Between and within ethnic differences in strategic learning: a study of developmental mathematics students

Abstract

The present study investigated developmental mathematics students’ efficacy beliefs for motivational, self-regulated learning, resource management, and cognitive strategies and which of these beliefs most differentiated European American, African American and Hispanic students in terms of their mathematics achievement. The diverse sample consisted of 804 developmental mathematics students enrolled in community colleges. Results indicated (a) African Americans self-reported greater efficacy in learning strategies than European Americans and Hispanics regardless of academic course grade; (b) regardless of ethnicity, some students self-reported a higher than anticipated confidence of strategic learning strategies based on their academic achievement; (c) for European American students, efficacy of cognitive strategies, motivational strategies, and self-regulated learning strategies predicted higher grades whereas for Hispanic students, only self-regulated learning strategies was a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of learning strategies and the unique interaction of ethnicity and achievement. Implications for addressing learning strategies in the college setting are discussed.