This mixed methods study examines life purposes of Finnish adolescents (N = 843) at the end of their basic education. Purpose is understood as a long-term intention to accomplish something of meaning to the self, which also contributes to society. The research showed that, despite problem talk about adolescents' mental health, Finnish adolescents…

Bullying in school has become a public health problem. Among the various bullying's risk factors, the vulnerabilities associated with socio-emotional skills stand out. The present study aims to explore the relationship between bullying, victimization, self-concept, and empathy; to test differences in victimization and bullying between boys and…

This study explored teacher and student perspectives on mandated school uniforms. Debate exists over the appropriateness of uniforms, with some stakeholders suggesting positive outcomes while others bemoan limits on student expression. This study sought to fill a gap in research specific to middle school uniform use by exploring teachers' and…

Motivating girls to enroll in computer science (CS) courses is critically important. Stereotypes that girls are less interested than boys in CS may deter girls. Three preregistered experimental studies (N = 1,053) examined causal links between gender-interest stereotypes and middle school students' CS motivation. Experiment 1 showed that…

Introduction: Sustained participation in physical education classes during adolescence can help promote lifelong engagement in physical activity, which is vital for the physical and mental health of adolescents. Self-concept, particularly in the domains of global and physical appearance self-perceptions, has been identified as a key predictor of…

The study explored the impact of experimentally induced state self-objectification on creative potential in visual domain in mid-adolescence. The experiment was conducted in a group of 140 adolescents at the age of 14-16: 70 boys (M[subscript age] = 15.21; SD = 0.81) and 70 girls (M[subscript age] = 14.99; SD = 0.83), randomly allocated to two…

Teachers' self-perceptions and their students' perceptions of the three basic dimensions of instructional quality were compared based on a sample of 171 classes and their teachers in German secondary education. Low to moderate correlations (r = 0.35 to 0.50) were found between the two perspectives. Differences in perceptions vary across teachers…

To increase engagement with science and technology, young people around the world are encouraged to attend activities at science centers. But how effective are these activities? Since women have weaker ability beliefs and interest in technology than men, it is especially important to learn how science center visits affect them. In this study, we…

Although women's representation in STEM fields and occupations has increased, science and math continue to be stereotyped as male domains. This paper links psychological and sociological explanations for gendered disparities in STEM by examining the relationship between the local "micro-situational" female learning environment and the…

The overall achievement levels of Somali students in Minnesota's urban schools are considerably lower than their peers. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), 2023) reported that only 5% of all tested Black or African American students identified as English language learners met or exceeded the standards in science, 21.7% in reading, and…

Even in inclusive classroom, children with special education needs (SEN) have been shown to have lower levels of emotional inclusion and academic self-concept. Although, their social inclusion may be comparable to their peers. At the same time, boys and girls may also experience differences in perceptions of inclusion and academic self-concept.…

As of May 2022, 42 state legislatures had introduced bills that would limit how (and whether) teachers can address inequities based on race, gender, and other marginalized identities. At the same time, book bans are becoming increasingly common across the country. Given the importance of providing children opportunities to critically engage with…

Educational science has consistently examined what drives adolescents to aspire to occupations in math-related fields -- and which factors, such as gender stereotypes, may drive them away. In this study, we utilized a large longitudinal data set (N = 1,092) to test whether past grades, gender, and the math level of mothers' and fathers'…

The proportion of women in Japanese higher education has gradually increased, but men still dominate in majors such as science and engineering. As a background to this gender segregation, some survey results show that even before entering high school, there is a tendency for boys to evaluate themselves as the "science type" and girls as…

Numerous stressors, such as test anxiety, imposter phenomenon, and perfectionism. The association between the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism is well-studied, but test anxiety as a mediator of this association is not examined. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of test anxiety on the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism…