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Open research questions in Youth Development and Social Support

193 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,047 Youth Development and Social Support papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further research should investigate the relationship between school connectedness and academic adjustment in different countries and cultures, - Future studies should examine the potential mediating factors underlying the relationship between school connectedness and academic adjustment, - Research should explore the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing students' academic adjustment by promoting PYD and school connectedness

    The mediating role of positive youth development in the relationship between school connectedness and academic outcomes in secondary education students · 2026 · DOI

  • Although widely applied in academic settings, its application in PE remains underexplored.

    The impact of empowering motivational climate in physical education on secondary school students’ life skills: a self-system model of motivational development · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should consider longitudinal and mixed-method approaches to further explore these developmental mechanisms.

    The impact of empowering motivational climate in physical education on secondary school students’ life skills: a self-system model of motivational development · 2026 · DOI

  • However, it remains unclear if the relationships fostered in extracurricular programming contribute to the positive development observed in these settings.

    Increasing Ties to Peers and Improving Social Emotional Outcomes: Insights from an Out-of-School Program Serving Latine Young Adolescents · 2025 · DOI

  • However, contradictory results were found for civic participation, which correlated positively with flourishing among men, but also correlated positively with distress, especially among women.

    Civic Engagement in Emerging Adulthood: Variation by Gender and SES, and Association with Personal Adjustment · 2024 · DOI

  • The relations between shyness and internalizing problems have been mainly explored at the individual level, with little known about its dynamics at the group level.

    Shyness, Sport Engagement, and Internalizing Problems in Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Class Sport Participation in a Multi-Level Model · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in positive youth development research, which has often overlooked the experiences of racially and ethnically marginalized youth. The study highlights the need for more research on the emergence of culturally grounded assets among youth of color.

    Broadening positive youth development: culturally-grounded assets that foster thriving among youth of color · 2026 · DOI

  • critical directions These case studies demonstrate how PYD processes operate across specific sociopolitical, digital, and mental health contexts that have been underrepresented in prior research and highlight several future PYD research with for marginalized youth. First, PYD frameworks should explicitly include factors for sociopolitical thriving that are unique to specific groups of adolescents, such as those from rural African American communities, while also identifying additional constructs related to positive development among these adolescents. An increasing number of studies have begun to extend PYD frameworks to include constructs that are salient in the lives of adolescents from marginalized backgrounds. For instance, the 5Cs PYD framework has now been extended to 6 or 7 C’s to include contribution and critical consciousness (Gonzalez et al., 2020). Our findings also further underscore that PYD measurement is inherently theory-laden: instruments that prioritize individual competencies while omitting culturally grounded assets—such as critical consciousness, digital flourishing, and socioecological resilience—risk systematically underestimating thriving among youth of color. Across these case studies, thriving emerged through relational, contextual, sociopolitical, and digital processes that fall outside dominant measurement traditions. The digital flourishing case study (Case Study 2) further demonstrates that construct validity and equivalence cannot be assumed across groups and must be empirically tested; without such practices, PYD research risks conflating measurement limitations with developmental limitations. These findings are consistent with previous research highlighting that methodological rigor should be evaluated in terms of both statistical adequacy and developmental validity. For instance, Tirrell et al. (2023) evaluated a PYD measure of youth perceptions of being known and loved in Rwanda and El Salvador to establish measurement invariance and support the use of theory-predicated measures for use in evaluating PYD programs in low- and middle-income countries.

    Broadening positive youth development: culturally-grounded assets that foster thriving among youth of color · 2026 · DOI

  • Inactive lifestyles and sedentary behaviors contribute to health problems and pose a risk to young people's development. Socio-educational exclusion and disadvantaged socio-cultural contexts can negatively impact students' mental health and well-being. There is a need for effective interventions to promote physical activity and sports education in schools.

    Positive Youth Development: Impact of a Sports Education Program on Ethnic Minority Students within an Academic Environment of Socio-Educational Exclusion · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the effectiveness of sports education programs in improving mental health and well-being in ethnic minority students. There is a need for studies that evaluate the impact of physical activity and sports education on students' subjective well-being and externalizing problems.

