The role of the school climate in buffering disengagement remains relatively underresearched. The present study examined transitions between classes of early adolescents' school engagement and relational school climate factors influencing classes of students' (dis-)engagement, and how these were linked with academic achievement in mid-adolescence.…

This study addressed the issue of school alienation (SA) among high school students in Taiwan; SA is believed to contribute to dropout, violence, gangs, and deviant behavior. To measure SA, we propose a four-construct model in this study, comprising powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, and social isolation. Using two studies, an SA scale…

Drawing on both Barthes' concepts of weariness, laziness, and boredom and Sartre's bad faith, this article analyzes Palestinian students' psychological discomfort with online education. As instructors of English, we have drawn not only on our own teaching experiences but have also analyzed the testimonies of our colleagues. We contend that online…

Much of Western media has promoted the idea that we are facing an epidemic of mental illness and psychiatric emergencies in contemporary Western society and worldwide, and that young people are a particularly vulnerable group. Schools have become a prominent site of concern and focus for this discourse as mental health problems are said to start…

Although the concept of school engagement figures prominently in most school dropout theories, there has been little empirical research conducted on its nature and course and, more importantly, the association with dropout. Information on the natural development of school engagement would greatly benefit those interested in preventing student…

Paper based on a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the EdD degree from Rutgers University.

This investigation was designed to ascertain the relationship between alienation and specified forms of drug use in three differing collegiate settings. The results indicated that, contrary to many subjective judgements, there was essentially no significant relationship between students' degree of alienation and their use of drugs. (Author)

Interviews 10 students classified as exhibiting a low sense of attachment to their school. The in-depth interviews of urban high school students revealed that the students perceived a low level of support and encouragement from school personnel and their peers. Discusses the classification process and other factors affecting school attachment.…