ERIC Number: EJ1333630
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2589-949X
EISSN: N/A
'MPower Shows Me Who I Want to Be': A Qualitative Study of a Youth Purpose Program
Lincoln, Brenna; Wood, Willow; Reed, Madeline; Sepulveda, Jonathan; Liang, Belle; Hill, Nancy E.; Perella, John
European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, v4 n2 p113-122 2021
Studies have documented widespread academic disengagement in middle and high school students. This disengagement has been tied to a myriad of negative outcomes, including failure to graduate from high school and transition into college and meaningful vocations. Supporting adolescents in cultivating a sense of beyond-the-self purpose is one factor that may combat student disengagement. MPower is a program designed to cultivate beyond-the-self purpose in an effort to promote student engagement and completion of high school (Klein et al., 2019). In a recent quantitative study, MPower participants compared to controls demonstrated a higher GPA, BTS purpose, self-efficacy, and decreased performance approach and performance avoidance goal orientations. In the current qualitative descriptive study, 11th and 12th grade (N=25) students in the Northeastern region of the United States, described their experiences in the MPower program. Three themes associated with the transformative aspects of MPower emerged from focus group data: 1) practice in strategic goal planning, 2) engagement in mentoring relationships, and 3) increased social support within a community. Because fostering youth purpose engenders many promotive and protective factors, these findings hold important implications for implementing similar programs more widely.
Descriptors: Youth Programs, Self Efficacy, Self Actualization, Goal Orientation, Strategic Planning, Grade Point Average, Learner Engagement, Mentors, Middle School Students, High School Students, Outcomes of Education, Program Effectiveness, Graduation Rate, Grade 11, Grade 12, Student Attitudes, Program Implementation, Principals, Administrator Attitudes, Comparative Analysis
Eurasian Society of Educational Research. 7321 Parkway Drive South, Hanover, MD 21076. e-mail: publisher@ejper.com; Web site: https://www.ejper.com/about-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools; Grade 11; Grade 12
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A