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

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?

Reciprocal Effects Model (Marsh and Colleagues)

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

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?

Reciprocal Effects Model

College Effects Model

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

Data Source  Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA Large, national study of over 400,000 students Large, national study of over 400,000 students Longitudinal study Longitudinal study Assesses influence of college experiences and environments on students’ academic achievement, career aspirations, and attitudes. 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 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 1998 College Student Survey (CSS): students’ college activities, perceptions, and academic achievement

Sample  529 African American students Enrolled at Historically White Institutions Enrolled at Historically White Institutions 352 women, 177 men 352 women, 177 men 95.5% graduated from high school in % graduated from high school in miles from home miles from home 81.4% aspired to graduate or professional school 81.4% aspired to graduate or professional school

Measures  Academic Achievement (1994 & 1998) Self-reported GPA Self-reported GPA  Academic Self Concept (1994 & 1998): Academic ability Academic ability Drive to achieve Drive to achieve Intellectual self-confidence Intellectual self-confidence  Campus Engagement Voted in student election Voted in student election Time spent in clubs/groups Time spent in clubs/groups Time spent doing volunteer work 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

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

Findings  Reciprocal Effects Model Black Women Black Women Black Men Black Men  College Experiences Model Black Women Black Women Black Men Black Men Comparison Comparison

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

Black Women – Reciprocal Effects

Black Men – Reciprocal Effects

Findings  Reciprocal Effects Model Black Women Black Women Black Men Black Men  College Experiences Model Black Women Black Women Black Men Black Men Comparison Comparison

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

College Experiences – Black Women

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

College Experiences – Black Men

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

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

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 Women – Faculty interaction Men – Campus engagement Men – Campus engagement

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 Women – facilitate interactions with professors Men – facilitate their engagement in campus activities Men – facilitate their engagement in campus activities

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

Thank you! If you have any questions or would like a copy of this paper, please contact: Kimberly Griffin