NCJ Number
237455
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 40 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1581-1594
Date Published
December 2011
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the dramatic differences in school success across racial/ethnic groups.
Abstract
Although the number of students who complete high school continues to rise, dramatic differences in school success remain across racial/ethnic groups. The current study addressed Hispanic adolescents' academic performance by investigating the relationships of parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, sense of school belonging, and academic self-efficacy and academic performance. Participants were 478 (51.5 percent female) Hispanic 7th graders in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, a structural model was tested. Results showed that the proposed model was supported by demonstrating significant indirect effects of parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, and sense of school belonging on academic performance. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationships between parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, and sense of school belonging and academic performance. The current study provides a useful psychoecological model to inform educators and psychologists who seek to meet the needs of Hispanic students. (Published Abstract)