The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how Black middle school students interpret the relationship with their mathematics teachers. This study is situated within research exploring the nuances of the Black-White achievement gap. National assessment data provide that more than 80% of eighth-grade Black students enter high school working…

Although research has established that school adjustment is associated with marijuana use (MU) in adolescence, few studies have tested these associations bidirectionally. Using random intercepts cross-lagged panel modeling, this study examined reciprocal associations between MU and school adjustment across 8th to 10th grade, including the…

Students face several challenges when transitioning to a new school level. This necessitates an exploration of the personal features supporting their adjustment, which may provide valuable insights for intervention programs and counseling services at institutions. We employed a sample of 9th- to 10th-grade high school students (N = 255) and 1st-…

In this study, we extend prior research in the role of school climate in civic education by exploring the relationship between immigrant students' experiences of bullying and their attitudes toward their countries of settlement. Using the 2016 IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, we employ a multiple regression analysis with…

The transition from middle to high school can be especially challenging for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, students with disabilities experience greater barriers when considering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Academic interest and social support may play a critical role…

Recent research has shown that internal factors are important predictors of adaptation, but little research has studied the relationship between a sense of coherence and school adaptation. The present study examined the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. A total of 1,072 middle students completed self-report…

This study examined the role of learning difficulties in academic emotions and achievement across the transition to lower secondary school among 848 Finnish adolescents. Reading difficulties (RD) and math difficulties (MD) were identified based on test scores in Grade 6 and 7. Students with difficulties were identified as having resolving,…

This study examined the cross-lagged relationships between students' autonomous motivations (intrinsic motivation and identified regulations) and approach goals (mastery and performance) in school. The sample included 449 students (52% girls) in Grades 7 and 8 (secondary 1 and 2). Results showed that intrinsic motivation (IM) positively predicted…

The current study investigated early adolescents' experiences of friend-related stress across middle school and its developmental consequences following the transition to high school. Using a sample of approximately 1,000 middle school students, four unique friend-related stress trajectories were observed across middle school: consistently low…

The middle school transition has been identified as a difficult time for youths, resulting in adjustment difficulties across a variety of domains. Although some research has examined strategies that are useful for the adjustment outcomes associated with the transition, more research understanding student perceptions of what is helpful in the…

Following approximately 1,800 Finnish children, this longitudinal study examined the associations between students' perceived social support (teacher-student relationships, family support, and peer support), behavioral engagement, cynicism towards school, and academic achievement during the transition from primary to lower secondary school. After…

The purpose of this study was to investigate exam scores' predicting Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exam scores. The research data were obtained from the records of 1035 students studying at the first term of eighth grade in 2015-2016 academic year in e-school system. The research was on relational screening model. Linear…

Transitions from one level of education system to another and from education to work are structured by socio-economic and institutional structure factors, while at the same time they are appropriated by individuals in their biographical constructions. Patterns to career trajectories are also dependent on social class, immigrant origin and level of…

Two hundred ninety-four children from low-income families (58% White, 17% Latinx, 25% Black; 54% girls; M[subscript age] = 4.49 years old at study entry) were recruited from Head Start classrooms to participate in a randomized-controlled trial of the project Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) preschool intervention and then followed…

Despite ample research on the role of parental autonomy support in adolescents' adjustment, the affective processes underlying parental autonomy support remain relatively unclear. As an initial step to fill this gap, the current research examined whether the association between parental autonomy support and adolescents' school adjustment was in…