EFFECTS OF RACIAL IDENTITY ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF BIRACIAL STUDENTS WITH ACADEMIC SELF CONCEPT AS A MEDIATOR

The current study investigated the relationship between racial identity and academic achievement of biracial high school students and whether academic self-concept mediated the relationship. Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Development- Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development was examined. A structural equation model with two groups was used to assess if academic self-concept is a mediator for the relationship between racial identity and academic achievement. Results suggest that academic self-concept in Math or English did not mediate the relationship between racial identity and scores on the WJ-R Passage Comprehension and Applied Problems subtest for both groups of biracial high school students. In addition, racial identity did not have a significant effect for both groups of biracial students on academic self-concept in English and Math. The insignificant findings from the current study highlight that race and ethnicity do not impact Black and White biracial high school students or Latin and White biracial high school students’ educational success and this information should be applied by educators, parents, and families as they help biracial children navigate through their educational experience