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Showing papers on "Academic achievement published in 2003"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Eccles et al. as discussed by the authors explored the effects of a sense of relatedness, both generally and toward specific social partners, on children's academic motivation and performance during middle childhood.
Abstract: Children’s sense of relatedness is vital to their academic motivation from 3rd to 6th grade. Children’s (n 641) reports of relatedness predicted changes in classroom engagement over the school year and contributed over and above the effects of perceived control. Regression and cumulative risk analyses revealed that relatedness to parents, teachers, and peers each uniquely contributed to students’ engagement, especially emotional engagement. Girls reported higher relatedness than boys, but relatedness to teachers was a more salient predictor of engagement for boys. Feelings of relatedness to teachers dropped from 5th to 6th grade, but the effects of relatedness on engagement were stronger for 6th graders. Discussion examines theoretical, empirical, and practical implications of relatedness as a key predictor of children’s academic motivation and performance. When explaining motivational dynamics in school, psychologists frequently point to differences in children’s underlying beliefs and capacities. Decades of research show that children’s self-perceptions, such as self-efficacy, goal orientations, or autonomy, are robust predictors of motivation and performance in school, both concurrently and over many years (for reviews, see Eccles, Wigfield, & Schiefele, 1998; Stipek, 2002). At the same time, however, researchers note the centrality of social factors in children’s motivation (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Eccles et al., 1998; Goldstein, 1999; Juvonen & Wentzel, 1996; Resnick et al., 1997; Weiner, 1990). Research from multiple traditions demonstrates the impact on children’s motivation and learning of relationships with parents (Steinberg, Darling, & Fletcher, 1995), teachers (Stipek, 2002), and peers (Hymel, Comfort, Schonert-Reichl, & McDougall, 1996). Recently, these two general lines of thinking, one about selfperceptions and one about interpersonal relationships, have converged in the study of the motivational consequences of children’s sense of self in relationships. Studied under a variety of labels, such as social cognitive views of motivation (Weiner, 1990), internal working models (Bretherton, 1985), relationship representations (Ryan, Stiller, & Lynch, 1994), classroom climate (Anderson, 1982), and perceived social support (Wentzel, 1999), the core notion is that a history of interactions with specific social partners leads children to construct generalized expectations about the nature of the self in relationships. Also referred to as a sense of relatedness (Connell, 1990), connectedness (Weiner, 1990), or belonging (Goodenow, 1993), these organized self-system processes include views about the self as lovable (or unworthy of love) and about the social world as trustworthy (or hostile). Children rely on these beliefs when predicting, interpreting, and responding to social exchanges, and these exchanges can in turn be used to confirm or revise children’s beliefs. A sense of relatedness may function as a motivational resource when children are faced with challenge or difficulties. In times of stress, children who experience trusted others as “backing them up” respond with more vigor, flexibility, and constructive actions. A sense of relatedness is the focus of the present study. Building on the growing body of work on the role of relationship representations, we attempted to explore the effects of a sense of relatedness, both generally and toward specific social partners, on children’s academic motivation and performance during middle childhood.

2,169 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A large body of studies exists that examines the relationship between student achievement gains and the characteristics of teachers as mentioned in this paper, including college ratings, test scores, degrees and coursework, and certification status.
Abstract: A large body of studies exists that examines the relationship between student achievement gains and the characteristics of teachers. To help policymakers and researchers use and build on this body of studies, this article reviews the studies systematically and synthesizes their results with deliberate consideration of each study’s qualities. Determinate relationships are described for four categories of teacher characteristics: college ratings, test scores, degrees and coursework, and certification status. The review details the implications of these relationships in light of study limitations and proposes directions for future research.

1,318 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors provide an overview of recent empirical research on racial, ethnic, and immigrant differences in educational achievement and attainment, and examine some current theories that attempt to explain these differences. But, they also summarize key theoretical explanations used to explain persist...
Abstract: ▪ Abstract Understanding racial, ethnic, and immigrant variation in educational achievement and attainment is more important than ever as the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2000, 34% of all youth aged 15–19 were from minority groups; it estimates that by 2025, this will increase to 46% (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). In addition, approximately one in five school-age children reside in an immigrant family (Zhou 1997, Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco 2001). We provide an overview of recent empirical research on racial, ethnic, and immigrant differences in educational achievement and attainment, and we examine some current theories that attempt to explain these differences. We explore group differences in grades, test scores, course taking, and tracking, especially throughout secondary schooling, and then discuss variation in high school completion, transitions to college, and college completion. We also summarize key theoretical explanations used to explain persist...

