School effects on psychological outcomes during adolescence.

TLDR

Research on school-level differences during adolescence has largely focused on nonpsychological outcomes, leaving psychological outcomes understudied. This study aimed to investigate school-level differences in multiple psychological outcomes among a nationally representative adolescent sample. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors examined how school belonging predicts psychological outcomes across two studies: first, identifying predictors of belonging; second, assessing its relationship with outcomes. They found that school belonging was lower in urban and busing schools, and that individual perceptions of belonging were inversely related to depression, social rejection, and school problems, whereas aggregated belonging was associated with higher social rejection, school problems, and higher GPA.

Abstract

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to examine school-level differences in the relations between school belonging and various outcomes. In Study 1, predictors of belonging were examined. Results indicated that belonging was lower in urban schools than in suburban schools, and lower in schools that used busing practices than those that did not. In Study 2, the relations between belonging and psychological outcomes were examined. The relations varied depending on the unit of analysis (individual vs. aggregated measures of belonging). Whereas individual students’ perceptions of belonging were inversely related to depression, social rejection, and school problems, aggregated belonging was related to greater reports of social rejection and school problems and to higher grade point average. Research on school-level differences during adolescence often has focused on nonpsychological outcomes, such as academic achievement and behavioral issues, instead of on psychological outcomes (Roeser, 1998). Indeed, research on school-level differences in nonacademic variables is quite rare. The purpose of the present research was to examine school-level differences in a variety of psychological outcomes, using a large nationally representative sample of adolescents.