The Effect of Social Skills on Middle School Belonging and Academic Motivation in Low-Income, Minority Students

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dc.contributorKnee, C. Raymond
dc.contributorDerrick, Jaye L.
dc.contributorRhoden, Brenda
dc.contributor.authorGentzis, Ersie-Anastasia
dc.date.accessioned2020-08-04T21:44:12Z
dc.date.available2020-08-04T21:44:12Z
dc.date.issued2020-05
dc.description.abstractThe present research investigated associations between the basic need satisfaction of belongingness and intrinsic academic motivation in low-income, minority middle school students. Current literature suggests that students in middle school suffer a drop in basic need satisfaction and school engagement. Students reporting supportive relationships are better adjusted and more academically engaged. One method used to encourage these relationships is the emphasis of social skills. Therefore, the present research explored whether adding social skills lessons to a middle school curriculum increased intrinsic academic motivation by increasing belonging among students, particularly among a low-income, minority student sample. This was tested in a three-week long study where participants enrolled in summer school (n = 95) completed baseline, weekly, and follow-up measures of need satisfaction and intrinsic academic motivation while receiving weekly social skills lessons. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between baseline and follow-up belongingness satisfaction or intrinsic academic motivation. Study limitations include a small sample size and fidelity challenges, and future research should aim for a larger sample size and a lengthier, more structured longitudinal design.
dc.description.departmentPsychology, Department of
dc.description.departmentHonors College
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/6938
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.isoes
dc.relation.ispartofSenior Honors Theses
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectIntrinsic motivation
dc.subjectBelonging
dc.subjectSocial skills
dc.subjectAcademic adjustment
dc.subjectMiddle school
dc.subjectBasic needs
dc.subjectPsychology
dc.titleThe Effect of Social Skills on Middle School Belonging and Academic Motivation in Low-Income, Minority Students
dc.typeHonors Thesis
dc.type.dcmiText
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
thesis.degree.levelBachelors
thesis.degree.nameBachelor of Arts

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