Regional Collectivism in Appalachia and Academic Attitudes

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S. Gore ◽  
Kristina R. Wilburn ◽  
Jodi Treadway ◽  
Victoria Plaut

Prior research on Appalachian students has noted key differences in academic performance compared to the general population, but few researchers have examined the influence of cultural values on academic attitudes. The current study tested the hypothesis that the association between collectivism and academic attitudes (i.e., academic efficacy, school connectedness, and fear of academic success) would be stronger among Appalachian students than among non-Appalachian students. Participants were 605 university students from Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Kentucky and Georgia who completed survey assessments of the variables. A series of regression analyses confirmed the hypotheses. These results highlight the importance of applying cross-cultural theories to explain regional differences within countries.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Kamryn S. Morris ◽  
Eleanor K. Seaton ◽  
Masumi Iida ◽  
Sarah Lindstrom Johnson

It is important to consider racialized experiences and proximal indicators of academic success for Black youth when understanding the achievement gap. Acknowledging that racial discrimination is detrimental for the academic success of Black youth, this study extended previous research by examining the influence of racial discrimination stress. Using hierarchical regression analysis and a moderated moderation model, this study examined racial discrimination stress and school belonging as predictors of academic attitudes and beliefs among 344 Black youth (M age = 15.6). Additionally, we examined the interactive effects of school belonging as a buffer for racial discrimination stress, with particular focus on majority White schools. Analyses revealed that school belonging was linked with academic competence, academic efficacy, and academic skepticism. Furthermore, school belonging buffered the impact of racial discrimination stress on academic efficacy among Black youth in majority White schools. These findings highlight the co-occurrence of risk and protective factors among Black youth and demonstrate the additive influence of school racial composition on academic attitudes and beliefs. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings demonstrate the crucial role of school context in understanding risk and protective factors for the academic attitudes and beliefs of Black youth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Christina Hughes ◽  
Carla Jones-Adams ◽  
David Branham Sr.

<em>The importance of understanding the elements of success in the education of minority high school students is immense. Recognizing the causes of academic success for these students allows educators to employ better educational and motivational strategies. It has been shown that academic efficacy and academic commitment have a positive impact on academic performance. However, the interaction and relationship between these two variables in having a positive effect on education outcomes among minority high school students is not clear. This paper looks at the relationship between academic efficacy and academic commitment on academic performance among minority high school students. The findings reveal that academic commitment is positively associated with academic performance. However, while academic efficacy has a positive impact on academic commitment the results show that academic efficacy has no direct impact on academic performance among the respondents.</em>


Author(s):  
Tonderai Washington Shumba ◽  
Scholastika Ndatinda Iipinge

This study sought to synthesise evidence from published literature on the various learning style preferences of undergraduate nursing students and to determine the extent they can play in promoting academic success in nursing education of Namibia. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on electronic databases as a part of the systematic review. Although, kinaesthetic, visual and auditory learning styles were found to be the most dominant learning style preferences, most studies (nine) indicated that undergraduate nursing students have varied learning styles. Studies investigating associations of certain demographic variables with the learning preferences indicated no significant association. On the other hand, three studies investigating association between learning styles and academic performance found a significant association. Three studies concluded that indeed learning styles change over time and with academic levels. The more nurse educators in Namibia are aware of their learning styles and those of their students, the greater the potential for increased academic performance.


NASPA Journal ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tam M. Spitzer

Traditional (age 23 and under) and nontraditional (age 25 and over) full-time undergraduates were assessed on five personal dimensions, two learning dimensions, and two collegiate goals (GPA and career decidedness). Multiple regression assessed which dimensions predicted the two collegiate goals. Significant predictors were generally the same for both traditional and nontraditional students. Academic efficacy, self-regulation, and social support were positive predictors of GPA. Career decisionmaking self-efficacy and social support were positive predictors of career decidedness. Nontraditional students and females had higher GPAs and greater decidedness. Academic performance and career development were seen as concurrent but largely separate processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Richard Carciofo