1,290 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Frank Pajares1
TL;DR: This paper examined the contribution made by the self-efficacy component of A. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory to the study of writing in academic settings and found that students' confidence in their writing capabilities influenced their writing motivation as well as various writing outcomes in school.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to examine the contribution made by the selfefficacy component of A. Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory to the study of writing in academic settings. A brief overview of Bandura’s social cognitive theory and of self-efficacy is first provided, followed by a description of the manner in which writing self-efficacy beliefs are typically operationalized and assessed. This is followed by a synthesis of research findings that address the relationship between writing self-efficacy, other motivation constructs related to writing, and writing outcomes in academic settings. These findings demonstrate that students’ confidence in their writing capabilities influence their writing motivation as well as various writing outcomes in school. Academic implications and strategies that may help guide future research are offered. When learning theorists first proposed views of social learning that rejected behaviorist notions of associationism in favor of drive reduction principles, they did not take into account the creation of novel responses or the processes of delayed and nonreinforced imitations. Bandura and Walters (1963) broadened the frontiers of social learning theory with the nowfamiliar principles of observational learning and vicarious reinforcement. Rejecting the behaviorists’ indifference to self-processes, Bandura (1986) later proposed a view of human functioning that emphasized the role of self-referent beliefs. In this sociocognitive perspective, individuals are viewed as proactive and self-regulating rather than as reactive and controlled by biological or environmental forces. Also in this view, individuals are understood to possess self-beliefs that enable them to exercise a measure of control over their thoughts, feelings, and actions. In all, Bandura painted a portrait of human behavior and motivation in which the beliefs that people have about their capabilities are critical elements. In

1,128 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article conducted a meta-analysis of the role of attitudes and motivation in second language learning and found that the correlations between achievement and motivation are uniformly higher than those between achievement, integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, integrative orientation, or instrumental orientation.
Abstract: The initial impetus for this investigation was a discussion between the two authors about comments and criticisms in the literature concerning the role of attitudes and motivation in second language learning. It was noted that some researchers seemed to feel that such variables were important, while others felt that they were not, and some even felt that the relationships reported in the literature were too inconsistent to draw any firm conclusions. The senior author suggested that someone should do a meta-analysis to see exactly what the empirical data revealed and challenged the junior author to do so. In the following weeks, the enormity of the task became apparent. There were many articles that were identified with many different conceptualizations and measurement strategies, many different cultural settings, many different ages, and so forth, and it was obvious that a multitude of decisions would have to be made. To make the task a bit simpler, it was decided to start with research conducted by Gardner and associates simply because it was readily available and used a fairly standard set of concepts and measurement operations. Much to our surprise, there were more data here than we initially supposed, and in the end it seemed prudent to limit one study to this data set and plan a second meta-analysis to consider research by other investigators. Such an approach, we felt, would permit greater flexibility than trying to organize all studies into one format. Meta-analyses are enormous undertakings, however, and to date we have only managed to complete this one. The second study is underway, delayed somewhat by the vast distance now separating the two authors, let alone a number of logistical issues that make it difficult to identify a common set of constructs in the relevant literature. A major purpose of this investigation was to estimate the magnitude of the contributions that motivation and attitudes make to achievement in the second language in the research conducted by Gardner and his associates. This meta-analysis investigates the relationship of second language achievement to the five attitude/motivation variables from Gardner's socioeducational model: integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, integrative orientation, and instrumental orientation. Over the years, some interesting questions have been raised in the literature concerning the socioeducational model of second language acquisition and the role played by attitudes, motivation, and orientations in second language achievement. For example, some researchers have proposed specific hypotheses speculating whether the role of attitudes and motivation in language achievement may vary as a function of certain qualities of the learning situation (Is the language available outside of the classroom?), and /or qualities of the learner (Do attitudes and motivation play a stronger role depending upon the age of the learner?). We soon realized that these questions could be answered by this meta-analysis, and thus the focus was expanded to include two questions: (a) What is the best estimate of the correlations in the population between various aspects of second language achievement and the five attitudinal/motivational characteristics in Gardner's model? and (b) Are there other variables, such as the availability of the language in the community or the age of the learners, that influence the magnitude of these associations? These relationships were examined in studies conducted by Gardner and associates using the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery, and three achievement measures including self-ratings, objective tests, and grades. In total, the meta-analysis examined 75 independent samples involving 10,489 individuals. The results demonstrated that the correlations between achievement and motivation are uniformly higher than those between achievement and integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, integrative orientation, or instrumental orientation, and that clearly the population correlations are greater than 0. In general, neither the availability of the language nor age had clear moderating effects on these relationships. [The present article first appeared in Language Learning, 53(1), 2003, 123–163]

