Extant research shows that self-determination skill promotion increases secondary students with disabilities’ capacity to engage in general education classrooms. However, little research has investigated how self-determination skills interact with indicators of student engagement among non-disabled underachieving adolescents. Furthermore, even though the ninth grade is a critical transition year, no studies in this area of research have specifically focused on Black ninth grade males’ educational experiences. The purpose of this study was to understand how self-determination skills interacted with three non-disabled, underachieving, ninth grade Black males’ engagement in school. The participants were a part of a larger study, in which the first author recruited ten ninth grade males from a public laboratory school to understand their perceptions of classroom autonomy support. We employed qualitative case study methodology and used a deductive process to analyze the data. We found three self-determination skills as interacting with the participants’ engagement in school: (a) self-awareness, (b) self-regulation, and (c) expressing preferences. This study shows that although understudied, Black male students’ self-directed use of multiple self-determination skills may cultivate their engagement in school. We conclude this paper with a discussion of implications for practice, limitations, and future research directions.
We conducted a meta-synthesis to understand how religious/spiritual struggles are linked to Black adolescents’ and emerging adults’ mental health, considering their various socio-demographic identities. To address this research aim, we reviewed and synthesized qualitative data from 19 studies that included the voices of approximately 382 Black adolescents and emerging adults. Data were analyzed using a seven-step meta-ethnography analysis approach. Findings revealed three themes highlighting contributors to Black youths’ negative mental health in relation to their religious/spiritual struggles: (a) Rejected and Unloved, (b) Abandoned and Dismissed, and (c) Doubt, Disengaged, and Reconciliation. Moreover, difficult religious/spiritual experiences were nested within contextual issues associated with typical developmental milestones (i.e., increased sexual activity and religious/spiritual identity development) and participants’ race, gender, sexual orientation, and mental health status (and related trauma). This meta-synthesis provides a foundation for understanding and responding to Black youths’ religious/spiritual struggles when providing culturally responsive and social justice-oriented mental health support.
The purpose of this study was to understand how early career Women of Color (WOC) in school-based mental health fields experienced a structured, group-based approach to help them navigate the imposter syndrome. The researchers employed a case study design to examine the women's experiences. Findings revealed that participants developed critical consciousness about imposter syndrome, recognizing the systemic and oppressive underpinnings of the construct, and acquired helpful strategies for dismantling their experiences of imposter syndrome (e.g., gaining support from other women) in their professional lives. The authors conclude this paper with implications for future research among WOC in professional careers.
It is important for researchers to understand the factors that attract marginalized community members to participate in youth service intervention programs, considering their historic mistrust in White-dominated systems (i.e., education and mental health). We employed a hermeneutic phenomenology study to understand 15 Black caregivers' experiences of a university-church partnership program that was grounded in a school mental health paradigm. Using individual interviews and a structured coding process, we examined factors that informed participants' engagement with the program from start to finish. First, caregivers
