Although interest development is often conceptualized as a process that occurs within an individual, interest can be developed through various social mechanisms. Messages that suggest that one is or is not welcome within a context may serve to bolster or attenuate interest in those contexts. In a sample of first semester freshmen undergraduate…

Strain theories expect socio-economically disadvantaged students to be overrepresented among perpetrators of school-deviant behavior. Empirical research, however, is inconclusive about the SES-deviance relationship. Recently, strain theorists argued that economic deprivation, rather than a socio-economic status (SES) index is related to…

Secondary school teachers are one of the occupational groups presenting the highest levels of sick leave due to stress in the workplace. This form of stress can cause burnout syndrome, which is characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low levels of personal accomplishment. Secondary education teachers have received relatively…

This study used a novel approach to examine the link between gender ability stereotype endorsement and academic interests by examining not only stereotypes people hold "within" the domains of mathematics and language arts, but also "between" them. Grade 6 and 8 students (285 males, 363 females) reported their degree of…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students are a substantial minority group within U.S. elementary, middle, and high schools. Many LGBQ students face harassment and discrimination, which can contribute to educational and psychological problems. Teachers play key roles in students' school experiences, and their attitudes about homosexuality…

Psychological factors have been implicated in STEM persistence but remain poorly understood. In particular, the role of self-regulation--the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional skills that allow individuals to work efficiently toward their desired goals, especially when under stress--has received minimal attention. Psychological factors may be…

A large body of experimental research on stereotype threat concentrated on immediate consequences of this effect. Far less attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms that may explain accumulative and long-term consequences of stereotype threat. To shed new light on the dynamic of stereotype threat, the current research examined the…

The aim of this study was to explore trajectories of teachers' instructional support as perceived by students during a national initiative to develop lower secondary schools. Grade eight and nine students (N = 815) from nine Norwegian schools participated in three waves of data collection within one-and-a-half academic years. Growth mixture model…

In this paper we discuss the social identity processes by which discrimination can have an impact on ethnic-racial minority group students' academic engagement. After considering the forms, targets and sources of discrimination, we argue that discrimination implies social identity threat. Threats to ethnic/racial identity compromise specific…

The aim of the current study was to examine the associations among perceived teacher emotional support, reader self-concept, and reading achievement in a sample of children (n = 2888) at the end of first grade. Structural equation modelling revealed significant relations between perceived teacher emotional support and reader self-concept and…

In the present study, learning in school was studied from the students' perspectives in two different national contexts. The aim was to explore students' learning experiences in school by identifying what are the core elements of learning for secondary school students. We conducted the study with a qualitative approach in which photos taken by the…

In this study, we explored the potential of extracurricular activity involvement (ECAI) among underrepresented college students to counter and protect against the noxious effects of perceived discrimination on academic performance. Students (N = 340; 68.5% female), were eligible to participate if they identified as a member of a historically…

A common rationale for providing free lunch for all students is that selectively receiving a free meal at school generates stigma. This study examines the hypothesis that eligibility to receive a school free lunch has negative effects on student educational outcomes, and that this stigma-effect is more severe in schools where a low proportion of…

In response to the recent call from educational psychology for comprehensive models of academic achievement (Linnenbrink-Garcia and Patall, in: Corno, Anderman (eds) Handbook of educational psychology, Taylor and Francis, New York, 2015. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203874790), this study used multiple theories of motivation and instructional…

Participation in sport and exercise has been linked to enhanced academic performance, and though girls' participation in sport is known to decline during adolescence, girls continue to outperform boys academically at school in many Western nations. Drawing on evidence that social identities are linked to a range of health and cognitive benefits,…