High-Performing Inner-City Adolescents Assist Low-Performing Peers in Counseling Groups

Operating from the theoretical base that the adolescent social system and group procedures could be incorporated into strategies for improving the school performance of disadvantaged students, a supervised program of peer leadership in counseling and study groups was developed for a group of inner-city high school students. A method of training students to be peer leaders in the groups was developed, and the effects of the program on the academic performance of the selected students were evaluated. In the demonstration program, the example of achieving peers and the support and reinforcement of a group with similar goals provided the impetus for inner-city high school juniors to develop better classroom skills, higher grades, and higher levels of vocational and educational aspirations and expectations.     

Differential effects of cognitive behavior modification on seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents exhibiting internalizing or externalizing problems

This study examined the differential effects of a school-based cognitive behavior modification intervention on (a) the interpersonal/social skills and (b) the social competence and school adjustment of two groups of middle school students identified as seriously emotionally disturbed. One groups of students exhibited internalizing emotional problems and the other group exhibited externalizing emotional problems. The objective of the study was to investigate whether the effectiveness of a school-based cognitive behavior modification intervention was significantly related to the type of emotional disturbance a student exhibits (i.e. internalizing or externalizing emotional disturbance). The sample consisted of an experimental and a control group of middle school students identified as seriously emotionally disturbed. The intervention was implemented in 23 biweekly 42-minute sessions. The results indicated that teacher ratings of student social competence and school adjustment were sensitive to treatment effects, although students' social skills self-ratings were not significantly affected by the treatment. A differential treatment effect was established in that externalizing students were significantly more responsive than internalizing students.     

School competence needs of mildly handicapped adolescents

Mildly handicapped adolescents have been identified by their deficient social skills as well as by their learning difficulties. School failure may be due not only to academic difficulties but to ineffectiveness in meeting the demands of the school environment. Using a naturalistic emergent design, this study identifies specific areas of need in coping with the high school environment. Individual interviews were conducted with "stakeholders" in the education of mildly handicapped high school students: 41 teachers, 12 handicapped students, and 12 parents of handicapped students. An analysis of the qualitative data indicated that study and organizational skills, communication, and social skills are areas of particular concern. Specific skill areas are delineated (i.e., class participation, handling criticism, and test taking), and recommendations for direct instruction that could affect both school and postschool success are made.     

The effects of family configuration and support system failures during childhood and adolescence on college students' self-concepts and social skills

This study examined the differential effects of familial configuration and support system failures in a sample of 256 college students. Regarding familial configuration, the results indicated that individuals who had experienced parental divorce were significantly more likely to have encountered parental hostility and/or lack of care, inadequate supervision when not in school, lack of concern by teachers, and more financial hardship. In turn, lower self-concepts and/or social skills were found to be associated with these kinds of life experiences (i.e., support system failures).     

Poor social skills are a vulnerability factor in the development of psychosocial problems

This 2‐wave panel study sought to test a social skills deficit vulnerability model of psychosocial problems. According to this model, poor social skills are thought to make people vulnerable to psychosocial problems pursuant to the experience of stressful life events. This model was tested in a sample of 118 students who were moving at least 200 miles away from their home town and making the transition to their first semester of college. At the end of their high school career, participants completed measures of social skills and the following psychosocial problems: depression, loneliness, and social anxiety. Toward the end of their first semester of college, they again completed measures of the psychosocial problems and a measure of stressful life events. Results indicated that lower social skills scores at T1 were predictive of a worsening of psychosocial problems over the course of the study. Furthermore, social skills interacted with stressful life events to predict changes in depression and loneliness. In each case, those with lower social skills at T1 appeared more vulnerable to the development of psychosocial problems by T2 than those with better social skills at T1.     

Investigating Treatment Fidelity and Social Validity of a Peer-Mediated Postsecondary Reading Intervention

Reading opens many doors and students who do not comprehend well face serious barriers as they enter postsecondary academic institutions. Young people should be able to read and write when they graduate from high school. Such skills allow people to continue their education as well as increase their odds that they can earn an adequate salary. The percentage of 12th graders reading below grade level has remained remarkably stable over the years. A large number of students entering colleges and universities are unable to derive meaning from print at age-expected levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment fidelity and social validity of a systematic and explicitly structured peer-mediated reading comprehension intervention on the reading performance of underprepared postsecondary students. Seven peer mentors and sixteen first-time college students participated in the study. Results indicated the peer-implemented reading program was implemented with high levels of treatment fidelity and social validity while also yielding statistically significant comprehension gains.     

