Exploring School Engagement of Middle-Class African American Adolescents

Abstract

Because of the scarcity of knowledge about middle-class African American adolescents, the present study explored psychological and parental factors in relation to academic performance. The participants were 336 middle-class African American students and their biological mothers. The findings suggest that for African American middle-class adolescents, educational expectations and school engagement have the strongest relation to academic performance. Self-esteem was not related to academic performance. The results also indicate that positive parent-adolescent relationships, not parents’educational values, were related to better academic performance. Implications for school counselors are discussed.