Racial Identity Dimensions And Parental Academic Socialization As Promotive And Protective Factors For The Academic Success Of Black Students

Abstract

The current study investigated the role of racial identity dimensions (racial centrality and private regard), academic identity, and parent socialization (specifically, academic and ethnic/racial socialization: cultural socialization and preparation for bias) in promoting success among a diverse sample of Black students. The study aimed to examine how parent socialization and academic identity mediated the relationship between racial identity dimensions and academic achievement. Data was collected nationwide from 685 Black students through an online survey conducted in Spring 2022. Path models were employed to explore the relationship between racial identity dimensions and academic achievement. To account for contextual factors, the analyses incorporated academic identity and parent socialization (academic and ethnic/racial socialization, including cultural socialization and preparation for bias) as mediators, while gender was considered as a moderator. However, the mediation analyses did not yield statistically significant results, highlighting the need for further research to investigate the nuanced relationship between these factors. In addition to the path models, supplementary analyses were conducted, including bivariate correlations and exploratory factor analyses of the scales used: Identification with Academics (IAS, Osborne, 1997), Identification with School Questionnaire (ISQ, Voelkl, 1996), Education Socialization Scale (ESS, Bempechat et al., 1999), and Parent Ethnic/Racial Socialization (PERS, Hughes & Chen, 1999). The results of the exploratory factor analyses and subsequent evaluation of psychometric properties revealed inconsistencies between the factor structures suggested by previous studies and the current study for the Identification with Academic, Identification with School Questionnaire, and Education Socialization Scale. This suggests the need for further refinement and validation of these measurement instruments. However, the exploratory factor analysis of the Parent Ethnic/Racial Socialization scale aligned with existing literature, indicating its appropriateness for use with Black students. Bivariate correlation analyses demonstrated small-to-moderate relationships that were consistently observed across most variables. Academic identity demonstrated a strong and significant correlation with private regard and a moderate and significant correlation with racial centrality. GPA demonstrated a moderate and significant correlation with academic identity and private regard and a small but significant correlation with racial centrality and parent academic socialization. Students who endorse a stronger academic identity and racial identity (private regard and racial centrality) are more likely to have better academic outcomes, including higher GPA. Furthermore, the findings related to parent academic socialization suggest that parental support and engagement may continue to have some influence on the academic performance of Black students, even in adulthood. The implications of the findings were such that fostering a strong academic identity and a positive racial identity contributed to better academic outcomes for Black students. Further, the findings highlight the sustained influence of parental support and engagement on the academic performance of Black students, even as they transition into adulthood. This underscores the significance of ongoing parental involvement throughout a student's educational journey.