Comparative differences in the self-perceptions of disadvantaged and advantaged students

Previous research had indicated positive and significantly higher self-perceptions for disadvantaged children in comparison to advantaged children in grades four through eight. The intention of this research was to determine whether disadvantaged children maintain their more positive self-images when they enter the more integrated environment with advantaged children. It was discovered that both disadvantaged and advantaged high school students had significantly lower self-perception scores than did the elementary school pupils. The importance of the study is in the continued non-support of the hypothesis that disadvantaged children of all ages have negative self concepts—whether in segregated or integrated situations. However, the study further shows that high school students' self-images are not as high as those of younger children—whether they are disadvantaged or advantaged.     

Examining Trajectories of Early Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction in South Korea Using a Growth Mixture Model

Various aspects of early adolescence can have a key impact on adult life satisfaction. This study applied a growth mixture model to examine the trajectories of early adolescents’ life satisfaction and test the effects of individual (sex, subjective achievement, and self-esteem) and social factors (school adjustment and peer attachment) thereon. For this purpose, a growth mixture model was used on the fifth- (grade five), sixth- (grade six), and seventh- (grade seven) year panel data of 1917 grade one students from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (2010–2016, National Youth Policy Institute), excluding missing samples. Participants were 990 boys (51.6%) and 927 girls (48.4%). The results indicated that the trajectories of life satisfaction could be categorized into three groups: “High Level-decreasing” (57.19%), “Moderate Level-stable” (37.62%), and “Low Level-increasing” (5.19%). Predictors for each class exhibited that female students and individuals with higher levels of self-esteem and school adjustment were more likely to be in the “Low Level-increasing” and “Moderate Level-stable” groups compared to male students and those reporting lower levels of self-esteem and school adjustment. Moreover, students with higher peer attachment were more likely to be in the “Low Level-increasing” group compared to the “High Level-decreasing” group. Educational implications to achieve positive life satisfaction by determining the influence of the predictors for each trajectory are outlined.

     

汶川地震三年半后中学生的感恩对创伤后成长的影响：社会支持的中介作用

采用感恩问卷、社会支持问卷和创伤后成长问卷对汶川地震三年半后的376名中学生进行调查,考察其感恩与社会支持对创伤后成长的影响,并检验社会支持在感恩与创伤后成长之间的中介作用。结果发现：（1）灾后中学生的创伤后成长水平较高,其中自我觉知的改变与人际体验的改变水平高于生命价值观的改变水平,女生人际体验的改变水平高于男生,初一学生的创伤后成长水平相对低于高年级学生;（2）感恩和社会支持可显著地正向预测创伤后成长;（3）社会支持在感恩与创伤后成长之间起着部分中介作用。这表明,汶川地震三年半后中学生的感恩可以直接正向预测创伤后成长,也可通过社会支持正向影响创伤后成长。     

普高生与中职生的个人未来目标和担忧

以1995名普高生和中职生为被试,采用未来取向问卷(中文版),考察了普高生和中职生的个人未来目标和担忧的内容与时间广度。研究发现:普高生与中职生较多地关注未来教育、职业、婚姻/家庭、家庭安康和自我,预期重要生活事件发生在二三十岁左右。普高生更多地提及教育目标和担忧以及与家庭安康有关的担忧,而中职生更多地提及职业目标和担忧,并预期职业目标和担忧发生的年龄较早;农村学生更多地提及与未来教育和家庭安康有关的目标,而相对较少提及职业目标,并预期教育和职业目标以及职业担忧发生的年龄早于城市学生;男生更多地提及职业和婚姻/家庭目标以及与自我有关的担忧,而女生更多地提及与家庭安康有关的目标和教育担忧,并预期教育和职业目标发生的年龄较早。     

压力性生活事件对工读生毒品使用影响：有中介的调节效应

考察家庭功能对压力性生活事件与工读生毒品使用之间关系的调节效应以及领悟社会支持对此调节效应是否具有中介效应。采用压力性生活事件量表、家庭功能评定问卷、领悟社会支持问卷、毒品使用问卷对514名工读生进行研究。结果表明：（1）家庭功能对压力性生活事件与工读生毒品使用之间关系具有调节效应;（2）这种调节效应以领悟社会支持为中介变量。压力性生活事件对工读生毒品使用的影响是有中介的调节效应。     