1,037 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A strong, positive connection to one's ethnic group (the authors' measure of ethnic identity) reduced the magnitude of the association of racial discrimination experiences with declines in academic self-concepts, school achievement, and perception of friends' positive characteristics.
Abstract: Do experiences with racial discrimination at school predict changes in African American adolescents' academic and psychological functioning? Does African American ethnic identity buffer these relations? This paper addresses these two questions using two waves of data from a longitudinal study of an economically diverse sample of African American adolescents living in and near a major East Coast metropolis. The data were collected at the beginning of the 7th grade and after the completion of the 8th grade. As expected, experiences of racial discrimination at school from one's teachers and peers predicts declines in grades, academic ability self-concepts, academic task values, mental health (increases in depression and anger, decreases in self-esteem and psychological resiliency), and increases in the proportion of one's friends who are not interested in school and who have problem behaviors. A strong, positive connection to one's ethnic group (our measure of ethnic identity) reduced the magnitude of the association of racial discrimination experiences with declines in academic self-concepts, school achievement, and perception of friends' positive characteristics, as well as the association of the racial discrimination experiences with increases in problem behaviors.

981 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that peer achievement has a positive effect on achievement growth and that students throughout the school test score distribution appear to benefit from higher achieving schoolmates, while the variance in achievement appears to have no systematic effect.
Abstract: Empirical analysis of peer effects on student achievement has been open to question because of the difficulties of separating peer effects from other confounding influences. While most econometric attention has been directed at issues of simultaneous determination of peer interactions, we argue that issues of omitted and mismeasured variables are likely to be more important. We control for the most important determinants of achievement that will confound peer estimates by removing student and school-by-grade fixed effects in addition to observable family and school characteristics. The analysis also addresses the reciprocal nature of peer interactions and the interpretation of estimates based upon models using past achievement as the measure of peer group quality. The results indicate that peer achievement has a positive effect on achievement growth. Moreover, students throughout the school test score distribution appear to benefit from higher achieving schoolmates. On the other hand, the variance in achievement appears to have no systematic effect. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

940 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argue for a model in which the key causal agents are situated in instruction, and achievement is their outcome, where conventional resources can enable or constrain the causal agents in instruction.
Abstract: Many researchers who study the relations between school resources and student achievement have worked from a causal model, which typically is implicit. In this model, some resource or set of resources is the causal variable and student achievement is the outcome. In a few recent, more nuanced versions, resource effects depend on intervening influences on their use. We argue for a model in which the key causal agents are situated in instruction; achievement is their outcome. Conventional resources can enable or constrain the causal agents in instruction, thus moderating their impact on student achievement. Because these causal agents interact in ways that are unlikely to be sorted out by multivariate analysis of naturalistic data, experimental trials of distinctive instructional systems are more likely to offer solid evidence on instructional effects.

907 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the impact of parental involvement on the academic achievement of minority children, and the results indicated that the effect of parent involvement overall is significant for all the minority groups under study.
Abstract: A meta-analysis was undertaken, including 21 studies, to determine the impact of parental involvement on the academic achievement of minority children. Statistical analyses were undertaken to determine the overall effects of parental involvement obtained for each study as well as specific components of parental involvement. Four different measures of academic achievement were used. The possible differing effects of parental involvement by gender and socioeconomic status were also considered. The results indicate that the impact of parental involvement overall is significant for all the minority groups under study. For all groups, parental involvement, as a whole, affected all the academic variables under study by at least two tenths of a standard deviation unit. However, among some of the races, certain aspects of parental involvement had a greater impact than did others. The significance of these results is discussed.

