Browsing by Subject "Academic Achievement"
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Item A Prospective Longitudinal Investigation of Effects of Nonparental Social Support on Early Adolescents' Academic Achievement and Academic Outcomes(2010-01-16) Allen, Chiharu S.The present study explored the prevalence and patterns of nonparental social support and investigated the effect of such support for 363 ethnically diverse elementary and middle school students. Using a prospective design, the study examined the effect of the availability of significant nonparental adult support as well as the effect of learning and affective support on students' academic achievement (reading and math) and academic outcomes (academic competence beliefs, classroom engagement, and school belonging), controlling for the baseline levels of functioning, cognitive ability, and demographic variables. The main and interactive effects of sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were also examined. Furthermore, the study investigated the moderating effect of middle school transition on the relationship between the support variables and outcomes. A large majority of young adolescents in the current study reported having a significant nonparental adult or natural mentor. There was no racial or ethnic difference in the availability of natural mentors. A sex difference was found, with more female students reporting having such an adult. Extended family members were most frequently nominated as natural mentors by all students, but there was a statistically significant ethnic difference with more Hispanic and African American youths nominating extended family members than Caucasian students. Furthermore, 35% of natural adult mentors named by youth were employed in helping professions, more than in any other employment category, and nearly half of these adults were teachers. The availability of natural mentors had statistically significant and positive effects on female students' math achievement and both male and female students' reading achievement. The provision of learning and affective support from these adults exhibited additive effects on students' teacher-reported classroom engagement and interactive effects on student-reported academic competence beliefs and school belonging. These findings were often qualified by sex and in some instances ethnicity. Furthermore, there was some support for the moderating effect of middle school transition; however, the effect was in a negative direction for students who had recently transitioned to middle school. Study limitations and implications for formal mentoring programs, extracurricular activities, teacher training and educational policy are also discussed.Item African American Urban Female Students' Perceptions of Social Factors Impacting Their Academic Achievement in One Public School District(2011-08-08) Shelby-King, Rhonda EvetteThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of social factors affecting the academic achievement of secondary African American urban (AAU) female students in an urban school district. This study determined whether the AAU females in this study perceived the social factors in the literature review to impact their academic achievement, the relationship between those social factors and academic achievement, and the differences in academic achievement by socioeconomic status. One hundred fifty-eight (158) AAU female students from three high schools in one urban district located in southeast Texas participated in this study. A self-generated 51-item questionnaire (Students' Perceptions of Social Factors Affecting Academic Achievement in Urban Schools) was used to collect data for this study. There were three major results in the study. First, there were not any significant factors impacting the academic achievement of AAU females; secondly, AAU females did not perceive any social factors as significantly affecting their academic achievement; and finally, there were not any statistical differences between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. Specifically, the results did not reveal a difference between AAU 12th grade female students on free and reduced lunch and those not on free and reduced lunch in terms of academic performance.Item An Investigation of the Perceptions of Latino High School Males Who Were in Danger of Dropping Out but Persevered(2012-02-14) Nell, Jan ElizabethThe purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate perceptions and experiences of four Latino male students who obtained their high school diploma despite considerable adversity. An in-depth examination of the participants' academic experiences, familial impact on their education, and societal acculturation were explored to elucidate Latino male academic achievement in public high school. The dropout conundrum has serious economic and societal implications for the United States. In addition, the explosion of the Latino population in the southwestern portion of the U.S. adds another dimension to this dilemma since Latinos have a greater dropout rate than their white counterparts. However, there has been minimal qualitative literature that has given voice to students and their perceptions of academic success. Therefore, this study was conducted with individual, semi-structured interviews to give the students' voice to their story and create rich, thick descriptions for educators to understand the reasons these students were successful in school. Participants were selected from a randomized purposeful sample from the same high school. In addition, each student was interviewed three times to ensure prolonged engagement. Interviews were audio-taped and then transcribed by the researcher. Member checking, peer debriefing, artifact collection, and reflexive journaling were utilized to establish trustworthiness. The transcribed interviews were categorized to establish patterns and themes in the data. Even though the four participants were very different from each other in generational status, family environment, and personal interests, they were all able to obtain their high school diploma despite the hardships that have played a role in the failure in school of others much like these four. The students clearly articulated that treatment by the staff at school was a major factor in their academic achievement, and, even though they all came from non-traditional families, education was valued and encouraged in their homes. Recommendations for future studies include research on Latino college achievement and the role of Latino parents in their children's education.Item Inequities in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program assignments by the economic status and ethnicity/race of Texas middle school boys and their effects on academic achievement: A multiyear, statewide investigation(2017-10-17) Eckford, Christopher Ardel; Slate, John R.The purpose of this proposed journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences were present in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements by student demographic characteristics for Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys in Texas middle schools. In