Changes in Help Seeking From Peers During Early Adolescence: Associations With Changes in Achievement and Perceptions of Teachers

Students' academic help seeking from peers was examined at 6-month intervals for 3 time points spanning the transition from elementary school to middle school (N = 655; 53.6% girls, 46.4% boys; 53.9% African American, 46.1% European American). Adaptive help seeking from peers declined over time, whereas expedient help seeking from peers increased. Increases in expedient help seeking were associated with declines in achievement; changes in adaptive help seeking were unrelated to achievement. Developmental trajectories of help seeking were related to changes in student perceptions of their teachers. Increases in student perceptions of an emphasis on mastery goals and teacher support were associated with increases in adaptive help seeking from peers. Increases in student perceptions of performance goals, and declines in teacher support, were associated with increases in expedient help seeking from peers. Thus, the nature of help seeking from peers develops in early adolescence, has implications for achievement, and is sensitive to changes in the perceived characteristics of teachers across the transition to middle school.