ERIC Number: EJ1033796
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1088-8691
EISSN: N/A
Student Perceptions of Teacher Support and Competencies for Fostering Youth Purpose and Positive Youth Development: Perspectives from Two Countries
Bundick, Matthew J.; Tirri, Kirsi
Applied Developmental Science, v18 n3 p148-162 2014
With the growing interest in the development of purpose in youth, one important role that requires attention is the school teacher. The current article explores student perceptions of the role teachers can play in fostering purpose in their students in the mid- and late adolescent years, and the teacher competencies that facilitate purpose development. The present investigation posits and tests a structural model in which student perceptions of teacher support predicts youth purpose, mediated by student perceptions of teacher competencies; in turn, youth purpose predicts broader positive youth development. Two samples of demographically diverse young people ages 13-18 were surveyed in the United States (n = 381) and Finland (n = 336). Results showed support for the role of teachers in fostering purpose, and provided evidence for the hypothesized model with some cross-cultural differences. Implications of these findings for developing purpose in schools are discussed.
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Educational Resources, Teacher Competencies, Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance, Adolescent Development, Teacher Role, Predictor Variables, Student Surveys, Adolescent Attitudes, Comparative Analysis, Comparative Education, Demography, Ethnic Diversity, Cross Cultural Studies, Behavioral Objectives, Goal Orientation, Student Educational Objectives, Likert Scales, Values Education, Secondary School Students, Secondary School Teachers, Foreign Countries, Structural Equation Models
Psychology Press. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A