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A Psychoecological Model of Academic Performance Among Hispanic Adolescents

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Abstract

Although the number of students who complete high school continues to rise, dramatic differences in school success remain across racial/ethnic groups. The current study addressed Hispanic adolescents’ academic performance by investigating the relationships of parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, sense of school belonging, and academic self-efficacy and academic performance. Participants were 478 (51.5% female) Hispanic 7th graders in the US-Mexico borderlands. Based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, a structural model was tested. Results showed that the proposed model was supported by demonstrating significant indirect effects of parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, and sense of school belonging on academic performance. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationships between parental involvement, culturally responsive teaching, and sense of school belonging and academic performance. The current study provides a useful psychoecological model to inform educators and psychologists who seek to meet the needs of Hispanic students.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Jonathan Schwartz and Dr. Michael Mobley for editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, MSC 3CEP, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA

    Heejung Chun & Ginger Dickson

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  1. Heejung Chun
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  2. Ginger Dickson
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Correspondence to Heejung Chun.

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Chun, H., Dickson, G. A Psychoecological Model of Academic Performance Among Hispanic Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 40, 1581–1594 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9640-z

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