EXPLORING RACIAL IDENTITY AND ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

Addressing the equity gap as an inequity in postsecondary education and acknowledging that educational inequities are directly linked to a racialized education is essential to the advancement of Black student success. Research has demonstrated that the relationship between racial identity and academic self-concept is a predictor in increasing Black students’ educational outcomes including grade point average, retention, and graduation rates. Although many studies have focused on the experience of Black students in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black college and universities (HBCUs), there are far fewer studies on the cocurricular experience of Black students at 2-year institutions. The purpose of this two-phase, sequential, explanatory mixed methods study was to explore racial identification through the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI) and Academic Self-Concept Scale (ASCS) for Black students who participated in Umoja programs at California community colleges. Three research questions guided this study: (a) how Black students identify in terms of their responses to the MIBI and ASCS, (b) how Black students describe their participation in the Umoja program and its impact on their racial identity development and academic self-concept, and (c) to what extent do the qualitative results confirm the quantitative results. In the first phase, 54 Black students completed the survey measuring their racial identity and academic self-concept. The quantitative data show participants primarily identify with the MIBI private regard subscale (M = 6.44) and a moderate ASC score (M = 47.92). In the second phase of the study, 12 Black students were interviewed. Analysis of the qualitative findings yielded four themes: (a) Culture of Affirmation, (b) Representation Matters, (c) Academic Self-Concept Development, and (d) the Complexity of Blackness. Interpretations of these findings have implications for policy, theory, practice, and future research