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Resilient teenagers: Explaining the high educational aspirations of visible-minority youth in Canada

Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue de l'integration et de la migration internationale volume 6, pages 405–434 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

While previous studies show that visible minority and immigrant students are disadvantaged within the school system, findings from a national Canadian survey of 15-year old students and their parents indicate that visible-minority immigrant students nevertheless have higher educational aspirations than Canadian-born nonvisible minority students. Using the 2000 Youth in Transition survey, this paper examines sociodemographic, social psychological, and school performance factors that help explain much of the difference in aspirations between these groups. We conclude by identifying areas of future research that could further uncover the family, school, and community processes that shape aspirations and the relationships between aspirations and future educational and occupational attainment.

Résumé

Malgré des études montrant que les élèves immigrants de minorités visibles sont désavantagés dans le système scolaire, un sondage réalisé auprès de jeunes de 15 ans et de leurs parents indique que les élèves de, minorités visibles ont de plus grandes attentes en matière d’éducation que les élèves nés au Canada qui ne sont pas membres d’une minorité visible. À partir de l’Enquête sur les jeunes en transition de 2000, le présent article analyse les facteurs sociodémographiques, sociaux et psychologiques, ainsi que les résultats scolaires qui expliquent une bonne partie de la différence entre les attentes de ces groupes. En conclusion, nous identifions des domaines dont l’étude à l’avenir pour contribuer à mieux cerner les processus familiaux, scolaires et communautaires qui influent sur les attentes, ainsi que le lien entre les attentes et la réussite scolaire et professionnelle éventuelle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada

    Harvey Krahn & Alison Taylor

Authors
  1. Harvey Krahn
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  2. Alison Taylor
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Krahn, H., Taylor, A. Resilient teenagers: Explaining the high educational aspirations of visible-minority youth in Canada. Int. Migration & Integration 6, 405–434 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-005-1020-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-005-1020-7

Key words

  • Educational aspirations
  • Visible minorities
  • Immigrants
  • Youth

Mots-clefs

  • Attentes en matière d’éducation
  • minorités visibles
  • Jeunesse