Acculturation, social support and academic achievement of Mexican and Mexican American high school students: An exploratory study

Abstract

Abstract Concerns about the high dropout rate among Mexican American high school students has led researchers and educators to determine which variables affect academic success. The study investigated two factors associated with academic achievement: acculturation and social support. The sample consisted of 60 ninth‐grade students of Mexican decent in a southwestern school district. Results indicated that students identified as highly integrated and strongly Anglo‐oriented bicultural tended to have higher academic achievement. In addition, the sample as a whole perceived social support from all four sources. Although no generational effects were identified, females tended to have higher GPAs, and perceive more social support, while the males, interestingly, were slightly more acculturated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.