Factors Reducing Low-Income Black Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Academic Stress at a Predominately White Institution

• In Event: Understanding Challenges Faced by Black Students Within Higher Education Settings

Abstract

Academic stress is an issue that impacts learners of all ages and is related to lower academic outcomes and higher rates of attrition. Black college students at PWIs deal with the same stressors as their White counterparts in addition to stressors such as race-related discrimination and alienation. Literature indicates that higher levels of support and stronger relationships with faculty are associated with lower stress levels and higher academic success among Black college students. Grounded theory analysis was used to develop a model of classroom factors that reduce stress among Black undergraduates at a PWI. Interviews conducted with 20 Black undergraduates revealed interrelated factors that produce greater feelings of support, relatedness, and competence, which aligns with a reduction in stressful experiences.

Authors

• Jacourie Cheyon Clark, Florida State University

• Alysia D. Roehrig, Florida State University