Abstract
Inequity in higher education is a persistent social problem. Challenges with recruitment, lower retention, and graduation rates, and underrepresentation in science and engineering majors disproportionately affect students of color, lower-income students, and women. Institutional factors contributing to inequity include lack of support services and campus cultures that do not encourage multicultural awareness. At the individual level, social psychological factors such as stereotype threat and other self-limiting beliefs can impede success. Although institutional policies and practices are critical for ultimate success, institutional support can be limited by fiscal constraints and lack of vision. An adjunct or alternative strategy is application of best practices in the classroom, using existing university courses as support resources to augment institutional reform. Every faculty member has the potential to promote student success and contribute to social equity in this fashion. One specific example, an undergraduate general-education academic success course, is considered. The objective of the course is to enhance academic self-efficacy through teaching essential skills, including a variety of mindfulness-oriented practices, that can increase self-awareness and resilience, support personal goal achievement, and promote social justice.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aronson, J., Lustina, M. J., Good, C., Keough, K., Steele, C. M., & Brown, J. (1999). When white men can’t do math: Necessary and sufficient factors in stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), 29–46.
Backlund, E., Sorlie, P. D., & Johnson, N. J. (1999). A comparison of the relationships of education and income with mortality: The national longitudinal mortality study. Social Science and Medicine, 49(10), 1373–1384.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Macmillan.
Barnes, P. M., Powell-Griner, E., McFann, K., & Nahin, R. L. (2004). Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. Advance Data, 27(343), 1–19.
Beilock, S. L., Jellison, W. A., Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Carr, T. H. (2006). On the causal mechanisms of stereotype threat: Can skills that don’t rely heavily on working memory still be threatened? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(8), 1059–1071.
Bowen, W., Kurzweil, M., & Tobin, E. (2005). From bastion of privilege to engines of opportunity. Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(25), B18–B18.
Burke, A. (2004). Self hypnosis demystified: New tools for deep and lasting transformation. Ten Speed Press/Random House.
Burke, A. (2012). Preliminary evaluation of a novel academic achievement program. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI, January 5–8.
Burke, A. (2016). Learning life: The path to academic success and personal happiness. Rainor Media.
Burke, A., Shanahan, C., & Herlambang, E. (2014). An exploratory study comparing goal-oriented mental imagery with daily to-do lists: Supporting college student success. Current Psychology, 33(1), 20–34.
Cadinu, M., Maass, A., Frigerio, S., Impagliazzo, L., & Latinotti, S. (2003). Stereotype threat: The effect of expectancy on performance. European Journal of Social Psychology, 33(2), 267–285.
Campbell, N. K., & Hackett, G. (1986). The effects of mathematics task performance on math self-efficacy and task interest. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 28(2), 149–162.
Carnevale, A. P. (2015). The economic value of college majors executive summary 2015 (pp. 1–44). McCourt School of Public Policy: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Clinedinst, M. E., & Hawkins, D. A. (2011). State of college admission. Washington, DC: National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Croizet, J. C., & Claire, T. (1998). Extending the concept of stereotype threat to social class: The intellectual underperformance of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24(6), 588–594.
Croizet, J. C., Després, G., Gauzins, M. E., Huguet, P., Leyens, J. P., & Méot, A. (2004). Stereotype threat undermines intellectual performance by triggering a disruptive mental load. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(6), 721–731.
Deming, W. E. (2000). The new economics: For industry, government, education. MIT press.
DePaoli, J. L., Fox, J. H., Ingram, E. S., Maushard, M., Bridgeland, J. M., & Balfanz, R. (2015). Building a grad nation: Progress and challenge in ending the high school dropout epidemic. Annual update 2015. Civic Enterprises.
Driskell, J. E., Copper, C., & Moran, A. (1994). Does mental practice enhance performance? Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 481–492.
Eccles, J. S. (2007). Where are all the women? Gender differences in participation in physical science and engineering. American Psychological Association.
Engle, J., & Lynch, M. (2009). Charting a necessary path: The baseline report of public higher education systems in the access to success initiative. Education Trust.
Ferguson, R. (2004). Crisis at the core: Preparing all students for College and Work. Prepared for ACT, information for life’s transitions. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
Field, S., Kuczera, M., & Pont, B. (2007). No more failures. Ten steps to equity in education. Summary and policy recommendations.
Finke, R. A. (1989). Principles of mental imagery. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Franke, R., Hurtado, S., Pryor, J. H., & Tran, S. (2011). Completing college: Assessing graduation rates at four-year institutions. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, Graduation School of Education and Information Studies, University of California.
Galyean, B. (1982–1983). The use of guided imagery in elementary and secondary schools. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 2(2), 145–151.
Gist, M. E., Schwoerer, C., & Rosen, B. (1989). Effects of alternative training methods on self-efficacy and performance in computer software training. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(6), 884.
Habley, W. R., & McClanahan, R. (2004). What works in student retention? Four-year public colleges. ACT, Inc.
Inzlicht, M., & Ben-Zeev, T. (2000). A threatening intellectual environment: Why females are susceptible to experiencing problem-solving deficits in the presence of males. Psychological Science, 11, 365–371.
Johnson, J., & Rochkind, J. (2009). With their whole lives ahead of them: Myths and realities about why so many students fail to finish college. Public Agenda.
Keller, J., & Dauenheimer, D. (2003). Stereotype threat in the classroom: Dejection mediates the disrupting threat effect on women’s math performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(3), 371–381.
Kena, G., Musu-Gillette, L., Robinson, J., Wang, X., Rathbun, A., Zhang, J., … & Velez, E. D. V. (2015). The condition of education 2015. NCES 2015-144. National Center for Education Statistics.
Kubzansky, L. D., Berkman, L. F., Glass, T. A., & Seeman, T. E. (1998). Is educational attainment associated with shared determinants of health in the elderly? Findings from the MacArthur studies of successful aging. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60(5), 578–585.
Lang, P. J. (1979). A bio-informational theory of emotional imagery. Psychophysiology, 16(6), 495–512.
Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY, US: McGraw-Hill.
Llopis, G. (2013). Healthcare industry must mirror the growing hispanic population to authentically educate and serve the community. Huffington Post: Latino Voices. August 30.
Lorsbach, A., & Jinks, J. (1999). Self-efficacy theory and learning environment research. Learning Environments Research, 2(2), 157–167.
Lotkowski, V. A., Robbins, S. B., & Noeth, R. J. (2004). The role of academic and non-academic factors in improving college retention. ACT policy report. American College Testing ACT Inc.
Martin, K. A., & Hall, C. R. (1995). Using mental imagery to enhance intrinsic motivation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17, 54.
Masaaki, I. (1986). Kaizen: The key to Japan’s competitive success. New York: McGraw-Hill.
McWhirter, E. H., Torres, D. M., Salgado, S., & Valdez, M. (2007). Perceived barriers and postsecondary plans in Mexican American and white adolescents. Journal of Career Assessment, 15(1), 119–138.
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (2015). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering: 2015. Special report NSF 15-311. Arlington, VA.
Nguyen, H. H. D., & Ryan, A. M. (2008). Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? A meta-analysis of experimental evidence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1314.
O’Brien, L. T., & Crandall, C. S. (2003). Stereotype threat and arousal: Effects on women’s math performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(6), 782–789.
OECD. (2014). Education at a glance. OECD Indicators.
Ogbu, J. (1994). Racial stratification and education in the United States: Why inequality persists. The Teachers College Record, 96(2), 264–298.
Orozco, V., & Cauthen, N. K. (2009). Work less, study more and succeed: How financial supports can improve postsecondary success. Demos, 12(5), 10.
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1979). Student-faculty informal contact and college persistence: A further investigation. The Journal of Educational Research, 72(4), 214–218.
Pearson, J., Clifford, C. W. G., & Tong, F. (2008). The functional impact of mental imagery on conscious perception. Current Biology, 18(13), 982–986.
Robbins, S. B., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., & Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130(2), 261.
Schunk, D. H. (1981). Modeling and attributional effects on children’s achievement: A self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73(1), 93.
Schunk, D. H. (1989). Social cognitive theory and self-regulated learning. In Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 83–110). New York: Springer.
Schunk, D. H., & Hanson, A. R. (1985). Peer models: Influence on children’s self-efficacy and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(3), 313.
Schwarzer, R. (2016). Psychometric scales. http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/health
Shulock, N., & Moore, C. (2007). Rules of the game: How state policy creates barriers to degree completion and impedes student success in the California community colleges. California State University Sacramento, Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy.
Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women’s math performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), 4–28.
Steele, C. M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist, 52, 613–629.
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797–811.
Steele, C. M., Spencer, S. J., & Aronson, J. (2002). Contending with group image: The psychology of stereotype and social identity threat. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 379–440). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving college. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
UCLA. (2012). UCLA international medical graduate program. Program rationale. http://fm.mednet.ucla.edu/IMG/about/about.asp
von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General system theory: Foundations, development, applications. New York: George Braziller.
Wheeler, S. C., & Petty, R. E. (2001). The effects of stereotype activation on behavior: A review of possible mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin, 127(6), 797.
Wiener, N. (1948). Cybernetics, or communication and control in the animal and the machine. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Wood, R. E., & Locke, E. A. (1987). The relation of self-efficacy and grade goals to academic performance. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47(4), 1013–1024.
Zajacova, A., Lynch, S. M., & Espenshade, T. J. (2005). Self-efficacy, stress, and academic success in college. Research in Higher Education, 46(6), 677–706.
Zimmerman, B. J. (1986). Development of self-regulated learning: Which are the key subprocesses. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 16(3), 307–313.
Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(3), 329.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Burke, A. (2016). Using a Mindfulness-Oriented Academic Success Course to Reduce Self-limiting Social Stereotypes in a Higher Education Context. In: Purser, R., Forbes, D., Burke, A. (eds) Handbook of Mindfulness. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44019-4_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44019-4_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44017-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44019-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)