Maternal factors affecting academic achievement of Latino adolescents

Abstract

Although much research has been done to determine how familial processes affect academic achievement, few researchers have directly studied culturally or linguistically diverse populations, in particular Latinos. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of distal variables (maternal intelligence, maternal education, maternal employment and poverty) and of the proximal variables (home environment and parent child interaction) on the academic achievement of Latino adolescents. The study utilized the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) for its sample. The study hypothesized that the effects on Latino adolescents' academic achievement of maternal intelligence, maternal education, hourly rate of pay, hours worked weekly by mother, and family poverty status would be mediated through the home environment and the parent-child interactions. The observed linear relationships between the predictor variables, the mediating variables, and the outcome variables were not as hypothesized. In almost every instance and for each group under study, maternal intelligence was a significant predictor of the academic achievement measures. Finally, the findings indicated that home environment was a significant predictor of academic achievement but not a significant mediator. (Contains 73 references.) (EV) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** 1 UH,ARTMENTOFEDUUAI lurv Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. )1(Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy.. Maternal factors affecting the academic achievement of Latino adolescents Marisa Rivera, Ph.D. As the ethnic complexion of the United States continues to rapidly change, it is imperative to expand our understanding and knowledge of the increasingly diverse nature of this country. The need for scholarship on the Latino experience in the United States has become crucial based on the phenomenal growth of the Latino population (Chapa & Valencia, 1993; Rivera-Batiz & Santiago, 1994; Sanchez-Korrol, 1994). Latinos are the fastest growing population of this nation's large ethnic minority groups (Chapa & Valencia, 1993). The term Latinos is an aggregation of several distinct national origin subgroups: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and other Latinos. The Mexican origin population is by far the largest, constituting 60.4% of the total Latino population; Puerto Ricans are 12.2% of the population in the 50 states, and other Latinos are 22.8%. Cuban-origin people comprise the smallest proportion, less than 4.7% of the total Latino population. The increase and youthfulness of this particular ethnic minority group will have a dramatic effect on the configuration of education in the decades ahead. Based on U.S. Census Data, the Latino population will reach 30.8 million by 2010 (Chapa & Valencia, 1993). In 1990, the Census counted 22.3 million Latinos, or 9% of the total U.S. population. The Latino population increased by 53% between 1980 and 1990 (U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1991a). Coupled with this growth are concerns raised by sociologists, educators and policy-makers alike that the school retention rate, hence, academic achievement of Latinos needs serious attention. The high number of Latinos dropping out of school becomes exceedingly critical in light of the fact that by the turn of the century, fewer than 14 percent of jobs will require less than a high school diploma (Corbett et al., 1989). The insidious effect of an uneducated, unskilled and under-employed segment of the population impedes the prosperity of a nation (Chapa & Valencia, 1993; William T. Grant Foundation, 1988). Education has always been seen as one means of upward mobility, especially for those who are socially and economically disadvantaged (Smith, 1995). Hispanic children are likely to be at an educational disadvantage relative to whites for several reasons, including a greater probability of poverty and lower average levels of parental education. The studies on the possible determinants of the drop-out rate represents divergent views. Heading this list is the catch-all category of socioeconomic characteristics. Some researchers argue that low socioeconomic status of families is the primary cause of low academic achievement in children (Hetherington, Camara, & Featherman, 1983; Shinn, 1978; White, 1982). In addition, it is assumed that children from middle socioeconomic families are active participants in the learning process as opposed to being passive recipients of direct instruction (Harwood et al., 1996; Menaghan & Parcel, 1991). These differences are generally cited as leading to greater social competence among the middle class compared to lower class children (Harwood et al, 1996). BEST COPY AULABLE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY