Understanding Influences on Academic Achievement and Self-Concept of Black Undergraduates

1. Where You Go, What You Do, What You Know?Understanding the Influences of Campus Experiences on the Academic Achievement and Self-Concept of Black Undergraduates Kimberly A. Griffin Walter R. Allen University of California, Los Angeles AIR Annual Forum 2007

2. Academic Achievement and Academic Self-Concept • Self-concept: Beliefs about one’s abilities in relation to the abilities of others • Exploration of self-concept, especially in education, to improve achievement • Which comes first – high self-concept or high achievement?

3. Reciprocal Effects Model(Marsh and Colleagues)

4. Black Students: Relationship Between Achievement and Self-Concept • Lower levels of academic achievement than peers BUT higher self-concept • Gender differences: mixed evidence of higher self-concept for Black males • Unclear evidence regarding environmental influences on college achievement and self-concept

5. Research Questions • Reciprocal effects model – does it work for Black students? • Influence of college experiences on achievement and self-concept for Black undergraduates? • Different factors important for Black men and women?

6. Reciprocal Effects Model

7. College Effects Model

8. Methods • Structural equation modeling (SEM) used to assess how well empirical data fit the conceptual models • Combines factor analysis and regression • Goodness of fit assessed with Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and Comparative Fit Index (CFI). • RMSEA: <.05 – close fit; .05-.08 – fair fit; .08-.10 – mediocre fit • CFI: >.9 – acceptable fit; >.95 – good fit • EQS 6.1 Software

9. Data Source • Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA • Large, national study of over 400,000 students • Longitudinal study • Assesses influence of college experiences and environments on students’ academic achievement, career aspirations, and attitudes. • Each student in the sample completed 2 surveys: • 1994 Student Information Form (SIF): high school experiences, demographic characteristics, and high school achievement • 1998 College Student Survey (CSS): students’ college activities, perceptions, and academic achievement

10. Sample • 529 African American students • Enrolled at Historically White Institutions • 352 women, 177 men • 95.5% graduated from high school in 1994 • 51-100 miles from home • 81.4% aspired to graduate or professional school

11. Academic Achievement (1994 & 1998) Self-reported GPA Academic Self Concept (1994 & 1998): Academic ability Drive to achieve Intellectual self-confidence Campus Engagement Voted in student election Time spent in clubs/groups Time spent doing volunteer work Faculty Interaction Offered advice and honest feedback Showed respect and offered emotional support Discussed homework, developed academic skills, offered intellectual challenge Satisfaction with sense of community on campus Measures

12. Limitations • Self assessments of GPA and self-concept • No measure of experiences with racism or own sense of community • 4 year gap

13. Findings • Reciprocal Effects Model • Black Women • Black Men • College Experiences Model • Black Women • Black Men • Comparison

14. Reciprocal Effects:Black Men & Women • Poor Fit • WOMEN: RMSEA = .115; CFI = .894 • MEN: RMSEA = .119; CFI = .892 • Validity of Reciprocal Effects Model • High school GPA positively related to high school self-concept and college GPA • High school academic self-concept related to college self-concept • NO RELATIONSHIP between high school self-concept and college GPA

15. Black Women – Reciprocal Effects

16. Black Men – Reciprocal Effects

17. Findings • Reciprocal Effects Model • Black Women • Black Men • College Experiences Model • Black Women • Black Men • Comparison

18. College GPA Direct Effects High school GPA Faculty Interaction Indirect Effects n/a College ASC Direct Effects High School ASC College GPA Faculty Interaction Indirect Effects Faculty Interaction High School GPA College Experiences – Black Women • “Fair” fit • RMSEA = .046; CFI = .963 PREDICTORS OF KEY OUTCOMES

19. College Experiences – Black Women

20. College GPA Direct Effects High school GPA Campus Engagement Indirect Effects High school GPA College Experiences – Black Men • “Fair” fit • RMSEA = .063; CFI = .924 PREDICTORS OF KEY OUTCOMES • College ASC • Direct Effects • Sense of community (negative) • High School ASC • College GPA • Indirect Effects • High School GPA

21. College Experiences – Black Men

22. Comparing Total Effects on College GPA Faculty interaction had an significant influence on the college GPA of Black women, but NOT Black men. Campus engagement had a significant influence on the college GPA of Black men, but NOT Black women

23. Comparing Total Effects on College ASC Faculty interaction had an significant influence on the college ASC of Black women, but NOT Black men. Campus engagement had a significant influence on the college ASC of Black men, but NOT Black women

24. Conclusions • College experiences are important in shaping both achievement and self-concept • Different factors are related to academic achievement and self-concept for Black men and women. • Women – Faculty interaction • Men – Campus engagement

25. Implications for Institutional Researchers • Improving Black students’ self-concept may not influence academic achievement • High self-concept may limit help-seeking behavior • Institutions must acknowledge gender differences when developing retention and academic support programs • Women – facilitate interactions with professors • Men – facilitate their engagement in campus activities

26. Future Directions • Compare findings to outcomes for students attending Historically Black Institutions • Test conceptual model for all undergraduates • Explore the influence of satisfaction with sense of community

27. Thank you! If you have any questions or would like a copy of this paper, please contact: Kimberly Griffin kag@ucla.edu