CITL Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning Exploring the Connection between Ethnic Identity and Engagement on Campus and in the Classroom 2008

CITLCenter for Intercultural Teaching and Learning

Exploring the Connection between Ethnic Identity and Engagement on Campus and

in the Classroom 2008 Conference of the International Society for the

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL),

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - October 17, 2008

Ross Peterson-Veatch, Ph.D.

Robert Reyes, Ph.D.


Research Focus: Research Focus: The Nature and The Nature and

Process of Process of Intercultural Intercultural

Teaching and Teaching and LearningLearning

Curriculum Curriculum Innovation Innovation and Faculty and Faculty

DevelopmentDevelopment

Understanding Understanding the Social & the Social &

Demographic Demographic Context of the Context of the Local Latino Local Latino PopulationPopulation

Engaging the Engaging the Community Community

through Action through Action Research in Research in

Local SchoolsLocal Schools

Understanding Understanding the Higher the Higher Education Education

Experience of Experience of CITL StudentsCITL Students

CITL promotes and assesses collaborative internal and CITL promotes and assesses collaborative internal and external initiatives that aim to transform both our own external initiatives that aim to transform both our own

campus and the educational environment in our region. campus and the educational environment in our region.

ResearchResearch

Recruitment and Recruitment and RetentionRetention

Curriculum and Curriculum and Campus Campus

TransformationTransformation


Initial Theoretical Foundations of Retention Model

• ABC Model. Beverly Daniel Tatum (1997) Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?– Affirm Identity

• “It refer to the idea that students need to see themselves reflected in the environment around them- in the curriculum, in the faculty and staff and in the faces of their classmates- to avoid feelings of invisibility or marginality that can undermine student success.” (p. 215)

– Build Community• “Building community, highlights the importance of creating a sense

of belonging to a larger, shared campus community. “ (p. 215)– Cultivating Leadership

• “It refers to the fact that leadership in the twenty-first century requires not only the ability to think critically and speak and write effectively but also the ability to interact effectively with others in a pluralistic context.” (p. 216)


• Bicultural Identity Model, Vasti Torres & Rosemary Phelps (1997) Hispanic American Acculturation & Ethnic Identity: A Bi-Cultural Model.

• The conceptual idea behind cultural orientation is to understand the nuances among the Latino college student population by looking at the choices they have made between two cultures.

– Hispanic Orientation • This orientation indicates greater comfort with the culture of origin.

– Marginalized Orientation• It indicates discomfort with both cultures and may indicate conflict

within the individual.

– Bicultural Orientation• This orientation indicates a comfort level with both cultures.

– Anglo Orientation• Indicates greater comfort with the majority culture.

Initial Theoretical Foundations of Retention Model


Bicultural Orientation ModelSource: Torres. 1999. Journal of College Student Development, May/June

HighEthnic Identity

HighAcculturation

LowAcculturation

LowEthnic Identity

Anglo (“Americanized”)

Orientation

Marginal Orientation

Latino/HispanicOrientation

BiculturalOrientation

Acculturation: Refers to choices made about majority culture.Ethnic Identity: Refers to maintenance of the culture of origin.


Bicultural Orientation ModelSource: Torres. 1999. Journal of College Student Development, May/June

HighEthnic Identity

HighAcculturation

LowAcculturation

LowEthnic Identity


Orientation




Acculturation: Association with mainstream cultureEthnic Identity: Identification with ethnic self

♂

♀♂♂ ♂

♂♂

♀

♀♀♀


Program Components• Special Orientation and Leadership Program

– 1st Monday of the month meeting and book study (Mi Voz, Mi Vida)

– Participation in at least one student club– Participation in Planning Campus-wide Cultural Events

• Each Student had Peer Mentor• Each Student had Faculty Mentor• Regular tracking of academic indicators• Intrusive advising


Research Question

• Research Question:– What role did ethnic identity exploration play

in the learning experience of the first year CITL cohort?

– In what way did cultural factors influence the learning experience of the CITL cohort?


Interviews with CITL Students

• Sample (10 fulltime first year Latino students)

– Six students are U.S. born– Four are foreign born

• One born in Chile, was adopted by US parents at two months

– At least 7 out of 10 students are the first generation in their family to attend college

• Methods– Based on a series of end of the year semi-structured interviews. – The topics covered in the interviews included the following;

overall experience of students at Goshen College, classroom experience, extracurricular involvement, experience of the CITL program, experience of academic and student life support services.


First Year Experience

Social Adjustment

*Extra-Curricular Activities

*The role of peers

Academics

*Classroom Experience

*Academic Support

Environmental Support

*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement Financial Aid

*LoansPositive First

Year Experience


*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Decision to Return



Social Adjustment

*The role of peers



*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Positive First Year Experience

Enhancing Factors

-Living on Campus

Inhibiting Factors

Familial Obligations



Academics


*Academic Support



*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement



Academics


*Academic Support



*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Academics


*Academic Support

Parental Support: Moral Capital

*Academic Progress


Parental Involvement Two Models

Moral/Family CapitalVerbal Actions at home between parent

& child• Moral Support- “Apoyo” not

involvement• The parent is the moral

encourager/ supporter• The student takes the lead in

educational decisions• Often takes place at home• Setting limits on behavior• Providing verbal encouragement• Stressing the value of education &

hard work: Transmitting the strong immigrant work ethic by applying it to school tasks. (Lopez, 2001)

• “Consejos” or advise: Generic moral messages

Hands-On ApproachDirect forms of help at home or school• The parent is the role model &

expert guide.• Navigating through the process

together: college planning, applying for, FAFSA, etc.

