School belonging and hope among at‐risk youth: The contribution of academic support provided by youths' social support networks

Abstract

Based on resilience and hope theories (Snyder, 2000;Ungar & Theron, 2020), in the present study, we explored the contribution of academic support provided by family, school staff and mentors, as well as the contribution of family-staff contact, to the hopefulness of 175 at-risk youth (M = 17.67; SD = 0.63), who had indicated having a mentor, and how school belonging mediated these relations. Structural equation modelling revealed that academic support provided by mentors and school staff contributed to youths' hopeful thinking. Whereas the support provided by mentors had a direct effect on hope, staff support contributed indirectly via school belonging. The discussion highlights the importance of academic support provided via youths' social networks and sheds light on the role of school belonging in increasing youths' hopefulness. Implications for practice highlight the importance of strengthening youths' aspirations, motivation and knowledge regarding their future goals in school settings.

From the pitch to personal growth: Investigating self-esteem as a mediator and parental support as a moderator in youth sports in China

“…It highlights the importance of parental support for their children's athletic endeavours. Strong parental encouragement positively affects children's character development, emphasizing the role of the family environment [ 76 ]. This suggests that when young individuals are encouraged by their peers to engage in sports, it can have a positive impact on their character development.…”

Neighborhood Institutions and Wellbeing: Youth Perspectives from East Oakland

“…For example, this study found that programs outside of the school context provide invaluable academic support including tutoring and SAT preparation. Previous work in this area suggests these activities foster positive future orientations among young people (Sulimani-Aidan & Melkman, 2022). Moreover, neighborhood institutions create a space in which young people build and maintain important relationships which provide valuable access to resources such as support and information (Jarrett et al, 2005).…”

How Social Support Affects Resilience in Disadvantaged Students: The Chain-Mediating Roles of School Belonging and Emotional Experience

“…Specifically, within supportive and inclusive learning environments, students experience high-quality interpersonal interactions and relationships, resulting in a positive sense of school belonging. Conversely, in unsupportive or threatening environments, students often feel marginalized and excluded, leading to a lack of school belonging [54]. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis summarizing individual-and social-level factors influencing school belonging [55].…”

“…This leads to a greater acknowledgment and acceptance of teachers, peers, and the school environment, consequently enhancing the resilience levels of disadvantaged students. Previous studies have also indicated that in a supportive and inclusive learning environment, students' sense of school belonging is satisfied, thereby contributing to the cultivation of positive adaptive skills and resilience in adolescents [51,54]. Drawing from the Triadic Reciprocal Causation theory, human psychology and behavior result from the interaction between external environments and internal factors [73].…”