DOCSLIB.ORG

1 the Need to Belong and Mental Health

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1 the Need to Belong and Mental Health 1 The Need to Belong and Mental Health: The Impact of Sense of Belonging on Primary School Children’s Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms Izumi Kershaw 12748056 Department of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam Youth at Risk 7014D477HY: Master Thesis First assessor: Minne Fekkes Second assessor: Geertjan Overbeek June 25, 2021 2 Abstract Little is known about the relationship between sense of belonging and mental health for primary school children. Using questionnaire data from 1,389 students, aged 7-12, from 77 classrooms collected at the beginning and end of the school year, this study examined how classroom sense of belonging was associated with self-esteem and depressive symptoms. We also investigated the moderating role of class conflict. Using multiple regression, we found that having a high sense of belonging was related to higher self-esteem and lower depressive symptoms. Moreover, a positive change in sense of belonging during the school year increased self-esteem and decreased depressive symptoms at the end of the year. Class conflict moderated the relationship for depressive symptoms but not self-esteem; the relationship between sense of belonging and depressive symptoms was stronger in high conflict classes than in low conflict classes. Given the findings, schools, teachers, and parents should work collaboratively to ensure relationships in school provide children with a sense of inclusion, security, and value. For students with low self- esteem and depressive symptoms, health care professionals would benefit from assessing their sense of belonging in classrooms to help diagnose the problem and as a preventive measure before further mental health concerns arise. Keywords: sense of belonging, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, class conflict, primary school 3 The Need to Belong and Mental Health: The Impact of Sense of Belonging on Primary School Children’s Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms Mental health problems impact almost one in every five children and adolescents globally (WHO, 2020), and have been recognised as one of the most important public health priorities (Kieling et al., 2011; Bradshaw et al., 2014). Despite being a critical health concern, mental health problems are typically left untreated until a few years after initial symptoms are presented (Kessler et al., 2007). This raises concern as acute disorders tend to follow less severe problems that are not given adequate attention as a consequence of insufficient resources and difficulty in accessing appropriate or immediate mental health support (Kessler et al., 2007; Kieling et al., 2011). Left neglected, mental health difficulties persist into adulthood and negatively impact quality of life, threatening significant health burdens on society (Bradshaw et al., 2014). Two important indicators of mental health are self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Self-esteem is the way an individual evaluates their own worth (Brummelman et al., 2016; MacDonald & Leary, 2012) and refers to the subjective appraisal regardless of their objective abilities (Orth & Robins, 2014). Depressive symptoms measure depressed moods and how an individual is experiencing feelings of sadness and hopelessness (de Wit, 1987). Given that from a young age, children spend a significant portion of their day in schools (Eccles & Roeser, 2011), schools may serve as an important context to recognise and intervene when initial signs of poor self-esteem and depressive symptoms emerge. For this reason, this study aims to investigate the relationship between primary school students’ sense of belonging in the classroom, and two mental health outcomes, self-esteem and depressive symptoms. While schools function as institutions for educating young people, they also provide children with opportunities to cultivate social skills (Greenberg et al., 2003; Juvonen, 2006). For 4 many children, schools are one of the first socialisation settings outside of their home and are an important context to nurture their social and emotional well-being (Minuchin & Shapiro, 1983; Roeser et al., 2000). Although individual differences are likely to contribute to motivation and success, their social experiences within the school context may play a particularly critical role in influencing outcomes (Goodenow, 1993a). During these formative years, children learn how to interact with their peers and teachers to practice behaviours of positive group participation and collaboration (Greenberg et al., 2003). These interactions shape their experiences as they begin to explore their identity in preparation for the subsequent school stage and for life beyond school (Allen, Vella-Brodrick, Waters, 2016; Eccles & Roeser, 2011; Roeser et al., 2000). Establishing a sense of belonging may strengthen the socialisation processes that occur in schools (Osterman, 2000). When children feel secure and valued as a member of their