Effect of cultural mistrust on academic achievement and the moderating roles of school connectedness and educational value among African American middle school students

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether feelings of school connectedness or educational value moderate the effect of cultural mistrust on academic achievement. It is hypothesized that the positive influence of school connectedness and educational value will protect against the potential negative impact of cultural mistrust on academic success. Multiple regression analysis will be used to analyze a model predicting academic achievement among African American middle school students based on their level of cultural mistrust, school connectedness, and educational value. Implications for educational programming and practice include early detection of students higher in cultural mistrust to prevent later academic disparities, recruitment of African American role models that allow for students to view that there are positive realistic outcomes, and finally foster positive interactions with school personal.