DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/BBSN-1B16
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0001-6334-620X
Defense Date
2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Fantasy T. Lozada
Second Advisor
Zewelanji Serpell
Abstract
Historically, African Americans have experienced various inequalities in education that have long contributed to overall educational attainment gaps within the African American community (St. Mary, Calhoun, Tejada, & Jenson, 2018). Thus, African American parents are tasked with instilling messages of racial pride into their children and providing educational support that serve as protective factors against racial discrimination in education (Koch, Lundh, & Harris, 2019). Theoretical frameworks provide a basis of understanding how parent socialization contributes to African American educational outcomes, specifically noting the role of parents’ beliefs and values in dictating mechanisms of value transfer (e.g., buying toys or learning materials; Eccles, 2007), with emphasis on cultural context within African American families (Taylor, Clayton, & Rowley, 2004). However, less is known about the specific race-based messages parents provide their youth in a STEM context. Specifically, I examined race-based academic socialization messaging and support with regard to STEM (i.e., STEM racial academic socialization) in a sample of 128 parent-adolescent dyads. The relationships between STEM racial socialization/extracurricular support and grades were not mediated through academic self-concept, however, STEM extracurricular support was a significant predictor of STEM grades. Interestingly, when academic-self-concept was entered into the model, pride messages were significantly related to STEM grades, suggesting that African American STEM racial socialization and support are complex processes that warrant further investigation.
Rights
© Rachel J. Davis
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
12-1-2021