classroom, this nurtures a sense of belonging (Goodenow, 1993). The notion of belonging has long been debated and identified by many theorists as a fundamental desire and need (Leary, 2006). As social beings, this need for social bonds is driven by intrinsic motivation that begins early from infancy and continues to be valuable throughout later stages of life (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Bowlby, 1979; Maslow, 1968; Ryan & Deci, 2000). As infants, children find enjoyment and seek to engage in positive interactions conveyed by smiling (Anisfeld, 1982), imitating (Over & Carpenter, 2012), and working cooperatively (Rekers et al., 2012). In later development, as children approach adolescence, they begin to pursue stronger connections in relationships outside of their immediate family (Zimmer-Gembeck et al., 2006). Through these interactions, children may be developing their sense of belonging by establishing dependence and security in their relationships. According to Baumeister and Leary’s (1995) belongingness hypothesis, in order to satisfy 5 this need to belong, two principles must be met. Firstly, individuals have the need to engage in enjoyable recurring interactions with a few individuals. Secondly, these interactions should be stable and maintain long-term concern for each other’s welfare (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Ryan and Deci (2000) discuss relatedness as a core component of intrinsic motivation, and expressed that throughout life this motivation thrives in environments that promote security and relatedness. Both works suggest that the formation of relationships with a sense of belonging requires stability and time. As children spend a significant portion of their time in school, establishing and maintaining a social network in schools can help children achieve a sense of belonging (Allen, Vella-Brodrick, Waters, 2016). A sense of belonging may be fulfilled by the reciprocity of relationships, defined as the extent to which a child feels “personally accepted, respected, included, and supported by others in the school social environment” (Goodenow, 1993a, p.80). School belonging has also been referred to as school connectedness, and explained as the belief students have that their peers and teachers care about their learning, and also for them as individuals (CDC, 2009). This is echoed by Libbey (2007) who describes belonging in schools as when children “feel close to, a part of, and happy at school; feel that teachers care about students and treat them fairly; get along with teachers and other students, and feel safe at school” (p. 52). Finn (1989) described this process as identification to explain how students internalise the notion of belonging, feeling they are part of the school and that school is a significant part of their personal experience. As a result, children may begin to value school goals and feel more committed to school life (Finn, 1989). In an effort to have students feel more committed to school life and foster a sense of belonging, the school environment itself may play an important role (Allen, Kern, et al., 2016; 6 Allen, Vella-Brodrick, Waters, 2016). Having established guidelines and fair policies help create a positive school climate, as well as the provision of opportunities that encourage participation in school activities (CDC, 2009). Moreover, definitions of school belonging have also highlighted the importance of a students’ relationship with their teachers (e.g., Goodenow, 1993a; Libbey, 2007). This is in line with a recent meta-analysis that identified teacher support as the strongest influence on adolescents’ school belonging (Allen, Kern, et al., 2016). This finding underscores the importance of children to not only build a social network with their peers, but the significance of developing positive relationships with their teachers. In summary, while there are various ways of describing a sense of belonging in schools, positive peer networks, commitment to school, adult support, and the school environment have been identified as components that contribute to school belonging (Allen, Kern, et al., 2016; CDC, 2009; Goodenow, 1993a; Libbey, 2007). With these elements combined, children may be able to meet their personal and developmental needs to belong. Therefore, a sense of belonging could be outlined as the degree to which students feel included, secure, and valued in the relationships with their peers and teachers, in a safe environment that encourages participation. The benefits of a sense of belonging in schools have been seen in both academic and psychosocial outcomes (Allen, Vella-Brodrick, Waters, 2016). Firstly, a sense of belonging may
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sensepublishers Multiauthor Stylefile
