Pursuit of Purpose Teenagers and Their Life Goals Anthony Arciero EDRS 812 April 25, 2016

Agenda  Conceptual Framework  Participants  Methods  Findings

Conceptual Framework

Levels of Purpose LOW MEDIUM MED-HIGH HIGH

Levels of Purpose LOW MEDIUM MED-HIGH HIGH Steven Arnold

Origins & Growth of Purpose Origins  Interests  Taste  Exposure  Novelty (Pitman, Eisikovits & Dobbertt, 1989; Renninger & Hidi, 2006) Growth  Exploration  Support  Engagement (Bronk, 2012; Damon, Menon & Bronk, 2003)

Research Questions  1. For adolescents with purpose, how did it originate and what kind of support was most helpful?  2. For adolescents without purpose, what is their experience like? Where do they go for support?  Underlying each of these:  Is there a connection to their academic requirements?  How can adults best support them?

Participants

Young People with Purpose  4 teenagers (15-17)  A purpose continuum  Contrast among purpose levels offered insights  Some commonalities

Methods

 Semi-Structured Interviews  Unstructured Interviews

Methods  Semi-Structured Interviews  Unstructured Interviews  Observations  Participant & Parent  Participant & Friends

Methods  Semi-Structured Interviews  Unstructured Interviews  Observations  Participant & Parent  Participant & Friends  Documents  Website

Findings

Summary of Findings  Coherence is an overarching need  Difficult to articulate  Difficult to bring the pieces together  Support is needed along the way  Parents are most important  Needed support changes with stage of purpose  Communication is challenging  It’s tough to talk with adolescents  Adults bring our own biases and expectations

Future Research  More in-depth on origin of interest  Guides to exploring and engaging in interests  How interest transitions from engagement to intention  Refine categories of parental support (exploration, encouragement, guidance, autonomy, roadblocks)

References  Bronk, K.C. (2012). A grounded theory of the development of noble youth purpose. Journal of Adolescent Research, 27(1),  Damon, W. (2008). The Path to Purpose: Helping our children find their calling in life. New York, NY: Free Press.  Damon, W., Menon, J., & Bronk, K.C. (2003). The development of purpose during adolescence. Applied Developmental Science 7(3),  Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., & Pachan, M. (2010). A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45,  Ford, M.E. & Smith, P.R. (2007). Thriving with social purpose: An integrative approach to the development of optimal human functioning. Educational Psychologist, 42(3),  Leontiev, D.A. (ed) (2015). Positive Psychology in Search for Meaning. New York, NY: Routledge.  Malin, H., Reilly, T.S., Quinn, B., & Moran, S. (2013). Adolescent purpose: Exploring empathy, discovering roles, shifting priorities, and creating pathways. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(1),  Peterson, C. (2009). Positive psychology. Reclaiming Youth and Children, 18(2), 3-7.  Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1),  Shamah, D. (2011). Supporting a strong sense of purpose: Lessons from a rural community. New Directions For Youth Development, Winter 2011, 132, Doi: /yd.427.