Martin, M. (2009). The significance of relationships: Academic engagement and achievement among newcomer immigrant youth. Teachers College Record, 111(3), 712-749.
  72. Suarez-Orozco, C., & Suarez-Orozco, M. (1995). Children of immigration. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  73. Thijs, J. & Verkuyten, M. (2013). Multiculturalism in the classroom: Ethnic attitudes and classmates’ beliefs. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(2), 176-187.
  74. Vallerand, R. J., & Ratelle, C. F. (2002). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A hierarchical model. In E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 37-64). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
  75. Vandevelde, S., Van Keer, H., & Merchie, E. (2017) The challenge of promoting self-regulated learning among primary school children with a low socioeconomic and immigrant background. The Journal of Educational Research, 110, 113-139. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2014.999363
  76. Veenstra, R., Lindenberg, S., Zijlstra, B. J. H., De Winter, A. F., Verhulst, F. C., & Ormel, J. (2007). The dyadic nature of bullying and victimization: Testing a dual perspective theory. Child Development, 78, 1843-1854.
  77. Vermunt, J. D. (1998). The regulation of constructive learning processes. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 149-171.
  78. Vinten, G. (1995). The art of asking threatening questions. Management Decision, 33(7), 35-39. DOI: 10.1108/00251749510090566
  79. Weber, M., Wagner, L., & Ruch, W. (2016). Positive feelings at school: On the relationships between students’ character strengths, school-related aff ect, and school functioning. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 341-355.
  80. Wiers, R. W., Van Woerden, N., Smulders, F. T. Y., & De Jong, P. J. (2002). Implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions in heavy and light drinkers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 648-658. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.111.4.648
  81. Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self--regulation: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 13-39). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  82. Kao, G., & Thompson, J. S. (2003). Racial and ethnic stratification in educational achievement and attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 29, 417-442.
  83. Scherr, T. G., & Larson, J. (2010). Bullying dynamics associated with race, ethnicity, and immigration status. In S. Jimerson, S. Swearer, & D. Espelage (Eds.), Handbook of bullying in schools: An international perspective (pp. 223-234). New York, NY: Routledge.

  • Migrazioni e psicologie. Introduzione al Forum Alessandro Antonietti, Antonella Marchetti, in RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA 1/2020 pp.13
    DOI: 10.3280/RIP2020-001002

Elisa Cavicchiolo, Fabio Alivernini, Fabio Lucidi, Lo studio dell’adattamento scolastico e dell’inclusione sociale degli studenti immigrati in Italia: sfide metodologiche ed evidenze empiriche in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 1/2020, pp 301-326, DOI: 10.3280/RIP2020-001014