Cultural Attributes and Adaptations Linked to Achievement Motivation Among Latino Adolescents

Abstract

This exploratory study examined whether associations between perceived school experiences and achievement motivation varied by language acculturation and generational status among a sample of immigrant and U.S. born Latino adolescents (n = 129). Ogbu's (1993) notion of primary and secondary cultural differences was adapted to better suit comparisons within this Latino group using the terms cultural attributes and cultural adaptations. Academic competence, school belonging, and parent involvement were positively related to achievement motivation. Academic competence and parent involvement were strongly related to achievement motivation among students who spoke English or were born in the U.S., suggesting that these associations may be cultural adaptations. Future intervention programs for Latino students, regardless of acculturation or generational status, should focus on making them feel supported and included. Acculturated Latino youth and youth who have lived in the U.S. for a long time should be targeted for programs that enhance academic competence and parent involvement.

Connecting the Dots: How Connectedness to Multiple Contexts Influences the Psychological and Academic Adjustment of Urban Youth

“…Although the results regarding family connection conflict with existing research, the results regarding neighborhoods and schools may be the result of these youth living in neighborhoods and attending schools that are predominately Latino, providing strong connections and ties to these contexts. In addition, some research has identified strong school connections among Latinos (Ibañ nez, Kuperminc, Jurkovic, & Perilla, 2004).…”

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) Scale in Chilean Adolescents and Its Association with School-Related Outcomes and Substance Use

“…All of these items are related to students' perceptions of being “accepted, respected, included and supported by others in the school social environment” (p. 80)(Goodenow, 1993). It has been widely used—mainly in English-speaking countries—and it has been associated with several variables related to academic achievement, such as increased competence and self-efficacy (Ibañez et al, 2004), increased school attendance (Sánchez et al, 2005), and higher grades (Booker, 2007). Several U.S.-based studies have gathered information from Latino/a or Hispanic students using a Spanish version.…”

“…Several U.S.-based studies have gathered information from Latino/a or Hispanic students using a Spanish version. However, these studies only report on a few measures of internal reliability (Goodenow, 1993; Robertson et al, 1998; Ibañez et al, 2004; Sánchez et al, 2005; Kuperminc et al, 2008) and do not provide any information about the construct validity or factor structure of the Spanish version.…”

Does the reason matter? How student‐reported reasons for school absence contribute to differences in achievement outcomes among 14–15 year olds

“…Previous research has found that higher levels of school connectedness are associated with higher attendance rates (Sanchez et al, 2005), academic self-efficacy (Ibanez et al, 2004) and better grades (Booker, 2007). To determine the extent to which particular reasons for absence reflected broader problems at school and social/emotional wellbeing, a number of measures were used relating to school connectedness and academic self-concept.…”