the first investigation, the degree to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements differed by the economic status (i.e., Poor, Not Poor) of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was examined. In the second investigation, the degree to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements differed by the ethnicity/race (i.e., White, Hispanic, and Black) of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was determined. Finally, in the third study, the extent to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements were related to the reading and mathematics achievement of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was addressed. In the first two articles, four years of Texas statewide data was analyzed, whereas in the last article, only one school year of data were present. In this investigation, a causal-comparative research design was used. Through a Public Information Request, archival data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 school years. Specific data requested from the Texas Education Agency were student demographic characteristics and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement. In all four school years, statistically significant differences were present for the majority of the analyses by student demographic characteristics. In the first two studies, statistically significant differences were present in the assignment to a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement by student economic status (i.e., Poor, Not Poor) and ethnicity/race (i.e., White, Black, and Hispanic). Boys who were poor and Black boys were assigned to a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement statistically significantly more often than their counterparts. In the third study, statistically significant differences were present in reading and mathematics performance as a function of Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program receipt. Boys who received this consequence had statistically significantly lower test scores than their peers who did not receive this consequence. Results from these three studies were congruent with existing literature.Item Predicting Academic Achievement: The Role Of Parenting, Nonverbal Intelligence, and Goal Orientation in Turkish Children(2014-07-25) Korkmaz, UmmugulsumThe purpose of this research is to examine parenting, child goal orientation, and child nonverbal intelligence as predictors of academic achievement among fifth grade Turkish children. The influence of intelligence, parenting style, and goal orientation on academic achievement is well established in the literature around the world. However, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature by examining those variables in the Turkish cultural context. Additionally, Turkish parenting, including whether parenting differ by child?s gender, were explored. Examining those variables in the Turkish cultural context is important, because Turkey is presently undergoing major socio-economical changes. Data from Istanbul, Turkey was used in this dissertation. The Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test, Achievement Goal Orientation, Parental Autonomy Support, and Parental Control questionnaires were used to collect data from 123 fifth grade children. The contribution of parenting, goal orientation, and nonverbal intelligence to academic achievement were investigated using regression analysis. Any difference in parenting by the child?s gender was examined by t-test. Finally, descriptive statistics were conducted to provide information on Turkish parenting styles in the 21st century. The present study resulted that nonverbal intelligence predicted academic achievement. Promotion of independence (one aspect of parental autonomy support) predicted Mathematics achievement but not Language Arts achievement. Promotion of volitional functioning (another aspect of parental autonomy support), parental psychological control, and achievement goal orientation did not have statistically significant unique contributions to students? academic achievements. However, positive correlation between academic achievement and achievement goal orientation as well as autonomy support, and negative correlation between achievement and psychological control were detected. The present study also found that children living in Turkey view their parents as using high levels autonomy support and low levels of psychological control with them. In regards to whether parenting styles differed across sons and daughters, results indicate no gender differences for parental autonomy support, but gender differences were found for parental psychological control with sons perceiving their parents as applying greater psychological control over them than daughters. Study results have implications for both parents and educators in socialization factors that have influence on children?s healthy development and achievement.Item Racial-Ethnic Identity And Academic Achievement: Psychological And Motivational Mediators(2013-07-30) Thomas, Hillary M.The unfortunate disparity in achievement among minority and low income students is well-documented. Multiple social, structural, and psychological variables have been presented to try to explain the achievement gap. Researchers have also considered an individual?s racial-ethnic identity (REI) as an important variable that contributes to achievement outcomes. Oyserman and colleagues developed a model of REI that emphasizes three key factors of one?s racial-ethnic identity that have a direct impact on achievement. Further, her model posits that the interaction between two key REI variables, feelings of connectedness to one?s REI group (connectedness) and the perception that one?s racial-ethnic group values achievement (embedded achievement), contributes to positive achievement outcomes. Although research has suggested that REI significantly impacts achievement, the specific processes by which this occurs are less known. Considering the social-cognitive literature, it is plausible that different psychological and motivational beliefs mediate the relationship between REI and achievement-related outcomes. This dissertation study examines the mediating effect of sense of school belonging and perceived sense of school engagement on the relationship between REI (embedded achievement and connectedness) and academic achievement of minority middle school students longitudinally through the use of structural equation modeling. Results indicate that embedded achievement significantly predicts academic achievement. Furthermore, sense of belonging to school mediates this relationship for all racial and gender groups. Results also revealed that embedded achievement significantly predicted student perceived engagement for Hispanic students. Strategies to promote sense of belonging and embedded achievement at the personal, structural, community, peer, and family levels are discussed.Item Robbing Tamika to Pay Jamaal: An Exploratory Investigation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress(2013-05-07) Lea, JemimahThe purpose of this study was to provide an exploratory analysis of African American females achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) within the years 1996 through 2012 across academic contents and grade levels. To conduct this analysis, four questions were posed: 1) What is the academic achievement trend of African American females on the mathematics, reading, U.S. history, science, and visual and performing arts NAEP within the years 1996 through 2012? 