College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Jocelyn Carter, PhD

Second Advisor

Kathryn Grant, PhD

Abstract

This study examines the role of school connectedness and how racial/ethnic identity in academic outcomes among adolescents/. Guided by the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and Garcia-Coll et al’s (1996) Integrative Model, it was hypothesized that higher school connectedness predicts higher GPAs, that students whose racial/ethnic identity aligns with their schools’ majority composition experience stronger school connectedness, and the relationship between school connectedness and GPA will be stronger in schools with more matching peers. Participants included 138 youth (M = 14.98, SD = 1.92) from three urban schools (two K-8th; one high school). The sample was 33.3% Hispanic, 23.9% Black (non-Hispanic), 13% White (non-Hispanic), 6.5% Asian (non-Hispanic), and 5.1% Other (non-Hispanic). Adolescents completed surveys at two time points, with assessments conducted six months apart, Regression analyses revealed that T1 school connectedness did not significantly predict T2 GPA although T1 GPA positively predicted T2 GPA. Race/ethnicity did not significantly moderate the school connectedness-GPA relationship. Additionally, racial/ethnic match, both categorical and continuous, did not significantly predict school connectedness or moderate its relationship with GPA. These results suggest that while prior GPA is a strong predictor of academic performance, school connectedness and racial/ethnic match may not have significant impacts on GPA trajectories. Implications for school interventions and policies aimed at fostering inclusive, supportive environments are discussed.

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