School Connectedness Research Articles

School Connectedness: Examining Measurement Invariance by Gender and Grade

School connectedness plays a critical role in multiple aspects of child development. The purpose of this study was to operationalize school connectedness as a multidimensional construct and further assess whether this construct was measured similarly across gender and grade level among a sample of upper elementary school children (age M = 9.57; N = 361) in the United States. Based on prior scholarship, we identified and validated three key elements of school connectedness: school attachment, teacher attachment, and school safety. The results of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that these three elements were measured comparably across gender and grade (Grades 3, 4, and 5). As measurement invariances by gender and grade were supported, we further examined differences in latent means among these groups and found that there were no differences in the three elements of school connectedness by gender; fourth graders had lower school attachment than third graders.

Black males and school counselors: Do they experience the culture in counseling programs and departments differently from Black females?

AbstractThis study examined the effects of school counseling college‐going culture (SCCGC) on Black male students’ college outcomes using a sample from the High School Longitudinal Study, and whether these effects differed for males versus females. Regression analyses revealed that different aspects of SCCGC were more salient for Black males compared to Black females. For example, counselor expectations appeared more important for males and school connectedness for females suggesting the dangers of a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to college going.

Between Resilience and Agency: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors and Positive Experiences of LGBTQ+ Students.

A negative school climate resulting from homophobic and transphobic bias and discrimination is associated with poor well-being and mental health among LGBTQ+ youth. However, protective factors and mechanisms may buffer against the impact of stigmatization. Drawing on the socio-ecological model, minority stress theory, and positive youth development and agency perspectives, we carried out a systematic review of research focusing on factors that can promote the well-being of LGBTQ+ students in educational settings, outlining the primary outcomes from studies published between 2012 and 2022. The PRISMA protocol was used for this review, and 64 articles were scrutinized. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that both external factors (school-inclusive policies and extracurricular activities; social support from school, family, and the community; and school connectedness) and internal factors (psychosocial characteristics and personal agency) promote positive school experiences, such as the exploration of sexual and gender identities in a safe environment. The present findings highlight the need for inclusive school policies and strategies and individual-level interventions that target the well-being and positive mental health outcomes of sexual and gender minority students.

The association between physical activity and subjective well-being among adolescents in southwest China by parental absence: a moderated mediation model

ObjectivesBuilt on the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, this study examined how physical activity affected the subjective well-being of adolescents in the multi-ethnic area of southwest China. The mediating role of school connectedness as an external development asset and the moderating role of resilience as an internal development asset were specified and tested within the framework of sport-based PYD.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 3143 adolescents (47.2% boys with mean age = 12.88 and SD = 1.68) was conducted in 2020. A structural equation model (SEM) was developed to estimate the direct effect of physical activity, the mediating effect of school connectedness, and the moderating effect of resilience on adolescents’ subjective well-being. Multi-group comparison was made to investigate differences and similarities across three parental absence subgroups: (1) both parents present, (2) one parent absent, and (3) both parents absent.ResultsAs surmised, physical activity, school connectedness, and resilience all positively and significantly affected adolescents’ subjective well-being. SEM analyses revealed that school connectedness mediated the effect of physical activity on subjective well-being. Moreover, resilience moderated both the direct and indirect effects of physical activity (through school connectedness) on subjective well-being. Finally, the multi-group comparison revealed a moderating effect of parental absence on the moderated mediation model.LimitationsThis study is a cross-sectional survey, so inference of causal associations among the study variables is impossible.ConclusionsHealthy lifestyle behaviors, school-supportive settings, and positive individual development assets can enhance the subjective well-being of adolescents in southwest China, especially those whose parents were absent. Physical activity interventions informed by the PYD framework should be incorporated into public health programs designed to foster the physical and mental health of left-behind adolescents in southwest China.

Gender equitable attitudes as a significant mediator of bystander intentions among sexual minority adolescents.

