Implementing Self-Advocacy Training Within a Brief Psychoeducational Group to Improve the Academic Motivation of Black Adolescents

Abstract

Black adolescents are confronted with ongoing social barriers that affect their academic motivation. School counselors can improve the educational landscape for Black adolescents by employing advocacy competencies in their schools. In this article I describe a brief psychoeducational group that can be used to teach self-advocacy skills to Black adolescents, with the ultimate goal of improving their self-concept and academic motivation.

Keywords:

• academic motivation
• Black adolescents
• group counseling
• self-advocacy
• social justice

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angel Riddick Dowden

Angel Riddick Dowden is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education program at North Carolina State University. A special thanks to Dr. Edwin Gerler, Dr. Stan Baker, and the editor at JSGW for their support.