scholarly journals ’MPower Shows Me Who I Want to Be’: A Qualitative Study of a Youth Purpose Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Brenna Lincoln ◽  
Willow Wood ◽  
Madeline Reed ◽  
Jonathan Sepulveda ◽  
Belle Liang ◽  
...  

<p style="text-align: justify;">Studies have documented widespread academic disengagement in middle and high school students. This disengagement has been tied to a myriad of negative outcomes, including failure to graduate from high school and transition into college and meaningful vocations. Supporting adolescents in cultivating a sense of beyond-the-self purpose is one factor that may combat student disengagement. MPower is a program designed to cultivate beyond-the-self purpose in an effort to promote student engagement and completion of high school (Klein et al., 2019). In a recent quantitative study, MPower participants compared to controls demonstrated a higher GPA, BTS purpose, self-efficacy, and decreased performance approach and performance avoidance goal orientations. In the current qualitative descriptive study, 11th and 12th grade (N=25) students in the Northeastern region of the United States, described their experiences in the MPower program. Three themes associated with the transformative aspects of MPower emerged from focus group data: 1) practice in strategic goal planning, 2) engagement in mentoring relationships, and 3) increased social support within a community. Because fostering youth purpose engenders many promotive and protective factors, these findings hold important implications for implementing similar programs more widely.</p>

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-142
Author(s):  
Stephanie Couch ◽  
Audra Skukauskaite ◽  
Leigh B. Estabrooks

The lack of diversity among patent holders in the United States (1-3) is a topic that is being discussed by federal policymakers. Available data suggests that prolific patent holders and leading technology innovators are 88.3% male and nearly 94.3% Asian, Pacific Islander, or White, and half of the diversity that does exist is among those who are foreign born (3). The data shows that there is a need for greater diversity among patent holders. Few studies, however, are available to guide the work of educators creating learning opportunities to help young people from diverse backgrounds learn to invent. Educators must navigate issues that have complex sociocultural and historical dimensions (4), which shape the ideas of those surrounding them regarding who can invent, with whom, under what conditions, and for what purposes. In this paper, we report the results of an ongoing multimethod study of an invention education pro- gram that has worked with teachers and students in Grades 6 through 12 for the past 16 years. Findings stem from an analysis of end-of-year experience surveys and interview transcripts of six students (three young men and three young women) who participated in high school InvenTeams®. The data were used to investigate three topics: 1) ways high school students who have participated on an InvenTeam conceptualize the term "failure" and what it means to "learn from failure," 2) what supported and constrained the work of the three young women during their InvenTeams experience and the implications for policy makers concerned about the gender gap in patenting, and 3) ways the young men and young women took up (or didn't take up) the identity of "inventor" after working on a team that developed a working prototype of an invention during the previous school year.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089590482110199
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Freeman ◽  
Michael A. Gottfried ◽  
Jay Stratte Plasman

Recent educational policies in the United States have fostered the growth of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career-focused courses to support high school students’ persistence into these fields in college and beyond. As one key example, federal legislation has embedded new types of “applied STEM” (AS) courses into the career and technical education curriculum (CTE), which can help students persist in STEM through high school and college. Yet, little is known about the link between AS-CTE coursetaking and college STEM persistence for students with learning disabilities (LDs). Using a nationally representative data set, we found no evidence that earning more units of AS-CTE in high school influenced college enrollment patterns or major selection in non-AS STEM fields for students with LDs. That said, students with LDs who earned more units of AS-CTE in high school were more likely to seriously consider and ultimately declare AS-related STEM majors in college.


2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-168
Author(s):  
Desmond Ang

Abstract Nearly 1,000 officer-involved killings occur each year in the United States. This article documents the large, racially disparate effects of these events on the educational and psychological well-being of Los Angeles public high school students. Exploiting hyperlocal variation in how close students live to a killing, I find that exposure to police violence leads to persistent decreases in GPA, increased incidence of emotional disturbance, and lower rates of high school completion and college enrollment. These effects are driven entirely by black and Hispanic students in response to police killings of other minorities and are largest for incidents involving unarmed individuals.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 862-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Williams ◽  
Chad T. Miller ◽  
Ward Upham