877 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: Hart and Risley as mentioned in this paper used their experience with clinical language in focus to design a half-day program for the Turner House Preschool, located in the impoverished Juniper Gardens area of the city.
Abstract: By Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley D uring the 1960's War on Poverty, we were among the many researchers, psychologists, and educators who brought our knowledge of child development to the front line in an optimistic effort to intervene early to forestall the terrible effects that poverty was having on some children's academic growth. We were also among the many who saw that our results, however promising at the start, washed out fairly early and fairly completely as children aged. In one planned intervention in Kansas City, Kans., we used our experience with clinical language in tervention to design a half-day program for the Turner House Preschool, located in the impoverished Juniper Gardens area of the city. Most interventions of the time used a variety of methods and then measured results with IQ tests, but ours focused on building the everyday language the children were using, then evaluating the growth of that language. In addition, our study included not juSt poor children from Turner House, but also a group of University of Kansas professors' children against whom we could measure the Turner House children's progress. All the children in the program eagerly engaged with the wide variety of new materials and language-intensive activi­ ties introduced in the preschool. The spontaneous speech data we collected showed a spurr of new vocabulary words

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors revisited the existing scholarly debate on the possible impact of the principal's leadership on student achievement and conducted a quantitative meta-analysis to examine to what extent principals directly affect student outcomes, finding that small positive effects confirmed earlier research findings on the limitations of the direct effects approach to linking leadership with student achievement.
Abstract: This study revisits the existing scholarly debate on the possible impact of the principal's leadership on student achievement. Both `direct effect' and `indirect effect' models are discussed. A quantitative meta-analysis examines to what extent principals directly affect student outcomes. The small positive effects found in this meta-analysis confirm earlier research findings on the limitations of the direct effects approach to linking leadership with student achievement. Finally, lines of future research inquiry are discussed.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the Big Five personality factors (Neuroticism, conscientiousness, neuroticism and conscientiousness) were found to predict overall final exam marks over and above several academic predictors, accounting for more than 10% of unique variance in overall exam marks.

Journal Article
TL;DR: For example, Comer's School Development Project demonstrates that strengthening the connections between urban school professionals and parents of low socioeconomic status can improve their children's academic achievement as mentioned in this paper, and a longitudinal analysis of successfully restructuring schools concluded that building trust among teachers, school leaders, students, and parents was a key component of the success of the middle school that she created in Harlem.
Abstract: For example, Comer's School Development Project demonstrates that strengthening the connections between urban school professionals and parents of low socioeconomic status can improve their children's academic achievement (Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie, 1996) Meier (1995) argues persuasively that building trust among teachers, school leaders, students, and parents was a key component of the success of the middle school that she created in Harlem The efforts of Alvarado and his colleagues to build learning communities in Community School District 2 in Manhattan also support the importance of the social dimension of school change (Malloy, 1998) And a longitudinal analysis of successfully restructuring schools concluded that

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms, and found that discussion based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall performance and other background variables.
Abstract: This study examines the relationships between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models indicated that discussion-based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall performance and other background variables. These approaches were effective across a range of situations and for low-achieving as well as high-achieving students, although interpretations are complicated because instruction is unequally distributed across tracks. Overall, the results suggest that students whose classroom literacy experiences emphasize discussion-based approaches in the context of high academic demands internalize the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in challenging literacy tasks on their own.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the causal ordering between academic self-concept and academic achievement in a multicohort-multi-occasion design (i.e., 3 age cohorts, each with three measurement waves) was tested.
Abstract: This study tests theoretical and developmental models of the causal ordering between academic self-concept and academic achievement in a multicohort-multioccasion design (i.e., 3 age cohorts, each with 3 measurement waves). Participants were students in Grades 2, 3, and 4 from 10 elementary schools. The structural equation model for the total sample supported a reciprocal-effects model, indicating that achievement has an effect on self-concept (skill-development model) and that academic self-concept has an effect on achievement (self-enhancement model). This pattern was replicated in tests of invariance across the 3 age cohorts and did not support the developmental hypothesis that skill-development and self-enhancement models would vary with age. Discussion centers on the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests of the big-fish-little-pond effect, demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability.
Abstract: Academically selective schools are intended to affect academic self-concept positively, but theoretical and empirical research demonstrates that the effects are negative. The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), an application of social comparison theory to educational settings, posits that a student will have a lower academic self-concept in an academically selective school than in a nonselective school. This study, the largest cross-cultural study of the BFLPE ever undertaken, tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries (N = 103,558) who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests. Consistent with the BFLPE, the effects of school-average achievement were negative in all 26 countries (M beta = -.20, SD = .08), demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined evidence on the effect of class size on student achievement and showed that the results of quantitative summaries of the literature depend critically on whether studies are accorded equal weight.
Abstract: This paper examines evidence on the effect of class size on student achievement. First, it is shown that results of quantitative summaries of the literature, such as Hanushek (1997), depend critically on whether studies are accorded equal weight. When studies are given equal weight, resources are systematically related to student achievement. When weights are in proportion to their number of estimates, resources and achievements are not systematically related. Second, a cost-benefit analysis of class size reduction is performed. Results of the Tennessee STAR class-size experiment suggest that the internal rate of return from reducing class size from 22 to 15 students is around 6%.

