TY - JOUR
T1 - Academic self-efficacy among African American youths
T2 - Implications for school social work practice
AU - Jonson-Reid, Melissa
AU - Davis, Larry
AU - Saunders, Jeanne
AU - Williams, Trina
AU - Williams, James Herbert
PY - 2005/1
Y1 - 2005/1
N2 - School performance among African American youths continues to be a major concern. The promotion of self-esteem remains a major focus of school-based intervention programs designed to improve children's academic performance and behavior. Empirical data suggest that academic self-efficacy rather than self-esteem is the critical factor for school success, but few studies have examined self-efficacy and self-esteem with an African American population. Furthermore, although school social workers tend to focus on nonacademic factors that inhibit student performance, little is known about how these factors may be associated with academic self-efficacy. This article explored cross-sectional relationships of various factors to academic self-efficacy. Findings suggest that strategies that build a student's belief in the importance of education may do more to increase academic self-efficacy among African American youths than would a focus on self-esteem. Implications for school social work practice are discussed.
AB - School performance among African American youths continues to be a major concern. The promotion of self-esteem remains a major focus of school-based intervention programs designed to improve children's academic performance and behavior. Empirical data suggest that academic self-efficacy rather than self-esteem is the critical factor for school success, but few studies have examined self-efficacy and self-esteem with an African American population. Furthermore, although school social workers tend to focus on nonacademic factors that inhibit student performance, little is known about how these factors may be associated with academic self-efficacy. This article explored cross-sectional relationships of various factors to academic self-efficacy. Findings suggest that strategies that build a student's belief in the importance of education may do more to increase academic self-efficacy among African American youths than would a focus on self-esteem. Implications for school social work practice are discussed.
KW - Academic self-efficacy
KW - African American youths
KW - School completion
KW - School social work
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33746375006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1093/cs/27.1.5
DO - 10.1093/cs/27.1.5
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:33746375006
SN - 1532-8759
VL - 27
SP - 5
EP - 14
JO - Children and Schools
JF - Children and Schools
IS - 1
ER -