2) How does African American female achievement proficiency differ across grade levels on the NAEP in mathematics, reading, science, and U.S. history in 2009? 3) How does the academic achievement of African American females compare to the academic achievement of African American males in core content areas (mathematics and reading) on the NAEP? and 4)How does African American females academic achievement compare to the academic achievement of their female counterparts on core content areas (mathematics, science, U.S. history, reading, visual arts and music) on the NAEP within the years 1996 through 2012? The results of this study are: 1. African American females? achievement trends mirrored the combined trends of all other populations; however, their scores were well below the other subgroups (Asian, White and Hispanic female students.) 2. African American females outperformed African American males in mathematics and reading. 3. More than 35% African American female students fail to meet the basic level of proficiency in all grades tested in every content area. Moreover, less than 3% of the African American female students scored at the advanced level in any subject or grade level. 4. The current practices are maintaining rather than closing the gaps between African American female performance and other students. African American female student score disparities in all other areas ranged from 1 point to 40 points. The data suggest that preteen and teenage years are important for African American female proficiency. It is recommended that African American female students, their parents, educational professionals, and researchers address the seriousness of the low performance of African American female achievement and institute policies, programs and practices to address their academic needsItem The Relationship Between Teachers' Preparation and Perceived Level of Technology Use in Mathematics With Middle School African American Males(2012-10-19) Mason, Sherrie DeeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether African American male students' academic achievement level can be positively impacted by teachers' use of instructional technology. In addition, this study examined teachers' level of preparedness in the use of instructional technology as well as their perceptions regarding their level of use of instructional technology. Finally, this study investigated the relationship between the technological activities and how effective these activities were in teaching mathematics objectives to African American males. The participants of this study were middle school teachers from six schools in the southwestern portion of the United States. Participants of this study also consisted of the African American male students enrolled in these teachers' classes. The Middle School Students' Mathematics Teacher Survey was developed and administered to a sample of 33 teachers of middle school-aged African American male students. The results of the study revealed that the level of teachers' preparedness had an influence on the use and implementation of technology use in the classroom. Teachers' preparedness in the use of instructional technology was related to their African American male students' mathematical achievement. Teachers' perceptions of the use of instructional technology was related to their African American male students' mathematics achievement. Results also indicated that teachers' perceptions regarding use of instructional technology were related to their African American male students' mathematics achievement. The level of teachers' preparedness and their perceptions toward the use of instructional technology in the classroom were reliable predictors of their African American male students meeting the standards in mathematics. When analyzing data, inferential statistical techniques were used to determine the differences between observed and expected frequencies.Item The Relationships among Motivation, Self-Regulated Learning, and Academic Achievement(2014-08-29) Bae, YunheeThis dissertation consists of two articles investigating the relationships among motivation, self-regulated learning (SRL), and academic achievement for adolescents: (a) a meta-analytic review of the literature, and (b) tests of a theoretical model using data from an instrument developed by the author and ecologically valid measures of academic achievement of secondary school students in South Korea in both mathematics and English. The theoretical backgrounds of these studies are underlain by the self-system in Bandura?s reciprocal self-determinism and social cognitivism. I employed two research approaches for each of two articles of this dissertation: a meta-analytic review and path analyses of data on the motivation, SRL, and academic achievement in both mathematics and English of secondary school students in South Korea. In the first article, a heuristic framework consisting of 11 core constructs of motivation and self-regulated learning (SRL) was extracted from existing theoretical frameworks and instruments. For the meta-analysis, the final samples came from 46 studies for 28,261 middle or high school students. The findings suggested that self-efficacy, effort, and persistence were the strongest factors on academic achievement. Interest and task value, intrinsic goal, cognitive and metacognitive strategy, and attribution also were substantial contributors to academic performance. As expected, test anxiety was a significant detriment to learning for adolescents. The second article examines the relationships among initial motivation (i.e., self-efficacy, mastery goal orientation, performance avoidance goal orientation), three self-regulated learning processes (i.e., effort and persistence, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, resource management), and midterm and final exam scores in mathematics and English for 952 middle and high school students in Seoul, South Korea. Prior achievement predicted initial motivation, primarily self-efficacy, which strongly influenced mastery goal orientation. Furthermore, initial motivation predicted students? adoption of self-regulatory functions, of which effort and persistence made the most substantial contribution to subsequent academic performance. However, cognitive and metacognitive strategies and resource management did not contribute to final exams. In sum, this dissertation validated the reciprocal and dynamic relationships among motivation, SRL, and academic achievement for adolescents through multiple research approaches. The findings from both studies suggest that the constructs of motivation and SRL are strongly related to each other and contribute to students? academic achievement, supporting the suggestions in Bandura?s reciprocal self-determinism and social cognitivism.