Bystander intervention is a promising approach for prevention of sexual violence. Assessing factors that may promote or hinder bystander intervention among sexual minority adolescents (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) is essential, given high rates of violence among sexual minority youth. Prior research examining barriers and facilitators of bystander intervention intentions does not consider how factors may vary by sexual identity. As such, the current study aimed to (1) examine how barriers and facilitators of bystander intentions, bystander intentions, and bystander behavior vary between heterosexual and sexual minority high school adolescents and (2) explore mediators of the association between sexual identity and bystander intervention intentions. We proposed that students' level of school connectedness, gender equitable attitudes, and anticipated positive consequences of bystander intervention (e.g., having a moral desire to help) would promote bystander intervention intentions, whereas binge drinking, and students anticipated negative consequences of bystander intervention (e.g., fear for one's own safety) would tend to weaken bystander intervention intentions. Participants included 2,645 10th grade students (Mage = 15.37, SD = 0.61) recruited from high schools in the Northeast United States. Sexual minority youth reported higher bystander intentions, bystander behavior, anticipated positive consequences of bystander intervention, gender equitable attitudes, and binge drinking relative to heterosexual youth. Sexual minority youth had lower school connectedness than heterosexual youth. Anticipated negative consequences of bystander intervention did not vary by group. Parallel linear regression analyses found that only anticipated positive consequences of bystander intervention and gender equitable attitudes fully mediated the relationships between sexual identity and bystander intentions. Bystander intervention programs may benefit from attending to specific facilitators of bystander intervention among sexual minority youth, such as gender equitable attitudes.

The Buffering Effect of Perceptions of Teacher and Student Defending on the Impact of Peer Victimization on Student Subjective Wellbeing

AbstractPeer victimization is associated with unwanted outcomes including less school belongingness and lower academic ability and school achievement. This study expanded on previous research by investigating how a perception of defending by peers and teachers interacted with peer victimization to predict four aspects of student subjective wellbeing: school connectedness, joy of learning, educational purpose, and academic efficacy. Participants were 1058 (488 girls, 524 boys, 20 who reported “other,” and 26 who did not report gender) U.S. adolescent 6th–9th graders, many who received free/reduced-price lunch, often from urban schools. Their mean age was 12.96 years (SD = 1.20); most identified as Hispanic (62%), followed by White (13%), Black (11%), Multiracial (7%), Asian (6%), and less than 1% American Indian or Pacific Islander. Results showed that perceived defending from students can impact victimized adolescents’ sense of connectedness to their schools and their joy of learning. It is important to understand how perceived defending impacts victims of peer victimization in order to evaluate intervention effectiveness.

청소년의 학업 스트레스와 진로성숙도

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the mediating effect of school connectedness and subjective well-being on the relationship between academic stress and career maturity. Methods This study used data of 325 adolescents who participated in the 16th year of the “Korea Welfare Panel Study(KWPS)” conducted by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs(KIHSA, 2022). The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and Process macro 4.2(model 6). Results In this paper, findings are as follows. First, adolescents’ academic stress had no significant effect on career maturity. Second, the mediating effect of school connectedness on the relationship between academic stress and career maturity was of significance. Third, there was the significant mediation effect of subjective well-being on the relationship between academic stress and career maturity. Fourth, school connectedness and subjective well-being serially mediated the relation between academic stress and career maturity. Conclusions These results indicate that researchers and counselor have to consider academic stress, school connectedness, and subjective well-being in developing a counseling program to enhance adolescents’ career maturity.

A phenomenological study of third culture kids’ perceptions of international school climate over time

Over the past 20 years, the demand for international schools has increased worldwide, with expectations to sustain this momentum through the next decade. While these schools struggle with many of the same issues as others in the west, the different context in which they exist brings an additional layer that needs more understanding. This interpretative phenomenological study explored the experience of school climate over time through the lenses of third culture kids who attended the school at which they are now employed. Eight employees from one international school in Malaysia were selected and interviewed to explore school climate factors that impacted their lives as students, changes in school climate over time, and ways they now perpetuate that school climate as employees. Three themes emerged as influential factors of change to the school climate over time: (a) community through relationships, (b) school connectedness, and (c) diversity. The scope of the experiences of school climate development over time adds a unique perspective not found in previous literature and provides insight into aspects of school climate that leave a lasting impact on students. International school leaders can also gain insight into the importance of continually assessing school climate and the value of providing opportunities to build community through engaging experiences.