    SCHOOL BELONGING AND MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING 1 Moffa, K., Dowdy, E., & Furlong, M. J. (2018). Does including school belonging measures enhance complete mental health screening in schools? In K. Allen & C. Boyle (Eds.), Pathways to belonging (pp. 65– 81). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. Does Including School Belonging Measures Enhance Complete Mental Health Screening In Schools? Kathryn Moffa, Erin Dowdy, Michael J. Furlong University of California Santa Barbara The research reported here was supported in part by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant # R305A160157 to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education. Contact: Michael Furlong, [email protected] Introduction Approximately one out of every three or four youths worldwide will meet the criteria for a formal mental health disorder in their lifetime (Costello, Mustillo, Keller, & Angold, 2004). Considering that approximately half of all mental disorders have onset by 14 years of age (World Health Organization, 2014), it is important to be mindful of how to identify, treat, and prevent symptoms in early adolescence. Recognizing the barriers to accessing private mental health care (e.g., geographic location, cost, and stigma), and coupled with findings that most youths do not seek help when they experience psychosocial distress (Christina et al., 2000), schools are ideal locations in which to implement efforts to prevent and respond to youths’ mental health needs (Manassis et al., 2010). This recommendation for school-based services is aligned with findings that many school associated negative developmental outcomes are linked with psychological distress, including difficulties with social relationships, lack of initiative with schoolwork, and low academic achievement (Fröjd et al., 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic Pride, Self-Esteem, and School Belonging: a Reciprocal Analysis Over Time
    Portland State University PDXScholar Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations Psychology 12-1-2017 Ethnic Pride, Self-Esteem, and School Belonging: A Reciprocal Analysis Over Time Maciel M. Hernández Portland State University, [email protected] Richard W. Robins Keith F. Widaman University of California, Riverside Rand D. Conger University of California, Davis Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psy_fac Part of the Psychology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Hernandez, M. M., Robins, R. W., Widaman, K. F., & Conger, R. D. (2017). Ethnic pride, self-esteem, and school belonging: A reciprocal analysis over time. Developmental psychology, 53(12), 2384. This Post-Print is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Running head: ETHNIC PRIDE 1 © 2017, American Psychological Association. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the final, authoritative version of the article. Please do not copy or cite without author’s permission. The final article is available via its DOI: 10.1037/dev0000434 Citation: Hernández, M. M., Robins, R. W., Widaman, K. F., & Conger, R. D. (2017). Ethnic pride, self-esteem, and school belonging: A reciprocal analysis over time. Developmental Psycholog. doi: 10.1037/dev0000434 Ethnic Pride, Self-Esteem, and School Belonging: A Reciprocal Analysis Over Time Maciel M. Hernández 1, Richard W. Robins 1, Keith F.
    [Show full text]
  • Place and Belonging in School: Why It Matters Today Case Studies
    A Research-based Inquiry undertaken by The Art of Possibilities & UCL, Institute of Education Professor Kathryn Riley, Dr Max Coates, Dr Tracey Allen November 2020 PLACE AND BELONGING IN SCHOOL: WHY IT MATTERS TODAY CASE STUDIES Institute of Education PLACE AND BELONGING IN SCHOOL: WHY IT MATTERS TODAY 1 Schools matter Our world is at a turning point, a moment increase in rates of exclusion, alienation, and of transformation. Covid 19 has exposed the a sense of ‘not’ belonging in school, and the divisions within and across society. It has also impact of this on young people’s well-being, taught us some important lessons: mental health and life chances. ❚ That wisdom and compassion help build The Inquiry involved: connections and communities. ❚ A series of school-based case-studies: the ❚ That our schools matter...... and focus of this report; ❚ That they need to be places of belonging ❚ A review of some of the relevant literature: this is published separately (1). Belonging’ is that sense of being somewhere We began the Inquiry in late 2019 and were you can be confident that you will fit in and part way through when the Coronavirus took be safe in your identity: a feeling of being at over and ‘lockdown’ became our contemporary home in a place. reality. Day-to-day life as we knew it came to a standstill. Evidence slowly emerged that some Illustration I: ‘I belong here’ groups and families had found themselves more exposed to the impact of the Virus than others. As events unfolded, the place called ’school’ became recognized as being even more central in the lives of young people.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating a Culture of Belonging in a School Context Second Issue