• Attending of school events.• Volunteering • Advocating for their children• Keeping in contact with the

school• Helping with academics

Auerbach, S. (2006). “If the student is good, let him fly”: Moral support for college among Latino immigrant parents. Journal of Latinos and Education, 5(4), 275-292


Environmental Support:Parental Involvement

Really other than being parents…they don’t really do much. I mean they have four other kids that they have to worry about. It was pretty much like that all of my life…they can’t really help me with my school work or other things like that unless it involves transportation, also because of the language barrier and the lack of education that they received.


DoubtsYeah, in regards to my capability of doing good in college that was the thing that the first week of orientation week…that week was so overwhelming that the last day of like when you would register…yes I am going to this college…I was just like so questioning myself… “Am I going to do well?”…I was so like…My self-esteem was so low…I was like “I am not going to do well in this college so why bother registering?” But my mom would tell me if don’t try you will never know…so that was the thing that encourage me the most of doing it… if I don’t try it, I’m not going to know it if I will do good in college…but yeah the first week was so overwhelming that I just lost myself.

Environmental Support:Parental Involvement



Academics


*Academic Support



*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Academics


*Academic Support

Classroom Experience

*Relationships with Professors


Academics: Classroom Experience

• Professors are very approachable & encouraging (9/10)

• Faculty and staff are always available

• Professors here at GC are more available than my high school teachers were

• Professors encouraged me to share about my culture


Academics: Classroom Experience

I think it might be a little bit easier here because they (professors) actually have time for you to just come in and just talk to them… because in high school they don’t have time for you after school or after a class because you have to go right to your next class… so here, it’s kind of pretty easy to set an appointment and know I can meet with them for 30 or 40 minutes, whatever, I feel a lot open here than it was in high school.



Academics


*Academic Support



*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Academics


*Academic Support

Academic Obstacles

*Academic Progress


Academics: Support

Why would students not seek academic support?

• Embarrassment (thinking that others are smarter)

• Coming from a background where support/resources were not available

• Coming from an education where asking for help was not encouraged or welcomed.

• Thinking that it is too late to ask for help.• They cannot ask what they do not know


Academics: Support

Coming from an education where asking for help was not encouraged or welcomed…

In high school it was kind of hard to ask for help, because sometimes they (teachers) didn’t want to help with anything. So, like all through high school, you had to do everything by yourself basically. I mean the teachers would help you now and then, but not like this year. So, Goshen is kind of different asking for help, cause I was never use to in high school.


Academics: Support

Embarrassed…

It’s almost like… you’ll be embarrassed to ask for help. You are like… is just the sense that many … you see a lot of people here that are just really smart and stuff like that and they get everything by themselves and you having to go out for help … specially if you are Latino it’s kind of hard to do that.



Social Adjustment


*The role of peers

Academics


*Academic Support


*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement Financial Aid

*LoansPositive First

Year Experience


*CITL Support

*Mentors

*Parent Involvement

Decision to Return


Financial Aid

Do you plan to come back next year? Do you anticipate any challenges that may not make that possible? There is actually one of them…the money…my parents have been telling me that as long as I am here that I take all the advantages that I can and because I am right now this past year…this year …I got to be here because I got through a lot of scholarships but when those scholarship are gone then maybe I won’t be finishing.


Outcome of First Year Cohort Retention Efforts

HighEthnic Identity

HighAcculturation

LowAcculturation

LowEthnic Identity


Orientation




Acculturation: Association with mainstream cultureEthnic Identity: Identification with ethnic self

♂

♀♂♂ ♂

♂♂

♀

♀♀♀Still at GC, not in CITL

Still at GC, not in CITL

At another Indiana Institution

At another Indiana Institution


Where do we go from here?:Validation Theory

“Validation is an enabling, confirming and supportive process initiated by in-and-out-of-class agents that fosters academic and interpersonal development.” (Rendon, 1994, p. 44)


Where do we go from here?:“Additive Schooling”

– a focus on exploration of ethnic identity adds value in schooling

– connections to the community build social and cultural “capital” that supports students in achieving at high levels

Source: Pedraza, P. & Rivera, M. (2005) Latino Education: An Agenda for Community Action Research. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.


Conclusion

Both Environmental and Academic Support Were Essential

I wasn’t sure that I would be successful in college so having that support of the teachers, the staff, and the peers… it made me believe in myself…and my self esteem got higher…so just being more comfortable with what I do with what

I am capable of doing…it just made me grow personally, emotionally, even academically.

Documents

CITL Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning Exploring the Connection between Ethnic Identity and Engagement on Campus and in the Classroom 2008