Subjective well-being of Thai pre-teen children: Individual, family, and school determinants

Children's subjective well-being is crucial for ensuring decent child development. At present, evidence about children's subjective well-being is limited, particularly regarding insights from developing countries. This study aimed to assess overall life satisfaction, multi-dimensional life satisfaction of Thai pre-teens, and factors associated with the children's overall life satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 2277 children in grade 4 to 6 at 50 public primary schools from nine provinces across all regions of Thailand. The data collection took place between September and December 2020. The children were satisfied with their overall life to a considerable degree (8.5 out of 10). Girls had higher life satisfaction and satisfaction with multiple life domains (except for “autonomy”) than boys. Compared with older children, younger children had higher overall life satisfaction and satisfaction with multiple life domains except for “autonomy”, “yourself” and “friends”. The children's overall life satisfaction was increased in proportion to satisfaction with family, friends, oneself, physical appearance, health, teacher, school activity, and autonomy. Concerning individual factors, their social skills and time spent on gardening (≥1 h/day) and active recreational activities (1–3 h/day) had positive influence upon their overall life satisfaction, while too much time on screen (>1 h/day) and music (>3 h/day) had negative results. In terms of family factors, children having fathers owning a shop/business had higher life satisfaction than children having fathers who were manual workers, while children who lost their fathers had lower life satisfaction. For school factors, school connectedness had a positive relationship with their overall life satisfaction. Children's subjective well-being promotion should include family-based and school-based interventions to improve children's time use (e.g., more active outdoor lifestyle and less sedentary lifestyle), self-esteem, health, autonomy, and school connectedness.

School Connectedness and Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021

School connectedness, defined as students' belief that adults and peers in their school care about their learning as well as about them as persons, has been linked to positive educational, behavioral, and health outcomes in adolescence and into adulthood. Data from the 2021 nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, were used to estimate prevalence of students' perception of school connectedness and examine associations between school connectedness and seven risk behaviors and experiences: poor mental health, marijuana use, prescription opioid misuse, sexual intercourse, unprotected sex, experiencing forced sex, and missing school because of feeling unsafe. Prevalence estimates were generated and pairwise t-tests were used to detect differences among student subpopulations by sex, grade, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity; Wald chi-square tests were used to detect differences in risk behaviors by level of connectedness within a subpopulation. Logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios comparing the prevalence of risk behaviors and experiences of students with high connectedness with students with low connectedness, stratified by demographics. During 2021, 61.5% of U.S. high school students reported feeling connected to others at school. In addition, school connectedness was associated with lower prevalence of every risk behavior and experience examined in this study, although certain associations differed by race and ethnicity and sexual identity (e.g., school connectedness was associated with better mental health outcomes for youths with heterosexual, bisexual, and questioning or other sexual identities, but not for youths who identified as lesbian or gay). These findings can guide public health interventions that promote youth well-being by creating school environments where all youths have a sense of belonging and feel they are cared for and supported.

Social Connectedness and Smoking among Adolescents in Ireland: An Analysis of the Health Behaviour in Schoolchildren Study.

Continuing progress with preventing smoking initiation is a key to the tobacco endgame. Home- and school-based social networks shape the health behaviour of children and adolescents. This study described the relationship between social connectedness and smoking behaviour in school-aged children in Ireland. The 2014 Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveyed self-reported smoking status and measured perceptions of social connectedness and support with validated and reliable questions across a random stratified sample of 9623 schoolchildren (aged 10-19). Overall, 8% of school-aged children reported smoking, in the last 30 days 52% reported smoking daily, and prevalence increased with age (p < 0.001). Compared with schoolchildren who did not smoke, perceptions of social connectedness and perceptions of support at home, from peers, and at school were significantly poorer for schoolchildren who smoked across all measures examined (p < 0.001). The poorest rated measures were for school connectedness and teacher support for smokers. Policies and practices that build and support positive environments for schoolchildren must continue to be prioritised if progress on preventing smoking initiation is to be sustained.

Psychiatrists Call for Action After CDC Data Reveal Worsening of Youth Mental Health Crisis

Psychiatrists Call for Action After CDC Data Reveal Worsening of Youth Mental Health Crisis

Comparing the Effects of Victimization, School Connectedness, and Social Support on Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Adolescent Suicidality in the United States: A Partial Test of Minority Stress Theory.