    Creating a culture of belonging in a school context Second Issue Editorial In the editorial of 36(2), 2019 for Educational and Child Psychology, the first issue on School Belonging, it was noted that one in four pupils do not feel they belong to school (OECD 2017). By and large we can anticipate which young people these are likely to be – those who do not excel in academic subjects and are seen as lowering the average standard scores, those with additional educational needs, those who are non-compliant or hard to manage, and those who are ultimately excluded from their school settings. Gill and colleagues (2017) note that school exclusion in England signals a critical concern for our communities. “Excluded children are the most vulnerable: twice as likely to be in the care of the state, four times more likely to have grown up in poverty, seven times more likely to have a special educational need and 10 times more likely to suffer recognised mental health problems” (Gill et al for IPPR, 2017 p 1). It appears that the figures for formal school exclusion are under-estimated. Despite only 6,685 reported exclusions, over 48,000 children were being educated in off-site units that cater for excluded students. The report for The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED) in May 2019 (YouGuv, 2019) on off-rolling students highlights issues with modern education in the U.K. Off-rolling is arguably a subversive form of exclusion and the informal removal of students. It might be suggested to parents that the school do not have the resources to meet their child’s needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Reappraising Academic and Social Adversity Improves Middle School Students' Academic Achievement, Behavior, and Well-Being
    Reappraising academic and social adversity improves middle school students’ academic achievement, behavior, and well-being Geoffrey D. Bormana,1, Christopher S. Rozekb,1, Jaymes Pynec, and Paul Hanselmand aSchool of Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706; bDepartment of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; cGraduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; and dDepartment of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 Edited by Jennifer A. Richeson, Yale University, New Haven, CT, and approved June 25, 2019 (received for review December 17, 2018) The period of early adolescence is characterized by dramatic changes, school to a new educational environment that is farther from home, simultaneously affecting physiological, psychological, social, and larger, more bureaucratic, less personal, and more formal and cognitive development. The physical transition from elementary to evaluative (8). Though middle schools were originally designed to middle school can exacerbate the stress and adversity experienced meet the specific educational needs of adolescents and to prepare during this critical life stage. Middle school students often struggle to them for the academic rigors of high school, stage–environment fit find social and emotional support, and many students experience a theory highlights important mismatches between adolescents’ de- decreased sense of belonging in school, diverting students from velopmental needs and the social–organizational context of middle promising academic and career trajectories. Drawing on psychological school (2). The typical middle school environment emphasizes ac- insights for promoting belonging, we fielded a brief intervention ademic evaluation and competition, often reflected in the onset of designed to help students reappraise concerns about fitting in at the letter grades and differentiation between more and less advanced start of middle school as both temporary and normal.
    [Show full text]
  • Sense of Belonging and Association with Academic Achievement of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic High School Students
    Lincoln Memorial University LMU Digital Commons Ed.D. Dissertations Carter & Moyers School of Education 2021 Sense of Belonging and Association with Academic Achievement of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic High School Students Mary Webster [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/edddissertations Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons Recommended Citation Webster, Mary, "Sense of Belonging and Association with Academic Achievement of Hispanic and Non- Hispanic High School Students" (2021). Ed.D. Dissertations. 26. https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/edddissertations/26 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Carter & Moyers School of Education at LMU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ed.D. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of LMU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 01/27/2021 1/27/2021 1/27/2021 SENSE OF BELONGING AND ASSOCIATION WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Carter and Moyers School of Education at Lincoln Memorial University by Mary Louise Callaway Webster January 27, 2021 © 2021 Mary Louise Callaway Webster All Rights Reserved ii Dedication According to John Maxwell, To add value to others, one must first value others. Goals are not accomplished alone because we need to be encouragers, and we need others to encourage us throughout life. While we have our own plans, God directs the path and the timeline.