Efficacy of Fun to Learn for the Young Program: Randomized Controlled Trial

Early intervention for children from disadvantaged backgrounds has been found to be effective in improving their learning and psychosocial outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Fun to Learn for the Young (FLY) program using randomized controlled trial design with no blinding of participants. Participants included 200 Hong Kong Chinese parent–child dyads (intervention:101; control: 99) with children aged 18?months from disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants were recruited from three non-governmental organizations. The intervention group participated in the 60-session FLY program which consisted of direct teaching to children and parent training. Parent participants from both groups completed questionnaires on child learning, child behavior and parenting before the intervention, at the end of 40 sessions, and 60 sessions. The children were individually assessed on their preschool concepts and language skills at these three time points. Results indicated that the children in the intervention group made more gains in preschool concepts, language skills, school readiness and motivation, compared with control group children (η _p ²?=?.018–.029). The results provided some initial evidence that the FLY program was an effective early intervention program in promoting child learning.     

Life skills development in physical education: A self-determination theory-based investigation across the school term

ObjectivesGrounded in self-determination theory (SDT), the main aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations between teacher autonomy support, students’ basic psychological need satisfaction and life skills development in physical education (PE).DesignThis study employed a two-wave longitudinal research design.MethodStudents (N = 266, Mage = 12.94 years, SD = 0.70) completed measures assessing perceived autonomy-supportive teaching, need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and life skills development in PE (teamwork, goal setting, social skills, problem solving and decision making, emotional skills, leadership, time management, and interpersonal communication). Data collections took place during week 6 (timepoint 1; T1) and week 15 (timepoint 2; T2) of the autumn school term.ResultsCross-lagged panel analyses showed that T1 teacher autonomy support did not significantly predict students’ three basic psychological needs, total need satisfaction or life skills development at T2. Students’ T1 total need satisfaction positively predicted their development of all eight life skills at T2. Additionally, students’ T1 autonomy satisfaction positively predicted their teamwork, social skills, emotional skills, leadership, and interpersonal communication skills at T2, T1 competence satisfaction positively predicted students’ teamwork skills at T2, and students’ T1 relatedness satisfaction positively predicted their social skills at T2.ConclusionsProviding partial support for SDT, the findings highlighted that satisfaction of students’ three basic psychological needs had some positive effects on students’ life skills development in PE. As such, a climate that satisfies students’ basic psychological needs should help to develop their life skills in PE.     

School-year employment among high school students: effects on academic, social, and physical functioning

This study describes the effects of different weekly work intensity levels on adolescent functioning in a sample of 3,083 high school students in rural South Texas, where economically disadvantaged and Hispanic youth are heavily represented. Anonymous surveys were conducted in 10th- and 12th-grade students' classrooms in 1995. The following effects were associated with long hours of weekly employment during the school year: (1) decreased performance/engagement in school and satisfaction with amount of leisure time, and (2) increased health risk behaviors and psychological stress. The effects of school-year work on academic factors and health behaviors differed by grade, but not by race/ethnicity, parent education, or race/ethnicity and parent education considered together. It was concluded that parents and professionals should continue to monitor the number of weekly hours that students work during the school year.     

Social skills and negative life events: Testing the deficit stress generation hypothesis

People who possess poor social skills have been hypothesized to experience negative events and consequently become vulnerable to psychosocial problems. This is characterized as the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis. Two studies were conducted to examine this hypothesis. In study 1, 677 university students completed measures of social skills and negative life events that had occurred over the past three months. In study 2, 142 students participated in a 9 month, 3 wave longitudinal study that assessed social skills at times 1 and 3 and negative life events at times 2 and 3. Results of the investigations indicate generally negative associations between social skills and negative life events, but these associations were stronger concurrently than prospectively. Although social skills were predicted to be associated with negative life events that are social in nature, in most cases they were equally predictive of nonsocial negative life events. The associations between the social skills and life events were consistently small in magnitude. This research was supported in part by University of Kansas General Research allocation 3011-20-0038 and 3825-20-0038. The author expresses gratitude to Jeanne Flora, Clark Henry, and Michelle Menees for their assistance with coding.     

Social skills and negative life events: Testing the deficit stress generation hypothesis

People who possess poor social skills have been hypothesized to experience negative events and consequently become vulnerable to psychosocial problems. This is characterized as the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis. Two studies were conducted to examine this hypothesis. In study 1, 677 university students completed measures of social skills and negative life events that had occurred over the past three months. In study 2, 142 students participated in a 9 month, 3 wave longitudinal study that assessed social skills at times 1 and 3 and negative life events at times 2 and 3. Results of the investigations indicate generally negative associations between social skills and negative life events, but these associations were stronger concurrently than prospectively. Although social skills were predicted to be associated with negative life events that are social in nature, in most cases they were equally predictive of nonsocial negative life events. The associations between the social skills and life events were consistently small in magnitude. This research was supported in part by University of Kansas General Research allocation 3011-20-0038 and 3825-20-0038. The author expresses gratitude to Jeanne Flora, Clark Henry, and Michelle Menees for their assistance with coding.     

