The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between peers, teachers and ethnicity and the degree of school engagement of students in the Lower Vocational Education in the Netherlands....Show moreThe aim of this study is to examine the relationships between peers, teachers and ethnicity and the degree of school engagement of students in the Lower Vocational Education in the Netherlands. This, to contribute to the knowledge that is needed to create optimal opportunities for students, and to influence the school engagement of students positively. The sample contains 224 students: 125 boys and 99 girls. The research consists of 171 Dutch students (76.4%) and 53 students from Morocco (22.7%). The ages ranged from 12 to 18 years, with a mean age of 15.07 (SD = 1.26). All schools were located in the Randstad. This study shows that there is a significant difference in the degree of school engagement between students with a Moroccan background and a Dutch background. Moroccan students report significantly more school engagement. It also appears that the quality of relationships between peers is a significant predictor of school engagement. This does not apply for the support of a peer. In addition, the quality of relationships between teachers and peers and the support of teachers are both significant predictors of the degree of school engagement. Although ethnicity appears to correlate with school engagement it does not moderate the relationships mentioned above.Show less
