A 5-week pre-college orientation program for new freshman American Indian students was conducted in the summer of 1970 by Brigham Young University. The program included weekly field trips to industries in the area, help with study skills, problem solving, choosing a college major, positive thinking, and experience with college English and math.…

Results suggest that SES is a greater determinant of participation in private and semi-private out-of-school educational opportunities than is ethnicity. For public area activities use was fairly similar except for the Asian American's reported greater use than the black Americans. Neither propinquity nor parental attitude is related to use.…

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) appears to be an effective predictor of school achievement for 31 English-speaking second-grade Mexican-American children. High Pearson product-moment correlations were obtained between MSCA and the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. (Author/PN)

Presents research on seven Chicano families who have experienced cultural and academic success, to determine successive generational influence on child development and academic success. Findings reveal the importance of cultural traditions, generational support and communication, and parents as mediators in guiding their children to higher…

This study explored the influences of social, psychological, and cultural determinants of underachievement as perceived by 148 intermediate grade African-American students in gifted, above average, or average academic programs. Psychological factors played the greatest role in underachievement or poor achievement motivation. Underachievement…

Describes a study of the academic achievement of Native American students at Rogers State College in U.S. History courses. Interviews suggested that poor achievement in U.S. History (in comparison to American Indian students' grades in other courses and non-Indian students' grades) were related to culturally based differences in defining…

Discusses a study in which the similarities and differences between Aboriginal Australian, Anglo Australian, and immigrant Australian students' learning-goal orientations were measured. Previous research posits that children embrace different learning goals according to their culture. In contrast, findings indicate that the profiles of all…

Examines empirical evidence of the relationship between initial schooling and adult participation in learning. Explores the divergence between high levels of initial attainment and low levels of adult participation in Northern Ireland. Explains that "social capital" provides an alternative to formal participation in adult learning and a…

Analyzes the extent that black and white students differ in cultural capital and educational resources and whether these attributes mediate the relation between family background and racial disparities in achievement. Suggests that racial variations in cultural and educational resources vary while these resources have a small mediating effect on…

This article examines the relationship between the cultural, social and economic capital of students from the Nordic countries and their level of scientific literacy, based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 study. The analysis shows that the relationship between the home's economic capital and students'…

This thesis explores how a group of senior educators in Samoa undertook their educational journeys. It also traces my cultural and research learning journeys and the pathways I followed as a "palagi" (white person) undertaking cross-cultural research. A holistic and collaborative approach entailed consultation with the community…

This research describes the evaluation of a science curriculum newsletter called BioRAP which serves as a vehicle to teach current health science content. The research objectives were to estimate the relationships of socioeconomic status, ethnic group, gender, grade, student ability, and classroom use characteristics with student knowledge and…

This study used ethnographic methods to examine current explanations of Asian American students' success in school and how a group of high-achieving Chinese American high school freshmen perceive themselves and others as learners and as group members. The study attempts to illustrate (1) how the students view educational achievement and group…

The author discusses the factors responsible for the lower academic achievement of minority students. External control, negative self concept and lack of equal opportunities for employment of black students are some of the important factors mentioned. She makes a number of suggestions to enhance the academic achievement of black students. (SE)