Strain, Security Measures, and Trends in Postsecondary Aspirations for High School Students
Open Access
Author:
Shields, Lauren
Graduate Program:
School Psychology
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
May 05, 2021
Committee Members:
Cristin Hall, Major Field Member Jennifer Frank, Chair & Dissertation Advisor Wendy Coduti, Outside Field Member Cynthia Pellock, Outside Unit Member James Diperna, Program Head/Chair
Keywords:
high school strain school security postsecondary aspirations security measures postsecondary aspirations
Abstract:
The present study aims to examine the impact of strains on postsecondary aspirations in high school students and identify differences in the consequences of strain for students in both high security and low security school environments. To examine these research questions, data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002-2012 was used. Factor analytic strategies were employed to determine the best fitting composites for each type of strain, then, structural equation modeling was used to examine the model where strain is predicting postsecondary aspirations in high school students and this relationship is moderated by the presence of school security measures. The findings of this study may have important implications for high schools in terms of program planning, resource allocation, school security, and school climate considerations that have a potential impact on a student’s high school experience and their postsecondary aspirations.