Book
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: Ogbu et al. as mentioned in this paper presented a study of Black American students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement, focusing on the academic performance of black American students.
Abstract: John Ogbu has studied minority education from a comparative perspective for over 30 years. The study reported in this book--jointly sponsored by the community and the school district in Shaker Heights, Ohio--focuses on the academic performance of Black American students. Not only do these students perform less well than White students at every social class level, but also less well than immigrant minority students, including Black immigrant students. Furthermore, both middle-class Black students in suburban school districts, as well as poor Black students in inner-city schools are not doing well. Ogbu's analysis draws on data from observations, formal and informal interviews, and statistical and other data. He offers strong empirical evidence to support the cross-class existence of the problem. The book is organized in four parts: *Part I provides a description of the twin problems the study addresses--the gap between Black and White students in school performance and the low academic engagement of Black students; a review of conventional explanations; an alternative perspective; and the framework for the study. *Part II is an analysis of societal and school factors contributing to the problem, including race relations, Pygmalion or internalized White beliefs and expectations, levelling or tracking, the roles of teachers, counselors, and discipline. *Community factors--the focus of this study--are discussed in Part III. These include the educational impact of opportunity structure, collective identity, cultural and language or dialect frame of reference in schooling, peer pressures, and the role of the family. This research focus does not mean exonerating the system and blaming minorities, nor does it mean neglecting school and society factors. Rather, Ogbu argues, the role of community forces should be incorporated into the discussion of the academic achievement gap by researchers, theoreticians, policymakers, educators, and minorities themselves who genuinely want to improve the academic achievement of African American children and other minorities. *In Part IV, Ogbu presents a summary of the study's findings on community forces and offers recommendations--some of which are for the school system and some for the Black community. Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement is an important book for a wide range of researchers, professionals, and students, particularly in the areas of Black education, minority education, comparative and international education, sociology of education, educational anthropology, educational policy, teacher education, and applied anthropology.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that although early adolescent boys and girls perceive similar levels of all types of support from their parents and teachers, girls perceive more support of most types from classmates and close friends.
Abstract: Despite the availability of conceptual frameworks for examining types of social support, the majority of studies in the literature measure global social support and do not examine specific types of support. Thus, the present study asked: (a) What types of support (e.g., emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental) do students most often perceive from each of the sources of support (e.g., parents, teachers, classmates, and close friends)? and (b) Are certain types of social support more related to students’ social, behavioral, and academic outcomes? Preliminary analyses were also conducted to investigate the psychometric properties of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000) and gender differences in perceptions of types of support. Participants included 263 students in Grades 5 through 8 and data were collected using the CASSS, the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS; Gresham & Elliott, 1990), and the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998). Results found that although early adolescent boys and girls perceive similar levels of all types of support from their parents and teachers, girls perceive more support of most types from classmates and friends. Furthermore, emotional and informational support were the most highly reported type of support from parents, informational support was most highly reported from teachers, and emotional and instrumental support scores were reported highest from classmates and close friends. Supportive behaviors from parents contributed to students’ personal adjustment. Emotional support perceived from teachers was a significant and sole individual predictor of students’ social skills and academic competence. Finally, supportive behaviors from teachers also predicted students’ school maladjustment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of 218 undergraduate students from a private Midwestern university revealed that emotional and social factors (e.g., stress, frequency of alcohol consumption) related to GPA and self-esteem, fatigue, self-efficacy, etc. related to attrition.
Abstract: College academic success and retention have traditionally been predicted using demographic and academic variables. This study moved beyond traditional predictors. A survey of 218 undergraduate students from a private Midwestern university revealed that emotional and social factors (e.g., stress, frequency of alcohol consumption) related to GPA and emotional factors (e.g., self-esteem, fatigue) related to attrition.