    [Show full text]
  • School Belonging in Different Cultures: the Effects of Individualism and Power Distance
    ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 01 November 2017 doi: 10.3389/feduc.2017.00056 School Belonging in Different Cultures: The Effects of Individualism and Power Distance Kai S. Cortina1*, Sari Arel 1 and Joanne P. Smith-Darden2 1 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, 2 Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States Limited evidence exists on how the larger cultural framework affects psychological processes related to schooling. We investigated how the cultural dimensions of indi- vidualism/collectivism and power distance influence the sense of school belongingness using 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment survey data on 15-year-old students from 31 countries. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis indicated that power distance (i.e., hierarchical nature of social relationships) is a better predictor of school belongingness on the cultural level than individualism/collectivism. Accordingly, students living in cultures with high degree of power distance (particularly East Asian countries in these data sets) report lower school belongingness than students living in cultures with more lateral power relationships (Western countries). Positive teacher student relations Edited by: and preference for cooperative learning environment predict higher school belonging- Barbara McCombs, University of Denver, ness across cultures. United States Keywords: sense of school belonging, cross-cultural research, PISA, adolescents, teacher–student relationship Reviewed by: Mauro Murgia, University of Trieste, Italy Stefanie Chye,
    [Show full text]
  • Sense of Belonging, Depression, and Suicide Risk
    FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: SENSE OF BELONGING, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE RISK by LAUREN B. FISHER Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Advisor: Dr. James Overholser Department of Psychological Sciences CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May, 2013 2 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Lauren B. Fisher candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree *. (signed)___________James C. Overholser, Ph.D. __________________ (chair of the committee) Norah Feeny, Ph.D.______________________________ Julie Exline, Ph.D._______________________________ Abraham Wolf, Ph.D._____________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ (date) ____5/25/12_______________ *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………………4 LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………………….5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………………..6 ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… ..................................... 7 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 9 METHOD ............................................................................................................................................. 30 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Academic Emotion and Self-Efficacy Impacting Sense of Math Class Belonging in College Students
    Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 5-24-2017 Academic emotion and self-efficacy impacting sense of math class belonging in college students Kaitlyn Yavorsky Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Psychology Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Yavorsky, Kaitlyn, "Academic emotion and self-efficacy impacting sense of math class belonging in college students" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 2415. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/2415 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACADEMIC EMOTIONS AND SELF-EFFICACY IMPACTING SENSE OF MATH CLASS BELONGING IN COLLEGE STUDENTS by Kaitlyn A. Yavorsky A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Educational Services and Leadership College of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirement For the degree of Master of Arts in School Psychology at Rowan University April 7, 2017 Thesis Chair: Dr. Carmelo Callueng, Ph.D © 2017 Kaitlyn Alyssa Yavorsky Dedications This thesis is dedicated to my family, whose constant support helped me get to this point. I would also like to dedicate this thesis to my friends, whose constant encouragement kept me going. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my mom and dad for giving me everything I have needed in life to get me to this point in my education. I would also like to thank my sister and boyfriend for being the greatest support system I could ask for and for continuously pushing me to keep going.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of Peer Victimization and Internalizing Problems Through a Racial Equity Lens: Does School Connectedness Matter?
