An examination of factors related to the academic performance of African-American college students
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that were predictive of academic performance of college students at Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs). The variables of interest included: seating choice, self-esteem, anxiety, stress and study habits. The sample consisted of 201 African-American undergraduate students. Participants completed a demographics survey, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Holmes and Rahe Stress Inventory, and the Study Skills Self-Assessment. The participant also identified actual seating and seating preference on a classroom seating diagram. Pearson r correlations indicated a significant relationship between GPA and the following: actual seating (r (199) = .815, p = .000), seating preference (r (199) = .203, p= .002), stress (r (199) = -.116, p= .050), and self-esteem (r (199) = .146, p= .02). There was no significant correlation between GPA and the following: anxiety (r (199) = .082, p= .123) and study skills (r (199) = 0.477, p = 0.243). Based on the results, the best predictors of GPA were seating choice, stress, and self-esteem. Limitations of the study, as well as implications and recommendations for future research, are discussed.
Subject Area
African American Studies|Black studies|Educational psychology|Psychology|Higher education
Recommended Citation
D'Errico M Wylie,
"An examination of factors related to the academic performance of African-American college students"
(2012).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3552879.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3552879