Abstract
The purpose of this project was to examine the degree to which there is a relationship between racial discrimination and academic self- efficacy and self concept as they relate to student academic success. Through purposive sampling the researcher surveyed 171 current undergraduate and graduate students at California State University, Sacramento. The questionnaire included subscales for racial discrimination, and academic self efficacy and self concept based on a 5 point Likert-type scale. The data was analyzed using PASW to run descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that students of color significantly experience more racial discrimination than White students, t(159)= 5.84, p< .05. A significant difference in levels of academic self efficacy and self concept between White and minority students was not found, t(168) = 1.18, p>.05. The researcher was interested in whether or not there was a difference in levels of academic self efficacy and self concept between ethnic groups. An independent t-test was run comparing White and African American students, and the results showed a statistically significant difference in the amount of academic self efficacy and self concept, t(78)= 2.32, p< .05. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to identify significant correlations between variables. The relationship comparing the racial discrimination section and the academic self efficacy and self concept sections did not show a significant correlation, r (164)= .12, p> .05. Significant correlations of questions found between constructs showed weak correlations. Question 2, “teased in school” was significantly correlated with “bounce back after facing disappointment”, r (170) = .22, p= .003; “stay optimistic in times of disappointment and success”, r (170) = .20, p= .01; and “…positive view of myself”, r (171) = .21, p= .01. “Bounce back after facing disappointment…” was significantly correlated with “…pushed, shoved, or hit due to race”, r (170) =.21, p= .01. “Teased due to race” showed a weak to moderate significant correlation with “…consider myself to be a leader”, r (171) = .31, p= .00. With this sample it does not appear that experiencing racial discrimination affected levels of academic self efficacy and self concept negatively, and may have contributed to greater levels of academic self efficacy and self concept within ethnic groups.