This book reports on a 3-year ethnographic study of academic achievement and schooling orientations among immigrant Mexican and Mexican American students at a Houston (Texas) high school. The study included a survey of the entire student body (2,281 students), participant observation in the school and community from 1992 to 1995, 25 open-ended…

Assessed differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adolescents' HIV risk behaviors and psychosocial determinants. Surveys indicated that attitude was the strongest predictor of intention and risky behavior for both sexes. There were ethnic differences in sexual experience and condom use for females but not for males. Other predictor…

Inquired 69 students' beliefs about registering for high school chemistry. The information was used to develop a questionnaire and persuasive messages. Among 598 target students, chemistry enrollment was higher than expected for those receiving in-class student-only materials and lower than expected for those receiving student/parent take-home…

The numbers of Latinas who attend college, stay in college, graduate, and attend graduate school escalated in the 1990s, surpassing gains made by any other underrepresented group of students in higher education. However, their achievements come at a personal cost, as the high-achieving Latinas profiled in this chapter demonstrate.

This article describes a descriptive study in an area significantly lacking validation. The focus of the study was the work values held by mortuary science students from 3 educational programs in the Midwest. The Values Scale (D. Nevill & D. Super, 1989) was used to measure the career-related values of a sample group of 116. According to…

The authors sought to assess the perception of risks for coronary heart disease (CHD) in college men and women. They surveyed 470 undergraduates from 2 major 4-year institutions who completed a questionnaire that measured perceived risks for heart disease. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents rated their risks as lower or much lower than those…

The present study explored the perceptions of 664 Hispanic and non-minority high school students as regards barriers to entering health professions and the characteristics of health career jobs. Students were enrolled in a high school for the health professions or an enrichment add-on intervention, or were members of an honor society contrast…

The schooling gap between Hispanics and other ethnic groups contributes to the depressed economic condition and social status of this minority. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between teacher expectations and student performance for Hispanic students. "Teacher expectations" refers to the level of academic…

This paper examines the relationship between Latino students' identity formation and their interpretations of the connection between schooling and career. Autobiographies were written by 47 Mexican American and Puerto Rican students at the end of grade 8, and again by 27 of the same students during grade 11. Virtually all students were from poor…

Interviews with 32 Mexican-descent college students examined teacher actions in high school that had impacted students' academic success. Positive and negative teacher actions were described in the areas of cultural understanding, stereotypes, expectations of students, and exclusion from or inclusion in classroom activities. Recommendations for…

A study examined the role of different arenas of identity in the formation of overall social identities by Chicana/o students. Surveys and interviews with over 150 Chicana/o high school and college students showed that those areas in which social difference and a lack of power became apparent crystallized their identities. (TD)

The study sought to: (1) identify the determinants that motivate Hispanic-American students to enroll in high school chemistry; and (2) determine if providing belief-based information to students and their parents/guardians increases chemistry registration. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) guided the…

A study examining student perceptions of teacher ethnic bias surveyed 2,409 Mexican American and non-Latino white adolescent dropouts and students from three communities in the southwestern United States. Although perceptions of teacher ethnic bias were not rampant, such perceptions existed to a greater degree among dropouts, Mexican Americans,…

Research shows a serious underrepresentation of Hispanic students entering the math, science, and engineering fields, possibly fueled by a large gap in math achievement between Hispanic and Euro-American students. The current study addressed this concern by examining the general school-related attitudes, coursework, and achievement, with a focus…

Latinos and Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) are increasing in numbers throughout the United States. This study reports on a survey administered to 350 APA and 119 Latino American students entering a large east coast university. Significant differences between APA and Latino students emerged: (1) APA students were less likely than Latino students to…