In the United States, sexual minority adolescents are among the subpopulations at the highest risk for suicide; yet, predictors of suicidality among this unique group remain significantly understudied. Drawing from Meyer's minority stress theory (MST), this study examines whether general stressors act as predictors of adolescent suicidality and whether differences exist in the variation of these effects between heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents. Specifically, multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine the impact that victimization, school connectedness, and social support have on heterosexual and sexual minority adolescent suicidality using a sample of 166,176 U.S. adolescents drawn from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey. Participants ranged from 10 to 18 years of age and identified as heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian, questioning, pansexual, queer, or as none of these. Findings highlight that sexual minorities (Exp(B) = 1.870, p < .001) were roughly twice as likely to report suicidality compared to their heterosexual peers. All victimization measures were highly predictive of suicidality among heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents. Overall, adolescents who were less connected to their school setting and more socially isolated were also more likely to experience suicidality; however, such effects were not reflected uniformly in every item measuring school connectedness and social support. Findings highlight important avenues for policies implementation aimed at mitigating the effects of multiple sources of stressors on adolescents' mental health and reducing adolescents' suicide rates. Interventions tailored to the unique needs of sexual minority adolescents are needed to address their disproportionate representation among those at risk for suicide.

Stress and Well-Being of Greek Primary School Educators: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The teaching profession has always been challenging, while for various reasons the magnitude of observed stress in teachers has been continually growing over time. This study was conducted to demonstrate the relevance of stress in this professional group and to generate evidence for the benefit of primary school teachers and, indirectly, their pupils. To this end, we examined a large number of school teachers in a descriptive cross-sectional study. The survey comprised 786 primary school instructors aged 21 to 65 years, 646 women (82.2%) and 140 males (17.8%), and was performed from March to October 2022. Participants were asked about their gender, age, marital status, place of domicile, satisfaction with their income, whether their income met their needs, number of children, whether they cared for a person with a disability, work experience, alcohol use, eating patterns, and their height and weight for computation of their Body Mass Index (BMI). The survey included the Teacher Subjective Well-being Questionnaire (TSWQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Healthy Lifestyle and Personal Control Questionnaire (HLPCQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The results showed that there were significant differences between the two sexes in age, marital status, work experience, smoking, alcohol use, and eating breakfast. Furthermore, there were significant differences between the two sexes in BMI, PSS Total, Dietary Health Choice, Harm Avoidance and Total HLPCQ. The variance of PSS Total was predicted by Sex, Teacher Efficacy, Total PSQI, Dietary Health Choice, organized physical exercise, social support and mental control, and Total HLPCQ. Between teacher efficacy, school connectedness, teacher well-being, organized physical exercise, social support and mental control, Total HLPCQ and PSS Total, the correlation coefficients were negative and significant at the <0.05 level. Between Total PSQI and PSS Total, the correlation coefficient was positive and significant at the <0.05 level. Between teacher efficacy, school connectedness and teacher well-being, organized physical exercise, social support and mental control, Total HLPCQ and Total PSQI, the correlation coefficients were negative and significant at the <0.05 level. In summary, we demonstrated that Greek primary school teachers experience significant stress, which is intertwined with their way of life, and reflected in significant decreases in their sense of well-being, quality of sleep, and overall life satisfaction, as well as in their standards of teaching.

Attachment &amp; School Connectedness: Associations with Substance Use, Depression, &amp; Suicidality Among at-Risk Adolescents

Attachment &amp; School Connectedness: Associations with Substance Use, Depression, &amp; Suicidality Among at-Risk Adolescents

Exploring the role of implicit theories of talent in subjective well-being, academic buoyancy, and perceived physical health: A study in the Philippine context

Prior studies commonly emphasized the beneficial impacts of a growth mindset on students’ success and well-being. However, recent evidence cast doubts on the ability of a growth mindset to optimize desirable achievement and psychological outcomes. This study contributes to this line of evidence by exploring the association of mindsets in talent—a new domain of implicit theories encompassing belief about the nature of talent—with students’ subjective well-being, academic buoyancy, and general health among selected Filipino high school students. Results of structural equation modeling indicate that whereas incremental theory in talent (or growth mindset) was more strongly and positively correlated with academic buoyancy, school connectedness, and joy of learning, entity theory (or fixed mindset) was more strongly and positively associated with educational purpose and general health. These findings underscore the mental health rewards associated with cultivating both growth and fixed mindsets about talent in school contexts.

