School experiences of early adolescent Latinos/as at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders.

Abstract

Previous research has shown that Latino/a middle school students exhibiting emotional or behavioral disturbance are at risk for undesirable academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of at-risk Latino/a students to identify ways to improve interventions targeted to promote their academic retention and success. Participants included 11 Latino/a students between the ages of 11 and 13 years, 8 males and 3 females, who were screened as being at risk for behavior disorders using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD). These students shared their perceptions and experiences of schooling during in-depth qualitative interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to understand how these students made sense of their school experiences. Students' descriptions tended to be contextualized within relationships with peers, teachers, and family members. Many students shared experiences of being the target of overt racism and microaggressions from peers. Students believed they were more likely to be successful in school when teachers displayed flexibility with deadlines, provided extra help, and communicated a sense of warmth and caring. The data from this study suggested that school psychologists can benefit from attending to at-risk students' perceptions, which, in the context of this study, would require facilitating an inclusive school climate, fostering effective teacher and student relationships, and facilitating parent-teacher relationships during the difficult transition from elementary to middle school.

Ethnic identity affirmation as a strength for Mexican descent academic outcomes: Psychological functioning and academic attitudes as mediators

“…Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and academic attitudes, such that higher levels of life satisfaction were related to higher academic motivation and higher levels of depressive symptoms were related to higher levels of academic skepticism. These findings corroborate previous findings relating poorer psychological functioning to poorer academic outcomes and better psychological functioning to better academic outcomes (Balanga et al, ; Close & Solberg, ; Zychinski & Polo, ). If an individual reports higher levels of life satisfaction, they may feel more optimistic or positive about their future possibilities (McIlveen, Beccaria, & Burton, ).…”

“…Results from their study found that grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores were significantly and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (Zychinski & Polo, ). Similarly, other research has found that Latina/o adolescents who reported fewer symptoms of psychological distress and higher life satisfaction also reported greater confidence in their academic capabilities and greater academic performance (Balanga, Young, & Smith, ; Close & Solberg, ). These findings highlight the importance that EI affirmation, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction play in Latina/o youth academic perceptions and achievements.…”

“…The current study sought to understand the relationship between EI affirmation, psychological functioning (i.e., depression and life satisfaction), and academic outcomes (i.e., academic motivation, academic skepticism, academic expectations, and academic aspirations) for Latina/o youth. Previous literature has established a relationship between EI affirmation and psychological functioning (Rivas‐Drake et al, ), as well as a relationship between psychological functioning and academic outcomes (Balanga et al, ; Close & Solberg, ; Zychinski & Polo, ). Thus, a multiple mediation model was tested, which specifically hypothesized that the psychological functioning variables of depressive symptoms and life satisfaction would act as mediators between the relationship of EI affirmation and academic outcomes, and that academic attitudes would act as mediators between the relationship of psychological functioning (as measured by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) and ambition for higher education.…”

“They Will Post a Law About Playing Soccer” and Other Ethnic/Racial Microaggressions in Organized Activities Experienced by Mexican-Origin Families

“…First, there were adolescents who experienced microassaults in the form of ethnic name-calling and teasing. Although participants did not report being called the more common pejoratives for Mexicans or Latinos (e.g., wetbacks) as reported in past research (Balagna et al, 2013), one adolescent provided unique perspective on how a term ("taco") evolved into a personalized pejorative nickname ("Paco"). This finding provides nuanced understandings of how ethnic name-calling can also appear in hybrid forms that obscure its ethnic-based judgments.…”

Drug Use Among Latino Youth: Two Popular Criminological Perspectives Infused with Latino Culture

“…This is highly relevant for fostering school involvement through student‐teacher relationships. If there is a high amount of respeto, in the presence of a warm and caring student‐teacher relationship, Latino youth tend to report greater school connectedness and success (Balagna et al ). The opposite may be true if students feel like they are treated differently than their peers, perhaps due to cultural differences or difficulty with the English language, for instance.…”