Kathryn Wentzel is a Professor of Human Development in the Department of Human Development, Learning, and Quantitative Methodology. She received her Ph.D. in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University in 1987, after which she held post-doctoral positions at the Center for the Study of Families, Children, and Youth at Stanford and in the developmental psychology program in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Wentzel’s research examines the social correlates and antecedents of adolescent motivation and achievement. This work includes a focus on the nature of teacher-student relationships and teacher supports as predictors of young adolescents’ goal pursuit, prosocial behavior, and academic performance. A related strand of her work has examined peer relationship configurations (peer status, peer networks, and friendships) and supports (e.g., emotional support from peers) as predictors of these same outcomes. Her research is school-based, relies on a variety of research methods, and focuses on adolescent students from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Wentzel has published over 100 articles and book chapters based on this work and has co-edited books on achievement motivation, Social motivation: Understanding children's school adjustment (1996), and Handbook of motivation at school (2009; 2016), and social influences on school outcomes, Handbook of Social Influences in School Contexts: Social-Emotional, Motivation, and Cognitive Outcomes (2016). She is currently editor of Educational Psychologist and past editor of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. Dr. Wentzel is past Vice-President of Division E (Counseling and Human Development, AERA), past Interim Chair of HDQM, and has Fellow status in the American Psychological Association, Division 15, and American Educational Research Association, Division E.
Wentzel, K. R. (2017). Peer relationships, motivation, and academic performance at school. In A. Elliot & C. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of Competence and Motivation (2nd edition). New York, NY: Guilford.
McNeish, D., & Wentzel, K. R. (2017). Accommodating Small Sample Sizes in Three Level Models When the Third Level is Incidental, Multivariate Behavioral Research, 52. 200-215.
Wentzel, K. R., Muenks, K., McNeish, D., & Russell, S. (2017). Peer and Teacher Supports in Relation to Motivation and Effort: A Multi-level Study, Contemporary Educational Psychology
Wentzel, K. R., & Miele, D. (2016). Handbook of motivation at school, 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Taylor Francis.
Wentzel, K. R., & Ramani, G. (2016). Social Influences on Social-Emotional, Motivation, and Cognitive Outcomes in School Contexts. New York, NY: Taylor Francis.
Wentzel, K., Zaslow, M., & Darling, K. (2016). Early childhood social and emotional development. Special Issue Guest Editor, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.
Wentzel, K. R. (2015). Competence Within Context: Implications for the Development of Positive Student Identities and Motivation at School. In F. Guay., D.M. McInerney, R. Craven, & H. Marsh (Eds.), Self-concept, motivation and identity: Underpinning success with research and practice. International advances in self research, (Vol. 5, pp. 299-336). Information Age.
Wentzel, K. R., Russell, S., & Baker, S. A. (2016). Emotional Support and Expectations for Behavior From Peers, Teachers, and Parents: Predictors of Adolescent Competence at School. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Wentzel, K. R. (2015). Competence Within Context: Implications for the Development of Positive Student Identities and Motivation at School. In F. Guay., D.M. McInerney, R. Craven, & H. Marsh (Eds.), Self-concept, motivation and identity: Underpinning success with research and practice. International advances in self research, (Vol. 5, pp. 299-336). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
Wentzel, K. R. (2015). Socialization in school settings. In J. Grusec & P. Hastings (Eds.), Handbook of Social Development, 2nd edition. New York, NY: Guilford.
Wentzel, K. R. (2014). Prosocial behavior towards peers and friends. In L. Walker-Padillo & G. Carlo (Eds.), The Complexities of Raising Prosocial Children: An Examination of the Multidimensionality of Prosocial Behavior (pp. 178-200). New York, NY:Oxford Press.
Wentzel, K. R. (2012). School adjustment. In W. Reynolds & G. Miller (Eds.), Handbook of psychology, Vol. 7: Educational Psychology. New York: Wiley. Wentzel, K. R. (2011) Developing and Nurturing Interesting and Researchable Ideas. In C. Conrad & R. Serlin (Eds.), SAGE Handbook for research in º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù: Pursuing Ideas as the Keystone of Exemplary Inquiry (pp. 111-126). 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.