This article explores how schools and educators can create learning environments that foster the innate mana of students. Mana is a concept that comes from a Maori worldview and refers to a person's sense of authority, influence, self-efficacy, purpose, pride, and belonging. The Mana Model contends that student thinking, behaviour, and wellbeing…

Adolescents and young adults are most at risk for developing problematic smartphone and social media use that negatively impacts their mental health and well-being. Students' perceptions of their school environment are likely a key area of potential risk and protective factors for adolescents' problematic smartphone and social media use, but more…

Objective: This study explored differences in sense of belonging between students who identify as having PTSD and those who do not and then investigated the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate for mental health in this process. Participants: Participants included 162 undergraduates enrolled at United States institutions. Methods: Data were…

This study examined longitudinal associations between early adolescents' school friendship stability, instability, and network size and their perceived social adjustment. The final sample consisted of 430 early adolescents residing in seven Midwestern schools (52% female, 47% Black, 42% White, 5% Hispanic or Latinx, and 6% Other). School…

In any country, there is a group of students who are at risk of dropping out of school without any qualifications. This is detrimental for many of those students, because failure to graduate increases risks of unemployment and societal exclusion. To reduce this risk, specialized curricula aim to prepare these students for their working life by…

The authoritative school climate construct, or the degree to which schools demonstrate student support and disciplinary structure, predicts several important student outcomes (e.g., racial suspension gap, student disengagement). To better understand this construct, we used multilevel latent class analysis to identify latent classes of student…

This paper examines how histories of racism, slavery, and white supremacy continue to resonate in the present through the creation and curation of an audio compilation of student narratives. Grounded in posthuman theories, the sound compilation of layered student narratives offers a starting point for exploring the relational, embodied, and…

This study aims to investigate the relationship between some protective factors and the academic achievements in science and mathematics classes of socioeconomically disadvantaged eighth-grade students. The quantitative research method and relational screening model were employed in the research. The sample of the study consisted of 250 students…

This exploratory, mixed-methods study examines first-year general chemistry students' written responses on a belonging survey. Responses were thematically analyzed to identify students' sources of belonging, which may help instructors choose effective strategies for enhancing belonging during the transition into college. Qualitative analysis…

The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers non-traditional students experience in their attempt to complete their degree program. Semi-structured interviews revealed four key themes: family; support; generational-gaps, and community. These themes highlight areas in which non-traditional students feel they have experienced obstacles in…

There is limited understanding of how women of Mexican heritage transform cultural and familial protective factors into strategies to help navigate their education. This study helps bridge the gap between students' cultural wealth and the ways they utilize this protective factor in college. I analyzed the strategies used by seven first-generation…

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the level of perceived support for the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness and satisfaction with health and quality of life among undergraduate college students with disabilities. Method: 286 postsecondary students with disabilities…

Feeling part of a community of learners has been shown to foster students' engagement and sense of belonging, leading to higher retention and achievement of learning outcomes. The pivot to online teaching caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a reappraisal of all aspects of the student experience, including students' capacity and…

Background/Context: African American students often encounter racial microaggressions when attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Experiencing racial microaggressions can negatively affect African American students' feelings of belonging to the campus community. Racial microaggressions can also affect their physical and emotional…

The purpose of this qualitative case study aimed to explore parents' perceptions of the post-secondary transition experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities at one postsecondary community program. Schlossberg's (1984) Transition Theory and the 4 S system consisting of situation, self, supports, and strategies was used as a lens for…