Ethnic-Racial Identity and Academic Adjustment among Adolescents: The Role of Friendship Characteristics

• In Event: Social Contexts of Adolescents’ Ethnic-Racial Identity Development: Advancing Multiple Methodological Approaches

Abstract

Background. The demographics of the U.S. are changing, with students of color projected to outnumber White students in schools by 2025 (Maxwell, 2014). With this increasing diversity comes the need to examine the social contexts of youth’s ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development—ascribing meaning and significance to their ethnic-racial group memberships (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2014). For example, while research has linked ERI to adolescents’ academic success (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014), less work has explored how youth’s school friendships, and the characteristics thereof, may shape this association (Medina, Rivas-Drake, Rowley, & Jagers, 2019). We hypothesized that more ethnically-racially diverse, more emotionally supportive, and less conflictual friend groups may encourage a positive association between students’ ERI development and academic success over time.

Methodology. Data were drawn from three waves of a longitudinal high school study from the Midwestern and Southwestern United States (e.g., Wave 1 N = 2,995; 50.9% female; 12.3% Asian, 25.6% Black, 20.2% Latinx, 41.3% White). Students completed surveys assessing their ERI centrality (the importance individuals place on their ethnicity-race) and public regard (how one perceives others to evaluate their ethnicity-race; Scottham, Sellers, & Nguyên, 2008). They also reported on their academic efficacy (Patrick, Hicks, & Ryan, 1997) and school belonging (McNeely, Nonnemaker, & Blum, 2002) perceptions. Finally, students provided high school friend nominations, which were used to assess aggregate friend group characteristics (i.e., ethnic-racial diversity, emotional support, and conflict).

Results. Primary analyses included unconditional, conditional, and parallel latent growth curve models. These captured the initial values of variables at each time point, their slope values over time, and the interrelation of that change across variables. Findings indicated that students’ ERI beliefs were positively related to increases in their academic efficacy (B = 0.242, SE = 0.118, p = .040) and school belonging (B = 0.382, SE = 0.103, p < .001) perceptions. Similarly, friend group emotional support (B = 0.316, SE = 0.088, p < .001) buffered against declines in academic adjustment change over time. Significant interactions were also identified; both academic efficacy (B = -.057, SE = 0.026, p = 0.027; Figure 1) and school belonging (B = .036, SE = 0.017, p = 0.028; Figure 2) were highest among students reporting both high public regard and high friend group emotional support. The bulk of these findings held consistent across ethnic-racial groups, though notable nuances exist.
 
Discussion. As adolescents navigate identity development, friendships, and academic expectations, researchers should consider how these factors interrelate. In line with previous work, we found that students may draw from either their personal identity beliefs or the strength of their connection with friends to encourage positive academic outcomes over time. In addition, students able to draw from both of these factors report the most positive results, highlighting the academic significance of positive personal and interpersonal development. That said, the links between these factors occasionally varied across ethnic-racial groups, providing additional context for why students sharing the same educational space may still be experiencing significantly different academic trajectories.

Authors

• Michael Alan Medina, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Non-Presenting Author

• Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author