Abstract Background In response to the rising concern with promoting the wellbeing of university students and relative lack of domain-specific wellbeing measurement instruments in China, the current study aimed to validate a Chinese version of the College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (CSSWQ), a 16-item self-report English-language rating scale assessing four aspects of wellbeing (academic satisfaction, academic efficacy, school connectedness, and college gratitude). Methods The Chinese translation of the CSSWQ, the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the 10-Item Big Five Personality Inventory, and demographic questions were completed by 252 Chinese students at a university in Suzhou, China. Results Exploratory factor analysis found four factors each with the same four items as in the original English scale. Each subscale showed good internal consistency. Test–retest for a one-month interval showed generally moderate reliability. As predicted, Pearson correlational analysis found positive correlations between the Chinese CSSWQ and life satisfaction, positive affect, extraversion, and GPA, and negative correlations with neuroticism and negative affect. Monthly income had small negative correlations with academic satisfaction and academic efficacy, smoking had a small positive correlation with school connectedness, and exercise had a small positive correlation with academic efficacy. Conclusion Data for the Chinese CSSWQ in the current study showed validity and reliability, supporting the use of this instrument as a measurement of college student wellbeing in China.


2020 ◽  
pp. 009862832097988
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Holmes

There is widespread belief that test-taking ability is an influential component of academic success distinct from domain knowledge and comprehension. Most of today’s college students took many more tests over the course of their primary and secondary education than students of previous generations, and also participated in regular training to strengthen their test-taking skills. Although such training and experience should equalize students on any isolated test-taking ability, the present study reveals that the vast majority students in a college sample believe that students can simply be bad test-takers. Moreover, the majority of students believe that they themselves are bad test-takers, a perspective which is maladaptive in light of relevant research. Accordingly, the data show that students who identify in this way also tend to possess other maladaptive academic attitudes.


2020 ◽  
pp. 027243162097767
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Michelle F. Wright ◽  
Danae Rollet

This study compares 477 Chinese and 342 American adolescents’ responses to open-ended questions regarding attribution and outcome expectancies of relational aggression, and investigates how cultural values were related to these social cognitive processes. Results revealed cross-cultural similarities and differences. In particular, American adolescents attributed romantic relationship competition, which was absent in Chinese adolescents’ responses. Furthermore, American adolescents demonstrated a stronger instrumental orientation in their social cognition (e.g., gain status), whereas Chinese adolescents tended to hold the blaming the victim attribution, and the socially harm the victim outcome expectancy. Finally, this study revealed that in both cultural groups, higher collectivism was linked to the blaming the aggressor attribution, as well as escalated peer conflict and aggression as outcome expectancies, whereas individualism was linked to the blaming the victim attribution. Findings of this study enriched our knowledge about the cultural construal of adolescents’ attribution and outcome expectancy regarding relational aggression.


Author(s):  
Mina Jeon ◽  
Dagmara Dimitriou ◽  
Elizabeth J. Halstead

Recent studies have shown that sleep is influenced and shaped by cultural factors, including cultural values, beliefs and practices. However, a systematic understanding of how cultural factors in countries may influence sleep duration and sleep disturbances is still lacking. Therefore, we focused on a comparison of sleep duration and disturbances in young populations between countries. We report cross-cultural differences between the child, parent and environmental factors, and their association with sleep duration and disturbances. The review is based on literature searches of seven databases published until December 2020. Studies were included if they investigated sleep duration and disturbances of individuals up to 18 years across at least two or more countries. The results of this review have shown that sleep duration and disturbances vary between countries and regions and certain factors (e.g., bedtime routines, sleeping arrangement, physical activity and psychological functioning) have been associated with sleep duration or disturbances. This review also demonstrates that certain factors which were associated with sleep duration or disturbances in one country, were not shown in other countries, suggesting a need for recommendations for age-related sleep duration and sleep interventions to consider cultural differences that influence sleep duration or disturbances in individual countries or regions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alabdulkarem ◽  
Mohammad Alhojailan ◽  
Saad Alabdulkarim

Academic success in undergraduate programs is indicative of potential achievements for graduates in their professional careers. The reasons for an outstanding performance are complex and influenced by several principles and factors. An example of this complexity is that success factors might change depending on the culture of students. The relationship of 32 factors with the reported academic performance (RAP) was investigated by using a survey distributed over four key universities in Saudi Arabia. A total of 3565 Saudi undergraduate students completed the survey. The examined factors included those related to upbringing, K-12 education, and structured and unstructured activities. Statistical results validate that many factors had a significant relationship with the RAP. Among those factors, paternal’s education level and work field, type of intermediate and high schools, and the attendance of prayers in mosques were significantly associated with the reported performance. This study provides important insights into the potential root causes of success so that they can be targeted by educators and policy makers in the effort to enhance education outcomes.


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