The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between social and academic variables in different school periods and to investigate, whether affective and motivational factors can be regarded as mediating variables in the relation between social and academic variables in school. 1159 students from three different periods of schooling, covering the age range from late childhood through early to middle adolescence, participated in the study. Different models of relations between social and academic variables were tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that the included mediating variables (well-being in school and academic engagement) do not explain the relation between social relations and academic achievement. In younger students, peer relations are related to students’ academic achievement, which does not hold true for both older age groups. Relations to teachers are related to students’ academic outcomes in all periods of schooling. The results also suggest that the method of data assessment is a very important factor in establishing the relations between variables
