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The Measurement Structure of School Engagement Among Youth in China: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Study

In this research, we examined the construct of a school engagement scale using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). This study involved a translated measurement model that was originally developed by Li and Lerner for U.S. youth, and data from a sample of eighth-, ninth-, and 11th-grade Chinese adolescents (N = 364). First, the results indicated that instead of the three factors (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement) that have been found in previous research on school engagement, four factors emerged for the current sample: school compliance, participation, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. Second, the factor structure was gender invariant in the ESEM framework. We further found that female students scored higher than males on school compliance and emotional engagement. Third, the convergent correlations among school engagement subscales and academic performance were in line with theoretical expectations. Finally, based on the differences between this study and previous studies in Western countries, the need for a more thorough investigation in the conceptualization and measurement of school engagement among youth in China was discussed.