Academic efficacy among adolescent African American males

The academic achievement gap between African American males and their White American counterparts is one of the most researched phenomena in educational and political circles. Current research proposes academic efficacy, sense of school belonging, and racial identity are internal psychological processes which enhance the academic achievement of African American adolescent males, and thus contribute to the closing of this gap. However, very little research has focused on the relationships between these processes and adolescent African American males who attend majority White high schools in middle-sized cities. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between academic efficacy, sense of school belonging, and racial identity. More specifically, this research examined whether sense of school belonging and racial identity are predictors [AS1]of academic efficacy, and if perceived academic efficacy predicted positive academic achievement for African American males in high schools with small African American student populations. To achieve this purpose adolescent African American males who attend majority White high schools in middle-sized cities were surveyed and analyzed [AS2]using linear bivariate and multiple regression. The results indicated [AS3]sense of school belonging and racial attitudes which possess high racial salience had a significant relationship with academic efficacy. The results also indicated academic efficacy predicted positive academic achievement. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research were discussed.