Institute of Education

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Exploring School Connectedness as Factor of Adolescent Mental Health

Exploring School Connectedness as Factor of Adolescent Mental Health

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We are delighted to announce upcoming Session 11 of the IOE Fast-track Seminar Series in Education 2022 that will feature a presentation titled, “School Connectedness: An Important Aspect of Mental Wellbeing in Peer-victimized Adolescents” by Dr. Rayna Sadia (Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan).

Tuesday, May 24 @ 13:00 Moscow time on ZOOM

Conference ID: 8734296084FIVE

Password: 843685

The seminar will include a quick presentation by the speaker and a subsequent Q&A session. It will last about half an hour in total.

Abstract

Schools play a pivotal part in socio-emotional development of students. The importance of school in adolescents’ life is determined not only by the amount of time they spend on school grounds, but also by the relationships developed among the school staff and their peers. These experiences are a predictor of the success of students later in their life. High sense of school connectedness (SC) among students is also correlated with lower susceptibility to behavioral problems. It is considered to be a protective factor whose importance as a major predictor of health and academic outcomes of students is evidenced by empirical data. A more cohesive and reciprocal school environment fosters a sense of belongingness, relatedness, and connectedness to the institution while supporting academic success and mental wellbeing. The objective of the study was to delve into how peer victimization (PV), school connectedness (SC), and mental wellbeing (MWB) are interrelated in adolescents. It also aimed to explore the differences related to gender and school status across the study variables. In the upcoming Session, we will spotlight and discuss the key findings from this study.

About the Speaker

Dr. Rayna Sadia, Assistant Professor, Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan

Rayna Sadia is an Assistant Professor at Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan. She recently got her Ph.D. in Traffic Psychology from Lingnan University Hong Kong. Her dissertation was about traffic safety and how personal factors (personality traits) of the driver could influence the driving environment in terms of safety of all stakeholders. She aimed to provide an intervention-based simulation that could help improve safer roads for everyone, especially in developing countries, where the road traffic accidents have huge impact on the economy. Along with her research in driving behaviors and traffic safety, she has also focused on terrorism catastrophizing and mental health of adolescents.