School and Family Influences on the Postsecondary Enrollment of Native American Adolescents

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Peers and Family as Context of Development

Abstract

Native American students enroll in college at much lower rates compared to their peers from different ethnic groups and face a number of unique promotive and inhibits forces that shape their postsecondary plans and dreams. Family and school contexts represent two critical developmental backdrops for adolescents as they think about and plan for future educational pursuits. Using data from a nationwide study, we found that for Native American women, greater feelings of family responsibility were associated with a lower likelihood of postsecondary enrollment. For rural Native American men, greater perceptions of family economic hardship were associated with a lower likelihood of postsecondary enrollment. Additional results and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Charlotte A. Agger, Indiana University

• Dana C. Griffin, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill