Ethnicity, Environmental Control, and Academic Self-Concept in Chicago

Abstract

From the outset the Coleman Report (1966) on the equality of educational opportunity provoked controversy which will not abate for many years. Its critics focused on the poor sample response, the inadequacy of statistical analysis (e.g., Bowles & Levin, 1968), and the refusal of a disproportionately large number of cities to participate. Inadequate representation of urban schools is illustrated by the fact that thirteen of the fifteen largest cities in the United States refused to participate in the survey. Despite these criticisms, Coleman and his associates examined a great number of variables. Two of these, academic self-concept and sense of environmental control, were investigated further in the present study of Chicago students. Coleman found that students' characteristics show stronger association with achievement than do family background or school factors. For whites and Orientals academic self-concept was highly related to academic achievement; but for all other minority groups, the variance in academic achievement was better accounted for by sense of environmental control than any other variable. Although the Report was more concerned