Exposure to Violence at School and School-Related Promotive Factors Among Adolescents in Urban Settings

ABSTRACT We examined the effect of multiple school-related, resilience-promotive factors against exposure to violence (ETV) at school among an urban sample of 6th-grade students (n = 441, 57% female, mean age = 11.81), 90% identify as students of color. Using multilevel mixed-effects linear models, we analyzed two waves of data (baseline and 4-month follow-up). ETV is associated with subsequent higher levels of victimization, cyberbullying victimization and aggressive behavior after controlling for demographics and outcome scores at baseline. A cumulative school promotive factor (CSPF) consisting of school change efficacy, school connectedness, and perceived trust at school has a compensatory effect (direct, opposite main effect) against the effects of ETV on aggressive behaviors and victimization. Finally, the CSPF has a protective (moderating) effect on aggressive behavior, victimization, and cyberbullying victimization.

Cybervictimization and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: The effect of depression and school connectedness.

Cybervictimization has been shown in many studies to be a risk factor for adolescent non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI). In this study we tested the roles of depression and school connectedness in this association. The Integrative Model of NSSI, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Relationship Model of NSSI, and Integrative Model of Social Media and Suicide provided the conceptual framework for the study. A sample of 1106 adolescents (M age = 13.17; SD = 0.69; 51.78% girls) completed anonymous questionnaires in their classrooms. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the positive association between cybervictimization and adolescent NSSI was mediated by depression. Moreover, this indirect link was stronger for adolescents with low vs. high school connectedness. The results have implications for intervention programs aimed at reducing NSSI among adolescents.

School connectedness: Comparison between adolescent students with emotional and behavioural disorders and general education students

Adolescents with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) continue to struggle in the school environment. They may have difficulty connecting to their school environment as their engagement in challenging behaviour may have led to frequent school removal and high rates of school dropout, resulting in a breakdown of their school connectedness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate levels of school connectedness for adolescents with EBD attending self-contained classrooms and compare them to adolescents in general education. The School Connectedness Questionnaire (SCQ), measuring school bonding, school attachment, school engagement, and school climate, was administered to 50 students with EBD and to 50 general education students ( n = 100). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted. The results indicated that of the four domains of school connectedness, students with EBD reported significantly higher levels of school climate. These youth also reported significant differences on four specific items representing three of the four construct domains. The results indicate that adolescents with EBD may experience school differently. Researchers should continue to examine specially designed programs for students with EBD that emphasise explicit behavioural and academic expectations and social and emotional skill development and its impact on school connectedness for adolescents with EBD.

Income Inequality and the Odds of Online Gambling Among a Large Sample of Adolescents in Canada.

Consistent evidence points to the detrimental effects of income inequality on population health. Income inequality may be associated with online gambling, which is of concern since gambling is a risk factor for adverse mental health conditions, such as depression and suicide ideation. Thus, the overall objective of this study is to study the role of income inequality on the odds of participating in online gambling. Data from 74,501 students attending 136 schools participating in the 2018/2019 Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, and Sedentary behaviour (COMPASS) survey were used. The Gini coefficient was calculated based on school census divisions (CD) using the Canada 2016 Census linked with student data. We used multilevel modeling to explore the association between income inequality and self-reported participation in online gambling in the last 30days, while controlling for individual- and area-level characteristics. We examined whether mental health (depressive and anxiety symptoms, psychosocial wellbeing), school connectedness, and access to mental health programs mediate this relationship. Adjusted analysis indicated that a standardized deviation (SD) unit increase in Gini coefficient (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.05, 1.30) was associated with increased odds of participating in online gambling. When stratified by gender, the association was significant only among males (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.03, 1.22). The relationship between higher income inequality and greater odds for online gambling may be mediated by depressive and anxiety symptoms, psychosocial well-being, and school connectedness. Evidence points to further health consequences, such as online gambling participation, stemming from exposure to income inequality.