In recent years, many horticulture departments around the United States have been concerned with recruiting and retaining an adequate number of students. One potential recruitment opportunity is the horticulture Future Farmers of America (FFA) Career Development Events (CDEs). For the time period of 1999 to 2012 (14 years), 1462 students participated in the annual state-level horticulture contests, comprising floriculture and nursery/landscape CDEs, held at Kansas State University (KSU). Using the rosters from these two CDEs, we referenced the university’s student information database to determine whether the high school students who participated as FFA horticulture CDE contestants ultimately matriculated to KSU. Fifty-two percent of former FFA horticulture CDE participants were accepted to KSU and 32% matriculated. Of these, 58% enrolled in the College of Agriculture and 19% majored in horticulture. Therefore, 3.5% of total horticulture CDE participants majored in horticulture at KSU. Students who participated in more than one horticulture CDE over time were more likely to major in horticulture at KSU compared with students who competed only once. Thirty-nine percent of students who participated in both horticulture CDEs pursued a baccalaureate program in horticulture. These two student characteristics could be used as indicator data points to target recruitment of future horticulture students. Data about the high school programs that generated contest participants were also summarized. Exceling in the CDE contests was not an indicator CDE participants would pursue a baccalaureate degree in horticulture. These analyses suggest FFA CDEs have some potential to optimize student recruitment efforts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-612
Author(s):  
Saima Sansaluna ◽  
Lydia Bawa ◽  
Amour Camua ◽  
Leonel Untong

This study focused on the anxiety and performance of the students in learning English specifically in speaking. It sought to find out anxieties and its causes that affect their English performance in terms of inter-language phonology, grammar and meaning system. The study covered the use of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) that measure the English learners’ anxiety levels while learning English in the classroom. The respondents of the study were the selected Grade 12 senior high school students from the selected public schools in Maguindanao Division, Philippines. Descriptive-correlational survey method was used in the study. The findings show that English language speaking anxiety does exist among Senior High School students in Maguindanao Division and their level of anxiety in learning English is high. It is further concluded that students’ anxiety levels in speaking English in terms of inter-language phonology, inter-language grammar and inter-language meaning system contributed to students’ performance in learning in English.  


Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ghelichkhani ◽  
Mojgan Mirghafourvand ◽  
Elahe Bahrami-Vazir ◽  
Esmaeil Vali ◽  
Azam Mohammadi

AbstractIntroductionAlmost all the bone mass in females is accumulated during adolescence and especially in the years immediately following menstruation. Self-efficacy plays an important role in moderating the relationship between knowledge and behavior. This study aimed to determine the self-efficacy of osteoporosis preventive behaviors and its predictors in female high school students.MethodologyThis descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 330 female high school students in Saveh, Iran during 2016–2017. A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select the participants. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) and the Osteoporosis Self-Efficacy Scale (OSES). A general linear model was used to determine the self-efficacy predictors of osteoporosis preventive behaviors.ResultsThe mean [standard deviation (SD)] of the total OKT score was 11.08 (4.08) of attainable range from 0 to 32. The mean (SD) of the total OSES score was 121.97 (37.36) of attainable range from 0 to 200. The mean (SD) of the exercise and calcium subscales of OSES were 58.39 (22.56) and 63.57 (21.02), respectively. There were significant relationships between the total OKT score with the total OSES score (r = 0.16, p = 0.003) and its subscales, including exercise (r = 0.16, p = 0.002) and calcium (r = 0.11, p = 0.03) scores. According to the adjusted general linear model, the variables of economic status, educational level and osteoporosis knowledge were predictors of the self-efficacy in the studied students.ConclusionFindings suggested that most of the students had moderate levels of knowledge and self-efficacy regarding osteoporosis preventive behaviors; therefore, improving the knowledge and self-efficacy of this group can play a significant role in promoting their health.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Surma, S ◽  
Sampathkumar ◽  
Surma, S

The purpose of the present paper is to know the effectiveness of life-skills counseling intervention in enhancing self-sufficiency of high school students. Life-skills counseling is an educational approach, which is used to inculcate the essential life-skills in an individual to meet the challenges of everyday life.  It is also known to be very effective and appropriate for present day scenario.  It is easily adaptable for larger groups.  High School students are in the stage of adolescence.  High school students face a wide variety of problems out of which the major ones are lack of self-sufficiency, inability to manage emotions, decision-making skills etc.  The present study involves 300 high school students (150 Boys and 150 Girls) who are selected from various schools in Mysore city corporation limit. High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) was administered to find out the personality problems of high school students.  Experimental design has been applied and Life-skills counseling intervention has been given for the experimental group.  Life-skills counseling was found to be very effective in enhancing the self-sufficiency of high school students.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ruba Mohammad Miqdadi

The purpose ofthe study is to examine whether there are any significant differences in the mathematics anxiety levels between high school students in Jordan and their counterparts in the United States. Another purpose is to examine whether there are gender differences related to mathematics anxiety among high school students ofboth communities. A total of 1,386 high school students in the United States and Jordan participated in main study. This study showed that Jordanian high school students exhibited a significantly higher mathematics anxiety than United States high school students. Furthermore, the study revealed that female high schooLstudents in the United States acquired a significantly higher mathematics anxiety level than males. Another finding of this study was that males in Jordan had a significantly higher leveL of mathematics anxiety than males in the United States. The findings and educational implications ofthe study are discussed in light ofthe cultural difference between the two communities.


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