New studies of adolescents in school

Today, we’re looking at three studies of teens in school. First, Scanlon, Lee & Wang (2026) published “Attention and Sleep Quality as Mediators in the Link between Adolescents’ Social Media Use and School Engagement” in Journal of Educational Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

This study used a 55-day daily diary design to examine how adolescents’ social media use (SMU) relates to next-day school engagement and whether attention difficulties or sleep quality mediate these associations. Participants were 923 U.S. adolescents in Grades 7–12 (ages 11–19, M = 14.8, SD = 1.7; 53.1% female). The racially/ethnically diverse sample included 36% Black or African American, 25% White, 14% Hispanic/Latino, 9% Asian, and 16% other or multiracial adolescents. Socioeconomic status varied, with 10% of families earning<$10,000 annually, 37% earning $10,000–$50,000, 28% earning $50,000–$100,000, and 22% earning >$100,000. At the between-person level, higher average SMU was associated with lower behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement, and these associations were indirectly explained by greater attention problems and poorer sleep quality. At the within-person level, higher-than-usual SMU was associated with greater next-day emotional and social engagement; however, SMU was also associated with higher next-day attention problems, which in turn was linked to lower engagement across domains (negative indirect effects). Sleep quality did not mediate within-person associations between SMU and next-day school engagement. Findings indicate that SMU has different implications at the between-person and within-person levels, underscoring the importance of distinguishing engagement domains and targeting attention regulation in efforts to support adolescents’ school engagement in the context of SMU. 

This study suggests that adolescents’ social media use (SMU) is linked to school engagement in different ways depending on whether SMU is examined as a stable pattern across adolescents or as a day-to-day fluctuation within adolescents. Adolescents with higher average SMU tended to report lower engagement, partly because they also reported more attention difficulties and poorer sleep. By contrast, when adolescents used more social media than usual, they reported greater social and emotional engagement at school the next day; however, they also reported more attention difficulties, which were linked to lower engagement across domains. These findings highlight the importance of strategies that support adolescents’ attention regulation and healthy digital routines as part of broader efforts to protect school engagement.

I thought this one was important in emphasizing that there is a complex interaction involving sleep, attention, and social media use, each of which can adversely impact student engagement in school. The next study looks at socio-emotional learning and peer victimization. Jenkins, Fredrick & Nickerson (2026) published “Social-Emotional Learning and Adolescent Mental Health: Indirect effects and the moderating role of peer victimization” in School Psychology.  Again, the edited abstract and impact statement:

This study aimed to (a) examine the direct and indirect effects of social–emotional learning (SEL)-infused instruction on secondary student mental health through social–emotional skills (SEL) and student-to-student relationships and (b) explore the moderating role of peer victimization on this relationship. Cross-sectional data were collected from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 546 students in sixth–12th grades from the southeast region of the United States. Participants completed electronic surveys of their peer victimization experiences, relationships with students, SEL skills, and exposure to SEL instruction. Reports of being exposed to SEL instruction were related to greater SEL skills and more positive relationships with peers. The association between exposure to SEL instruction and mental health difficulties was explained through both SEL skills and positive relationships with peers. This indirect effect of SEL skills was weaker for students who had experienced higher levels of peer victimization. This study highlights the crucial role of SEL instruction in improving student mental health by fostering SEL skills and positive peer relationships. However, the protective effects of SEL skills are weaker for students experiencing high levels of peer victimization, emphasizing the need for additional support. These findings reinforce the importance of tiered interventions to ensure SEL benefits all students, particularly those facing social challenges. 

This study highlights the role of social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction in student mental health by fostering SEL skills and peer relationships. However, the protective effects of SEL skills are weaker for students experiencing high levels of peer victimization, emphasizing the need for additional support. These findings reinforce the importance of tiered interventions to ensure SEL benefits all students, particularly those facing social challenges. 

This one seemed to relate to the previous one in that, with greater social-emotional learning, I would expect kids both to be more engaged in school and better able to resist adverse impacts of media. Here we see that peer victimization gets in the way of developing social-emotional skills. The final study looks at belonging. Hong, Slaten, Huang & Amissah (2026) published “Context-Dependent Belonging: Relational and cultural components of inclusive school climate in U.S. secondary schools” in School Psychology.  The edited abstract and impact statement follow:

Addressing gaps in student belonging has been increasingly crucial in U.S. secondary schools. Students’ sense of school belonging, which reflects how connected and integrated they feel into their school community, is vital for their mental health, learning, and academic outcomes. Studies on school climates that foster school belonging can inform what an inclusive and equitable school environment constitutes, guiding school-level interventions and advocacy initiatives. The present study aims to investigate relational and cultural components of inclusive school climate associated with student belonging. This study also explores whether cultural beliefs shared among teachers moderate the relationship between student race and their perception of school belonging. Based on a multilevel modeling approach, this study analyzed a sample of 4,838 15-year-old students from 164 U.S. schools, derived from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 data. Results indicated that student belonging was positively associated with peer cooperativeness and teachers’ adaptive instructional efforts and support for student learning needs. Asian students reported the lowest level of school belonging in this sample. Black students reported higher belonging when teachers were perceived by school principals to support greater multicultural understanding and egalitarian values. 

Overall, the findings indicate the significance of a structure- and relationship-oriented approach in fostering an inclusive school climate with an emphasis on building social connections and interpersonal trust. 

This is a large sample that finds teacher-student relationships enhanced by efforts to increase students’ sense of belonging. We can expect that healthy social connections and interpersonal trust will result in less peer victimization and greater student engagement.