    Positive Youth Development: Impact of a Sports Education Program on Ethnic Minority Students within an Academic Environment of Socio-Educational Exclusion · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the underlying mechanisms between participation in the program and the perceived impacts. There is a need for more studies on the effectiveness of service-learning programs in promoting adolescents' psychosocial well-being.

    “I’m Now Braver than Ever.” The Perceived Impacts of the Finnish “Gutsy Go” Program for Enhancing Adolescents’ Psychosocial Well-Being: A Qualitative Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Little is known about how structured intergroup contact programs can succeed during or after violent conflict - The study aims to fill this gap by examining the effectiveness of such programs

    Cross-group friends and feeling empowered in intergroup contact programs: Mediating pathways and practical strategies for divided societies · 2026 · DOI

  • Importantly, these findings may help explain the mixed results observed in recent studies of structured intergroup programs in divided societies (Mousa, 2020; Scacco & Warren, 2018).

    Cross-group friends and feeling empowered in intergroup contact programs: Mediating pathways and practical strategies for divided societies · 2026 · DOI

  • Poverty, unemployment, and limited human empowerment contribute to the prevalence of street hawking. The practice poses serious risks to children's physical health, psychological wellbeing, moral development, and personal safety. There is a need to address the socio-economic and cultural factors contributing to child labour and street hawking.

    Mental and Physical Effects of Street Hawking among Teenage Girls in Ika North East Geopolitical Zone · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to address the socio-economic and cultural factors contributing to child labour and street hawking. There is a lack of research on the impact of street hawking on teenage girls in Ika North East, Delta State.

    Mental and Physical Effects of Street Hawking among Teenage Girls in Ika North East Geopolitical Zone · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faces the challenge of measuring the moderating effect of national identity on the relations between exercise needs and intention to continue exercising in Vovinam. The study also faces the challenge of collecting data from a large sample of students practicing Vovinam.

    Investigating Youth’s Motivation for Practising Traditional Martial Art – Vovinam: Moderating Role of National Identity · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the motivation of young people in Vietnam to practice Vovinam. The study attempts to fill this gap by examining the factors influencing students' intention to continue practicing Vovinam.

    Investigating Youth’s Motivation for Practising Traditional Martial Art – Vovinam: Moderating Role of National Identity · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could expand understanding about how student wellbeing can be linked to various school experiences. Future research could investigate the impact of academic wellbeing on student outcomes.

    Scoping review of student wellbeing policies for Australian school systems · 2026 · DOI

  • Academic wellbeing is a missing dimension in Australian student wellbeing policies. There is a lack of research on student perspectives on student wellbeing.

    Scoping review of student wellbeing policies for Australian school systems · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for more research on the use of youth engagement practices in the public YMHSU sector - There is a lack of understanding of the key components and defining features of meaningful youth engagement

    Leveraging Youth Engagement for Mental Health Decision-Making: Lessons for Workplace Health Promotion · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited economic opportunities, poor access to quality education, low parental involvement, and weak community support. Unique psychosocial challenges faced by FELDA adolescents.

    Disciplinary Problems Among FELDA Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence base is limited in size and methodological rigour. Most studies were cross-sectional and varied in quality, limiting the strength of conclusions.

    Disciplinary Problems Among FELDA Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Adolescents with ADHD may face unique challenges in participating in extracurricular activities, such as difficulties with social interactions and emotional regulation. Extracurricular activities may not be tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of adolescents with ADHD. There may be barriers to accessing extracurricular activities for adolescents with ADHD, such as lack of transportation or financial resources.

    Cultivating Strengths: Extracurricular Activity Participation in Relation to Psychological Wellbeing and Social Functioning in Adolescents with and without ADHD · 2026 · DOI

  • The study used a cross-sectional design, which limits the ability to draw causal inferences. The sample was limited to adolescents aged 15-18, which may not be representative of all adolescents. The study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to biases.

    Cultivating Strengths: Extracurricular Activity Participation in Relation to Psychological Wellbeing and Social Functioning in Adolescents with and without ADHD · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence base for peer-to-peer prevention strategies remains limited. Small sample sizes, inconsistent methodologies, and a lack of longitudinal data in prior work.

    Friends in Focus: Developing a Peer-to-Peer Intervention for Adolescents · 2026 · DOI

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193 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 2,047 Youth Development and Social Support papers in our 4.5M-paper local library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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