The Influence of Educación on Latinx Students’ Academic Expectations and Achievement

Abstract

ABSTRACT This quantitative study examined the influence of the Latinx cultural value of educación on high school students’ disciplinary behavior and its relationship to college degree expectations and academic achievement. Because student misbehavior is often identified as one factor that may contribute to low academic achievement, the study posited that the concept of educación, which encompasses a variety of respectful behavior expected of children, may be associated with the disciplinary behavior of students in schools and in turn may influence their educational expectations and achievement. Data were drawn from nearly 400 underrepresented minority students in the southwestern United States. Logistic and multiple regression were used to investigate the relationship between educación and academic achievement and college degree expectations. Findings indicated that students who exhibited positive behavior at school had increased odds of expecting to earn a four-year college degree and that as students’ behavior at school increased in a positive direction, so did their GPA. The results of this study suggest that adherence to the Latinx cultural value of educación may serve as a protective factor for Latinx students in regard to their academic expectations and achievement.