A Student-Centered Approach to Understanding Rising and Falling Hope Trajectories and Associated Outcomes

• In Event: Mental Health, Trauma, and Well-Being in Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

Student hope is particularly relevant in school contexts. Although cross-sectional studies show declining hope across adolescence, little is known about how student hope changes developmentally, what student-level characteristics determine rising or falling hope, and what outcomes are associated with hope trajectories. Data from 412 rural and suburban 5th-12th grade students showed 56% of students decreased in hope from one year to the next. Middle-schoolers, girls, and English-language learners were more likely to have decreasing hope trajectories relative to other students. Students with increasing-hope trajectories had relatively higher perceptions of perceived social support, future expectations, and intentional self-regulation. Findings highlight that some students need greater hope promotion than others and emphasize the benefits and implications of a positive-hope trajectory.

Authors

• Ashley Fraser, Arizona State University

• Crystal I Bryce, Arizona State University

• Brittany Alexander, Arizona State University

• Richard Fabes, Arizona State University