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Psychosocial determinants of engagement with school activity among adolescents


Author: Caranfil Narcisa-Gianina
Degree:doctor of psychology
Speciality: 19.00.05 - Social Psychology
Year:2022
Scientific adviser: Svetlana Rusnac
doctor, associate professor (docent), Free International University of Moldova
Institution: Free International University of Moldova

Status

The thesis was presented on the 8 December, 2021
Approved by NCAA on the 28 April, 2022

Abstract

Adobe PDF document0.96 Mb / in romanian
Adobe PDF document0.67 Mb / in english

Thesis

CZU 373.013.42:316.64(043.3)

Adobe PDF document 5.23 Mb / in romanian
283 pages


Keywords

engagement with school activity, psychosocial determinants, outcomes, adolescents, social representation of school activity, free association technique, “normal method”, silent zone of social representation, “substitution method”, perception and attitude towards school, academic motivation, psychometric study, correlational study, predictors

Summary

Structure of thesis. The thesis comprises: Introduction, three chapters, General conclusions and recommendations, References (171 titles) and 27 Annexes. The thesis volume contains 178 pages of basic text, including 15 tables and 8 figures. The obtained results are published in 8 scientific papers.

Field of study: 511.03 – Social Psychology

Purpose of the research. The purpose of the reseacrh is to highlight the way in which contemporary adolescents perceive school activity. Another aim was to delimit the content, structure and organization of social representation, as part of the picture of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards school. Also, the psychosocial determinants and the effects of school engagement among high school students were investigated.

Objectives of research. The objectives that oriented the investigative approach were: the analysis of theoretical and practical approaches of the research field in order to identify the psychosocial factors contributing to school engagement; determining the content, structure and organization of the social representation of the school activity, as well as the similarities and differences among adolescents in Romania and the Republic of Moldova; developing and validating the model of predictors and the effects of school engagement; adaptation and validation of instruments for measuring the psychosocial and educational dimensions of engagement with school; measuring engagement with school using a consistent sample of high school students from Romania and the Republic of Moldova; in this respect, a standardized measure (recognized in the academic community) was used; interpretation of the psychopedagogical meanings of the results obtained by performing statistical processing on raw data.

Novelty and scientific originality. The scientific innovation results from the fact that, for the first time in the Romanian context and in the Republic of Moldova, the content and structure of the social representation of school activity among adolescents has been identified. The results of this approach have led to the determination of the dimensions that can be used in order to evaluate the perception and attitude that contemporary adolescents have towards the school, as well as to elaborate the intervention programs aimed at increasing school engagement and stimulating achievement motivation. Also, the theoretical and applied approaches have generated conceptual clarifications and results that allowed to identify the psychosocial factors and the effects of school engagement.

The relevance of findings in relation to solved scientific issue. The research results provided the basis for validating the model developed to explain the predictors and the effects of school engagement. In addition, the validity of the instruments for measuring the psychosocial and educational dimensions of school engagement has been confirmed, in accordance with the perception and attitudes that contemporary adolescents have towards school.

Theoretical significance of research. The research undertaken and presented in the thesis complement the concerns of applied social psychology in the field of education, by elucidating the universe of social representation, the perception and attitudes that contemporary adolescents have towards school and by comparing the dimensions, predictors and effects of school engagement. The model developed to explain the predictors of engagement with school can be used in research on the educational route for students covering the secondary, high school and post-secondary education levels.

Applicative value of research. The Questionnaire for assessing the perception and attitude towards school developed and validated, as well as the instruments validated for the Romanian school population in order to investigate the psychosocial determinants and the effects of school engagement can be useful in the activity of school psychologists, educational counselors, leaders and other teachers. Research findings on predictors of school engagement can be applied as a basis for developing school and educational counseling programs, as well as in interventions aimed at increasing adolescent school bonding and attachment to the goals of thorough education.

Implementation of research findings. The results of the investigations were capitalized in: a) designing three workshops on the issue of school motivation among adolescents and its relation with the behavioral style of teachers; these were realized with undergraduates, masters and doctoral students and teachers from the Free International University of Moldova, respectively students, teachers and school counselors from Romania; b) 15 papers presented at national and international scientific events; c) 8 published scientific papers, of which 5 in specialized journals from Romania and the Republic of Moldova and 3 in proceedings of national and international conferences and symposiums.