African American Students' Perceptions of Differential Treatment in Learning Environments: Examining the Moderating Role of Peer Support,Connection to Heritage,and Discrimination Efficacy

Abstract

The current study advances prior literature by examining the relationship between African American students' perceptions of differential treatment by teachers and educational outcomes (i.e., importance of schooling and academic self-concept). In addition, we examined factors that promote educational outcomes in the context of perceived discrimination, focusing mainly on the protective value of youth's cultural heritage as well as individual characteristics. Participants included 385 African American students (50% female) who were interviewed at 8th and 11th grade. Results indicated that early experiences with differential treatment predicted declines in importance of schooling and academic self-concept from 8th grade to 11th grade. Peer social support emerged as a protective factor, such that differential treatment was negatively associated with academic self-concept only for adolescents who did not have strong peer support. Implications of the current research for promoting African American students' educational success in learning environments and directions for future research are discussed.

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