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Ethnic identity, acculturation, and class identity as predictors of academic achievement among Mexican-American adolescents: A social contextual analysis
Abstract
This investigation was conducted primarily to determine the extent to which ethnic identity, acculturation, and class identity of Mexican-American adolescents can predict their academic success (i.e., Grade Point Average and Academic Self-Concept) in school. Additionally, these data were analyzed to investigate whether any prediction differences existed between students of two contrasting social contexts: (a) participants enrolled in primarily Mexican-American schools (i.e., low ethnic saliency sample) and (b) students enrolled in predominantly Anglo schools (i.e., high ethnic saliency sample). The participants were 136 Mexican-American high school students from central Colorado (53 and 83 in the low and high saliency samples, respectively). The students completed a questionnaire packet which included an Acculturation/Ethnic Identity scale (Keefe & Padilla, 1987), an Academic Self-Concept scale, and a Student Information Sheet (e.g., ethnic label, generation level, class identity, etc.). These data were supplemented by the students' cumulative GPA. Multivariate Multiple Regression analyses showed that for low saliency sample, Acculturation was the only predictor that approached significance for Academic Self-Concept. Results from the high saliency sample showed that only Class Identity significantly predicted both GPA and Academic Self-Concept. Interaction analyses between the two saliency samples revealed a statistical trend toward Class Identity predicting Academic Self Concept, with there being a positive relationship in the high-saliency condition and a non-significant relationship in the low-saliency sample. Secondary analyses investigating differences between the saliency samples in terms of ethnic label identification (e.g., Chicano (a), Hispanic, Latino (a), Mexican American, etc.) and generation level are discussed. Descriptive analyses showed that the low saliency sample achieved significantly higher GPA's than their high saliency counterpart. Moreover, students who identified with the "Mexican" ethnic label achieved significantly higher GPA's than "Chicanos(as)." These findings reveal the importance of school psychologists employing a more holistic role when working with Mexican-American youth by understanding the various sociocultural variables (e.g., acculturation and class identity) that predict academic achievement--and underachievement--of Mexican-American youth.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Minority & ethnic groups|Sociology
Recommended Citation
Sandoval, Steven Richard, "Ethnic identity, acculturation, and class identity as predictors of academic achievement among Mexican-American adolescents: A social contextual analysis" (1997). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9734640.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9734640