Poster #19 - Adolescent Self-Efficacy and Optimism About the Future: Longitudinal Associations With Family/School Support and Sense-of-Purpose

• In Event: Poster Session 05

Abstract

Sense of purpose is related to a host of developmental outcomes (Bronk et al., 2009; Kenny et al., 2018), including students’ academic engagement (Hill, Liang, et al, 2018). As adolescents prepare for the transition from high school, a sense of purpose may help them navigate uncertainties with efficacy and optimism. However, it is unclear whether a sense of purpose equips youth with self-efficacy, optimism, and a future orientation that will enable them to persist and reach their goals. Further, while families and schools often collaborate to support youth, we know less about how parenting and school counseling services work to support youths’ sense of purpose, beliefs about the future, and college/career self-efficacy.

The current study examined the longitudinal associations among parenting practices and youths’ satisfaction with their school counselors with both students’ optimistic disposition and future-oriented self-efficacy regarding their post high school plans. The diverse sample of 615 high school students were followed for three years (51% female; 63% White, 16% African American, 8% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 3% other) and were drawn from an ongoing Research Practice Partnership. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we tested the direct and indirect effects of parenting and satisfaction with school counseling with optimistic-disposition and future-oriented self-efficacy, and the mediating role of sense of purpose. Missing data were handled using Full-Information Maximum Likelihood method in R. Latent constructs were created for parenting (linking education with the future; scaffolding independence); school counseling satisfaction (satisfaction with academic services; college/career advice; personal connection); sense of purpose (commitment, engagement, exploration); optimistic disposition (optimism; future orientation); and future-oriented self-efficacy (college-going efficacy; vocational efficacy). The measurement model demonstrated good fit (See Table 1).

Two SEM models were fitted to the data, one with optimistic disposition as the outcome (model 1) and the other with future-oriented self-efficacy as the outcome (model 2). For model 1, parenting practices and school counseling satisfaction (time 1) were directly related to sense of purpose (time 2), which was in turn related to optimistic disposition (time 3, see figure 1). We tested this model with and without the direct effects from parenting practices and school counseling satisfaction to optimistic disposition. Although the direct effect from parenting to optimistic disposition was significant (β=0.33,p<.05), the Δχ2 between the model with and without the direct effects was not significant, Δχ2 (2) 4.17, ns.

Similarly, for model 2, parenting practices and school counseling satisfaction (time 1) were related to sense of purpose (time 2), which was in turn related to future-oriented self-efficacy (time 3; see figure 1). In comparing this model with the one that included the direct effects from parenting and school counselor satisfaction to future-oriented self-efficacy, removing the direct effects did not significantly reduce the fit of the model, Δχ2 (2) 4.32, ns. Further, the direct effects were not significant.

Given the importance of self-efficacy, optimism, and sense of purpose, and the differential experiences students have in schools across gender and ethnic background, further analyses will be conducted to test these models across racial/ethnic background and gender.

Authors

• My Hong Hoang Do, Harvard University
  Presenting Author

• Nancy E Hill, Harvard University

• Belle Liang, Boston College

• John Perella, Revere High School