The Attitude-Achievement Paradox Among Black Adolescents

How Future Goals Enhance Motivation and Learning in Multicultural Classrooms

“…Thus, repeated findings of underachievement in spite of high aspirations have exposed the limits of future-oriented achievement motivation in the presence of structural disadvantage and discrimination (Mickelson, 1990;Ogbu and Simons, 1998). From a perceived opportunities perspective, disadvantaged minority youth are therefore expected and found to develop a more ambivalent orientation toward the future than native youth, which in turn interferes with minority students' school engagement and achievement (Fordham and Ogbu, 1986;Okagaki, 2001).…”

“…First, most African American and Latino youth are found to endorse "abstract" mobility beliefs about the value of education for success later in life. At the same time, however, they tend to reject "concrete" beliefs about the benefits of education for their personal future (Mickelson, 1990). The discrepancy between abstract and concrete mobility beliefs is instructive because it suggests limits to the perceived instrumentality of doing well in school in the absence of sufficient opportunities.…”

“…This repeated finding is labelled the attitude-achievement paradox. This paradox is commonly explained as a result of ambivalent attitudes toward achievement in the presence of racism and discrimination (Mickelson, 1990). …”

“…Moreover, in some immigrant communities, such hopes are reinforced by shared cultural ideals, associating educational progress with collective achievement values (Phalet and Lens, 1995;Portes and MacLeod, 1996). At the same time, however, limited opportunities and cultural discontinuities constitute powerful negative incentives, which may stand in the way of minority students' school achievement (D'Amato, 1993;Mickelson, 1990). Hence, minority students run high risks of being caught between dreams and deeds.…”

“…On the one hand, the immigrant optimism hypothesis has portrayed minority students as highly aspiring and achieving (Kao and Tienda, 1995). On the other hand, conflicting findings of underachievement in spite of high aspirations are attributed to the detrimental effects of limited opportunities and cultural discontinuities on minority students' school achievement (D'Amato, 1993;Mickelson, 1990). In light of the moderating role of perceived instrumentality and internal regulation in (dis)connecting school achievement with future goal setting, more fine-grained motivational concepts and measures are needed to improve our understanding of minority students' school careers.…”