A quantitative study on Southeast Asian and Latino students' perceptions of teachers' expectations and self-efficacy
Author(s):
Dinh, Richard
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ed.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of Southern California, 2012.
Pages:
110
Language:
English
Abstract:
Literature suggests there are many variables affecting student performance and that student perceptions of teacher expectations and self-efficacy are among those variables. Although much has been researched about the variables that influence student achievement, little is known about the variables that help or hinder Asian-American student performance in particular. A greater understanding of the factors that specifically affect the academic performance of Asian American students will help shed light on this subgroup. Asian Americans have partially been overlooked due to the fact that Asians fall under the model-minority stereotype (Lee, 1994), which suggests that Asian-American students are successful in school because they work hard and come from cultures that believe in the value of education. This stereotype indirectly states that other ethnic cultures do not value education as much as Asian cultures. Although Asian-American students are commonly viewed as a model minority, Southeast Asian-American students do not fit into the overarching view of academic success presented in the model minority stereotype. The most predominant Southeast Asian subgroups in the United States are Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong, whereas East Asians include subgroups such as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Southeast Asian-American students are often tied in with all Asian-American students; however, there are significant differences within sub-cultural Asian-American populations that are widely unknown. This study explored students' perceptions of their teachers' expectations and students' perceptions of themselves. In this study, the term "self-efficacy" is synonymous to a student's perceptions of him/herself. The purpose of the study was to examine Southeast Asian-American and Latino student perceptions in terms of teachers' expectations and self-efficacy. In order to conduct this study, Southeast Asian-American and Latino students at a continuation and a traditional high school were surveyed on their perceptions of their teachers' expectations and their own self-efficacy. An in depth look at the variables of Southeast Asian-American performance in schools is limited, but should be included in the conversation of ethnic subgroups.