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article An Examination of Peer Victimization and Internalizing Problems through a Racial Equity Lens: Does School Connectedness Matter? Danielle R. Eugene * , Jandel Crutchfield and Erica D. Robinson School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; jandel.crutchfi[email protected] (J.C.); [email protected] (E.D.R.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Although research has given ample consideration to the association between peer victim- ization and internalizing problems, little is known about the mediating and moderating influences on this relationship. This study investigated whether peer victimization at age 9 indirectly related to internalizing problems at age 15 via school connectedness and whether the direct and indirect associations between peer victimization and internalizing problems were moderated by race. Data were drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which included 2467 adolescents. The sample was equally divided between male and female and 82% identified as Black and His- panic. Results indicated that the predictive effect of peer victimization over a 6-year period on teen depression and anxiety was explained by increased school connectedness. Furthermore, there was a moderating effect of race on the direct effect of school connectedness and teen depression and anxiety. For both White and ethnic minority youth, increased school connectedness was associated with less teen depression and anxiety. However, this effect was weaker for ethnic minority students in comparison to White students in both moderated mediation models. The moderated mediation Citation: Eugene, D.R.; Crutchfield, J.; Robinson, E.D. An Examination of results for teen anxiety showed a greater differential effect among race.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of the “Sense of Belonging to School” Scale
    Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, Issue 53, Fall 2013, 215-230 The Development of the “Sense of Belonging to School” Scale Ruken AKAR VURAL* Serap YILMAZ ÖZELÇİ Meltem ÇENGEL Müfit GÖMLEKSİZ Suggested Citation: Akar-Vural, R., Yılmaz-Özelçi, S., Çengel, M. & Gömleksiz, M. (2013). The develop- ment of the “Sense of Belonging to School” Scale. Egitim Arastirmalari- Eurasian Journal of Educational Research. 53, 215-230. Abstract Problem Statement: The sense of belonging to school can be described as the perception of students as individuals, respecting their existence, and sup- porting them in the social environment of the school. Academic achieve- ment is a factor that is related to the sense of belonging to school. In many studies the direct link was revealed between sense of belonging to school and school attendance, preparation for school, fulfilling the given tasks and homework, and active participation in social and sports activities. Another factor related to sense of belonging to school is “leaving the school”. Due to all these reasons, valid and dependable measuring tools are needed for determining the primary school students’ (10-15 years old) sense of belonging to school. Purpose of Study: This study developed a reliable and valid scale to assist in research related to the sense of belonging of students studying in primary schools in a Turkish context. Methods: The sample of this study is composed of 781 students attending the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades of a primary school in Aydın. The sample was randomly divided into two parts. For the first half (N=387) explanatory factor analysis was carried out and for the second half (N=394) confirma- tory factor analysis was performed.
    [Show full text]
  • Racial Discrimination Stress, School Belonging, and School Racial Composition on Academic Attitudes and Beliefs Among Black Youth
    social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article Racial Discrimination Stress, School Belonging, and School Racial Composition on Academic Attitudes and Beliefs among Black Youth Kamryn S. Morris * , Eleanor K. Seaton , Masumi Iida and Sarah Lindstrom Johnson T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; [email protected] (E.K.S.); [email protected] (M.I.); [email protected] (S.L.J.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 27 August 2020; Accepted: 26 October 2020; Published: 28 October 2020 Abstract: It is important to consider racialized experiences and proximal indicators of academic success for Black youth when understanding the achievement gap. Acknowledging that racial discrimination is detrimental for the academic success of Black youth, this study extended previous research by examining the influence of racial discrimination stress. Using hierarchical regression analysis and a moderated moderation model, this study examined racial discrimination stress and school belonging as predictors of academic attitudes and beliefs among 344 Black youth (M age = 15.6). Additionally, we examined the interactive effects of school belonging as a buffer for racial discrimination stress, with particular focus on majority White schools. Analyses revealed that school belonging was linked with academic competence, academic efficacy, and academic skepticism. Furthermore, school belonging buffered the impact of racial discrimination stress on academic efficacy among Black youth in majority White schools. These findings highlight the co-occurrence of risk and protective factors among Black youth and demonstrate the additive influence of school racial composition on academic attitudes and beliefs. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings demonstrate the crucial role of school context in understanding risk and protective factors for the academic attitudes and beliefs of Black youth.
    [Show full text]