Structural Relations of Ethnic Identity and Academic/Career Outcomes Among Different Race Groups: Multigroup Analysis

• In Event: 35.030 - Motivation and Sociocultural Context: Examining Ethnic Identity and Persistence

Abstract

The current study investigated the relation of college science students’ (N = 2,014) ethnic identity to their perceived competence to academic and career related outcomes among a sample of Caucasian, Asian, and African American students. Multi-group analyses indicated very few structural differences among Caucasian, Asian, and African American students. However, marginally significant results suggested that there may be structural differences in terms of the relations of ethnic identity achievement to science motivation and career intentions across race/ethnic groups. Our findings suggest that it is important to support ethnic identity in early college students despite their racial/ethnic background. Future work should explore the relation between ethnic identity, motivation, and achievement-related outcomes using a large diverse sample of students.

Authors

• Amalia Krystal Lira, Michigan State University

• You-kyung Lee, Sookmyung Women's University

• Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, Michigan State University

• Tony Perez, Old Dominion University