Poster #173 - Multiple Contextual Identities of Latino Adolescents: Examining Ethnic and STEM Identities

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Within the U.S., more Latino adolescents graduate high school and enter college than in prior decades (Gramlich, 2017). Despite this increase, Latinos continue to lag behind other ethnic groups (Gramlich, 2017). In particular, Latinos are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math college programs and even less represented in STEM careers (Crisp & Nora, 2012). For example, currently, Latinos make up a scant 7% of employed adults in STEM careers (Graf, Fry, & Funk, 2018). To address these bleak trends, we draw from a contextual integration of multiple identities approach (McLean & Syed, 2015; Syed & McLean, 2016), which highlights how adolescents’ co-occurrence of multiple identity domains (i.e., academic identity, academic commitment, ethnic identity) matter for their STEM trajectories. Indeed, work on college students’ STEM retention indicates that students entering college with a science academic identity have higher levels of STEM career commitment (Chemers et al., 2013). Furthermore, ethnic identity, an individual’s feelings about their ethnic group (i.e., private regard; Hughes, Way, & Rivas-Drake, 2011), has been a salient predictor of academic adjustment among Latino youth (e.g., higher grades; Chang & Le, 2010). Taken together, the purpose of this study is to examine the co-occurrence of three identity domains deemed important for STEM outcomes among Latino youth, namely, math and science identity, math and science commitment, and ethnic identity.
Method. The sample included 288 Latino middle school adolescents (Mage=13.69 years) from Central Texas. Participants were interviewed by telephone and asked to report their math and science academic identity (Walker & Syed, 2013), math and science commitment (Chemers et al., 2013), and ethnic identity private regard (Huq, 2012; Kiang et al., 2008).
Results. Latent profile analyses were conducted in MPLUS. Based on fit indices and substantive meaning, a 4-profile solution was selected (Figure 1). Groups were termed STEM Contextual Identities (33%), Moderate-STEM Contextual Identities (40%), Low-STEM Contextual Identities (12%), and Conflicting-STEM Contextual Identities (15%). Additional analyses will be conducted to examine how the profiles relate to the belief that college is important.
Discussion. Our findings address the theoretical implications of contextual co-occurrence of STEM identities and ethnic identity in Latino adolescents. Results suggested that both STEM and contextual identities co-occur are salient among Latino youth. Understanding the integrative contextual STEM identities of Latino adolescents could serve useful in predicting Latino students’ long term STEM trajectories. Findings may support further programming that incorporates the importance of culture in STEM subjects as well as fostering STEM identity before high school (Gándara, 2006; Syed, Azmitia, & Cooper, 2011).

Authors

• Kiera Coulter, University of Arizona
  Presenting Author

• Angela Cruze, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Raynimol Thomas, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Selena Carbajal, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Melissa Y. Delgado, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rajni L Nair, Arizona State University
  Non-Presenting Author