Student Ambassadors: Creating a Venue for Middle School Students to Share their Voices to Improve their Social Emotional Competencies
Description
The researcher explored the impact of a student voice initiative (SVI), the Student Ambassador Council (SAC), on the social-emotional competencies (SECs) of middle school, 5th- 8th grades students. Drawing upon the principles of youth empowerment, more specifically Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and social-emotional learning (SEL), the SAC provided a platform for students to actively participate in decision-making processes within their school community. The researcher employed action research using a mixed methodologies approach, combining surveys, interviews, and participant observations to gather data on students' experiences and perceptions of the SAC. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-surveys did not reveal significant improvements in students' SECs following their participation in the SAC. However, qualitative data from open-ended questions on the post-survey, interviews and observation provided further clarity demonstrating the initiative fosters growth in students’ perceptions of Student Voice, Social Awareness and Self-Efficacy in addition to student development in confidence, self-directed learning and civic engagement. Moreover, the study also suggested broader implications of the SAC on school climate and administrative practices. Findings suggested that SVIs like the SAC contributed to a more positive and inclusive school environment, promoting greater collaboration between students and school staff.
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2024
Agent
- Author (aut): Ellis, Stacy E
- Thesis advisor (ths): Beardsley, Audrey
- Committee member: Bowers, Nicole
- Committee member: Stafford, Neil
- Publisher (pbl): Arizona State University