01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: The racial achievement gap is as old as slavery as discussed by the authors and it has been identified as a major obstacle to black achievement in the United States since the 18th and 19th centuries, when European and American intellectuals relied on craniometry to explain and defend racial hierarchy.
Abstract: The racial achievement gap is as old as slavery. In the 18th and 19th centuries European and American intellectuals relied on craniometry to explain and defend racial hierarchy. They measured our heads and compared them to those of gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. In the 20th century intelligence testing replaced measuring skulls as the “science” which proved that Blacks belonged at the bottom of the social, political, and economic ladder.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined the relation between parent-school involvement and early achievement and the mediated pathways were examined among socioeconomically comparable samples of African American and Euro-American kindergarten children and their mothers.
Abstract: Children's academic and social competencies were examined as mediators to explain the often positive relation between parent-school involvement and achievement. Ethnic variations in the relation between parent-school involvement and early achievement and the mediated pathways were examined. Because much of the comparative research confounds ethnicity with socioeconomic status, the relations were examined among socioeconomically comparable samples of African American and Euro-American kindergarten children and their mothers. For reading achievement, academic skills mediated the relation between involvement and achievement for African Americans and Euro-Americans. For math achievement, the underlying process differed across ethnic groups. For African Americans, academic skills mediated the relation between school involvement and math performance. For Euro-Americans, social competence mediated the impact of home involvement on school achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The paper includes a discussion on the need to consider variation in how minority youth think about group membership in better understanding their academic development.
Abstract: In this study, the relationships between racial identity and academic outcomes for African American adolescents were explored. In examining race beliefs, the study differentiated among (a) importance of race (centrality), (b) group affect (private regard), and (c) perceptions of societal beliefs (public regard) among 606 African American 17-year-old adolescents. Using cluster analysis, profiles of racial identity variables were created, and these profile groups were related to educational beliefs, performance, and later attainment (high school completion and college attendance). Results indicated cluster differences across study outcomes. Also, the relationships between academic attitudes and academic attainment differed across groups. Finally, the paper includes a discussion on the need to consider variation in how minority youth think about group membership in better understanding their academic development.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a longitudinal study investigated consistent participation in extracurricular activities as a contributor to long-term educational success, and found that consistent activity participation was associated with high educational status at young adulthood including college attendance.
Abstract: This longitudinal study investigated consistent participation in extracurricular activities as a contributor to long-term educational success. Participants were 695 boys and girls who were interviewed annually to the end of high school and again at age 20. Family economic status, interpersonal competence, and educational aspirations during adolescence were used to assess educational status at young adulthood. Consistent extracurricular activity participation across adolescence on the educational attainment process was examined. Consistent extracurricular activity participation was associated with high educational status at young adulthood including college attendance. Educational status was, in turn, linked to reciprocal positive changes between extracurricular activity participation and interpersonal competence, and to educational aspirations across adolescence. Findings were most apparent for students with below-average interpersonal competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)


Journal ArticleDOI
Amy J. Orr1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that wealth, which is an indicator of both financial and human capital, can affect academic achievement, as well as help to explain the gap in black-white test scores.
Abstract: In this article, the author argues that wealth, which is an indicator of both financial and human capital, can affect academic achievement, as well as help to explain the gap in black-white test scores. Analyses reveal that wealth affects achievement through its effect on the amount of cultural capital to which a child is exposed. Because blacks have substantially less wealth than do whites, wealth can help to explain a portion of the racial achievement gap. The implications of the findings are discussed

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the change in middle school students' sense of school belonging in relation to grade point average, motivation variables, and teachers' promotion of mutual respect in classes.
Abstract: Change in middle school students' sense of school belonging was examined in relation to grade point average, motivation variables, and teachers' promotion of mutual respect in classes. Survey data from 618 students collected in three waves during the sixth and seventh grades were submitted to growth curve analysis. On average, students' sense of school belonging declined over time. Initial levels of school belonging were predicted positively by students' grade point average, academic task values, and perceived classroom task goal orientations. Teacher promotion of mutual respect had a small effect in ameliorating the decline in school belonging. The findings suggest that students' sense of school belonging is enhanced when teachers promote adaptive academic and interpersonal contexts in their classrooms.