"Like Two Different Worlds": Home-School Dissonance Among Chinese and Latinx Students

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Family Engagement and Home-School Dissonance Among Chinese and Latinx Students (Table 7)

Abstract

When cultural values of a school differ substantially from a student's home culture, the student can experience tension that hampers their academic performance and sense of social fit. Our quantitative study extends research on cultural mismatch, exploring academic and social-psychological outcomes of Chinese (N=229) and Latinx (N=126) middle school students–who typically come from highly collectivistic cultures. Regression analyses showed that when students perceived that their home and school life were misaligned, this home-school dissonance predicted lower academic achievement, lower belonging, and greater stereotype threat. Perceived expectation from family to succeed academically was significantly associated with greater home-school dissonance and academic self-concept. Results underline a need for engaging families and bridging home and school cultures to combat educational inequity.

Author

• Clarissa Gutierrez, Stanford University