Racial/Ethnic Socialization and Academic Performance in Adolescents Across Racial/Ethnic Groups: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem
Abstract
Racial/ethnic socialization has been explored as an influence on minority children's academic performance. Researchers have examined whether self-esteem explains the link between racial/ethnic socialization and academic engagement and efficacy in African American and White adolescents. The current study aimed to build upon previous literature and investigate whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between racial/ethnic socialization (preparation for bias and cultural socialization) and grades on 9th grade Asian American, African American, Hispanic/Latino and White adolescents. The results indicated African American and Hispanic/Latino Americans had significantly higher preparation for bias than their White peers. Self-esteem marginally mediated the association between preparation for bias and grades for total sample, but did not mediate the association between cultural socialization and grades. The mediating model might not be applicable toward adolescents in 9th grade as it does to younger adolescents. The results were limited by small sample size and the measurement of grades. Future studies should examine adolescents with different generational backgrounds and other possible mediators.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Fang, Shixin, "Racial/Ethnic Socialization and Academic Performance in Adolescents Across Racial/Ethnic Groups: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem" (2014). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI1569129.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI1569129
