LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF RACIAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AND ENJOYMENT AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH

LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF RACIAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AND ENJOYMENT AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH By Adrienne Ratliff Herron Several researchers have proposed a link between perceptions of future racial/ethnic discrimination and school motivation. Ogbu (1981) found that for some African American adolescents the awareness of this discrimination might cause them to disengage from school and mainstream institutions, potentially undermining their chances at school success. One of the most common approaches for understanding how race/ethnicity influences development has been to compare racial/ethnic groups on outcomes like school achievement, mental health, and problem behaviors. This approach gave little consideration to possible underlying mechanisms and experiences. Recent studies have investigated potential mediators, such as income, neighborhood quality, and racial/ethnic identity within longitudinal designs (Eccles, Wong, & Peck, 2006). Few studies, have examined the relationship between racial/ethnic identity and school enjoyment or engagement. This study focuses on identity development among African American youth and its role as a possible influence on their school enjoyment and engagement. Hypotheses. Racial/ethnic identity factor structures differ for 7, 8, and 9 graders. Racial/ethnic identity scores will increase over the three time points, with significant changes between time 1 and 3. Parental, peer, teacher support, school racial/ethnic composition, and racial/ethnic identity are moderating factors for the relationship between school enjoyment and engagement. Participants. The year 2 through year 6 cohort of 7 – 9 African American students (N=347) that completed the Coordinated Community Student Survey (C2S2) survey. As well as, a subset that completed three consecutive surveys (N=63), in order to assess racial/ethnic identity over time. Procedure. C2S2 was administered yearly during the school day. De-identified individual data and scales scores from the original study were used for this project. Cleaning of data consisted of aggregating and merging data before conducting analyses. For all analyses conducted in this study, participants that did not answer a question were excluded from that particular analysis. Measures. The items used in the racial/ethnic identity portion of the C2S2 were developed from two scales: 1) Collective Self-Esteem Scale: Self-Evaluation of One’s Social Identity (CSES) and 2) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). From the C2S2 survey, the Parental Involvement, Teacher Support, Peer Hostility, School Enjoyment and School Engagement scales where used. Participants respond to a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Findings. The study found no significant differences in racial/ethnic identity score changes overtime between 7, 8, and 9 grade students. Overall parents, peers, teachers, and schools racial/ethnic composition were significant moderators of school engagement. The total racial/ethnic identity score was not a significant. An additional analysis using racial/ethnic knowledge and beliefs subscales (Herron, Barnes, & Almerigi, 2008), found both subscales to be significant moderators for school engagement. Contrary to expectations, no longitudinal racial/ethnic identity differences were found. These findings did show the importance of having a multifaceted approach when assessing school outcomes among African American students.