A Strengths-Based Longitudinal Career Intervention for Junior Secondary School Students with Special Educational Needs: a Mixed-method Evaluation

The mixed-method study reported here was designed to evaluate a strengths-based career intervention program for secondary school students with mild special educational needs (SEN). A sample of 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) from 5 inclusive schools in Hong Kong were recruited to a treatment group. An additional 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) were selected to form the control group matched for age, gender and parents’ education level. The special needs exhibited by both groups were in areas of literacy and numeracy, attention deficits, and social-emotional problems, but did not include severe or complex disabilities. Participants in both groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaires covering career development self-efficacy, personal and social development self-efficacy, and meaning in life. As a follow-up, two teachers and three social workers providing support to SEN students, and the 32 participants were interviewed several months after the intervention. Interviews also took place with teachers, social workers and students to evaluate the perceived effects of the intervention. Findings indicated significant interactions between Time 1 and Time 2, and between groups (control vs. treatment) in personal goal-setting, career goal-setting, and the presence of meaning in life. Additionally, several themes were identified from the interviews suggesting that the intervention did have positive effects on SEN students’ career, personal and social development self-efficacy, and acquisition of meaning in life.

     

Time Reading in Middle and Secondary School Students: The Influence of Basic-Numerical Abilities

Abstract

Time reading skills are central for the management of personal and professional life. However, little is known about the differential influence of basic numerical abilities on analog and digital time reading in general and in middle and secondary school students in particular. The present study investigated the influence of basic numerical skills separately for analog and digital time reading in N?=?709 students from 5th to 8th grade. The present findings suggest that the development of time reading skills is not completed by the end of primary school. Results indicated that aspects of magnitude manipulation and arithmetic fact knowledge predicted analog time reading significantly over and above the influence of age. Furthermore, results showed that spatial representations of number magnitude, magnitude manipulation, arithmetic fact knowledge, and conceptual knowledge were significant predictors of digital time reading beyond general cognitive ability and sex. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to show differential effects of basic numerical abilities on analog and digital time reading skills in middle and secondary school students. As time readings skills are crucial for everyday life, these results are highly relevant to better understand basic numerical processes underlying time reading.     

Life Matters: Exploring the Influence of Games and Mental Skills on Relatedness and Social Anxiety Levels in Disengaged Adolescent Students

LifeMatters is a 10-session life skills program implemented with youth that uses mental skills training and games to meet the three basic psychological needs of relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Forty disengaged students (20 experimental, 20 control) 16–17?years of age from a YMCA vocational school completed self-report measures before and after the intervention period. The school focuses on services for adolescents who find it difficult to gain an education through mainstream education due to behavioral and developmental issues. Mixed between-within subjects analyses of variance showed that there was a significant decrease in social anxiety, Wilks’s λ?=?.84, F(1, 26)?=?5.07, p?=?.03, partial?η²?= .16, and a significant increase in relatedness Wilks’s λ = .87, F(1, 26) = 4.2, p = .05, partial η² = .14, over time for the experimental group compared to the control group. Analyses of covariance showed no significant difference between the two groups in change on social anxiety levels, F(1, 25)?=?1.34, p?=?.26, partial η²?=?.05, when controlling for relatedness, and no significant difference between the two groups in change in relatedness levels, F(1, 25) = 1.34, p = .26, partial η² = .05, when controlling for social anxiety. This study provides insight into the potential effectiveness of using games and mental skills training to increase relatedness and decrease levels of social anxiety in disengaged students.

Lay Summary: LifeMatters is a life skills program combining mental skills training and physically active games. Disengaged students who took part in the program reported lower levels of social anxiety and higher levels of relatedness compared to students who did not take part.     

A respectable job: Factors which influence young Asians' choice of career

To find out why some college or university courses are particularly attractive to ethnic-minority school-leavers, school pupils and first-year students of South Asian (n=158) and UK origin (n = 158) completed a questionnaire relating to occupational choice. The social position attainable from a 'respected' profession and the ability to work with others who share similar beliefs were found to be of greater importance to subjects from an Asian background than to those of UK origin, who placed greater emphasis on personal growth and autonomy. There was no evidence that the Asian young people were consciously choosing careers with the aim of avoiding discrimination.