Chicano(a) and Mexican American College Students: Examining the Relationship between Academic Self-Concept and Academic Achievement

The relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement of Chicano(a) and/or Mexican American students at Colorado State University was investigated in this study. The participants included 114 undergraduate, full-time students who self-identify as Chicano(a) and/or Mexican American. The quantitative instrument utilized to measure academic self-concept was developed by Reynolds, Ramirez, Magrina, and Allen (1980) and called the “Academic Self-Concept Scale ” (ASCS). The results of this study clearly indicate that there is a high correlation and positive relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement for Chicano(a) and Mexican American college students. The academic self-concept constructs designed by Reynolds, et al. provide support to the importance of acknowledging and valuing non-cognitive variables as an important aspect in the development and academic success of college students, particularly racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse students. Educators began to give attention to the idea and value of self-concept through the belief that non-cognitive variables have a role in the academic success of students (Cokely, 2000; Frazier & DeBlassie, 1982