A Theory of Reasoned Action Approach to Examining Academic Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Adolescents in a College Readiness Program

Abstract

In the United States, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) fosters relationships between racial-ethnic and low-income adolescents and adults and peers who help them and their families take formal steps toward pursuing a college degree. However, the extent to which GEAR UP students seek teachers, counselors, parents, or friends to prepare for college during program participation is underexplored in the literature. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action as a guiding framework, this study examined the extent to which GEAR UP participant attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions influenced whether participants sought academic support from teachers, counselors, parents, or friends during an academic semester. Strong direct and indirect effects were found in structural equation models examining GEAR UP student subjective norms, intentions, and behaviors regarding seeking academic support from friends. The data on students seeking academic support from school personnel and parents were less conclusive. Participation in GEAR UP activities influenced these relationships. Implications for how practitioners and researchers support the college readiness of adolescents in GEAR UP are discussed.