I have a dream: Rural adolescents' educational plans and mathematics achievement

This study used a social cognitive theoretical framework to examine the relations of selected 10th grade school contextual influences, parent socioeconomic status, and personal beliefs to rural adolescents' 12th grade educational plans and mathematics achievement. Participants were 2,095 rural high school students from the 2002 Educational Longitudinal Study. This study found that rural youth who had more positive views of the relational context of their school, were enrolled in college-preparatory high school programs, and were of higher socioeconomic status had higher mathematics self-efficacy beliefs, higher educational expectations for their future, and higher mathematics achievement. Consistent with social cognitive theory, the study found that mathematics self-efficacy beliefs partially mediated the relation of high school program enrollment and socioeconomic status to educational expectations and mathematics achievement. Mathematics self-efficacy beliefs also partially mediated the relation of the relational context of schools to educational expectations, and fully mediated the association between the relational context of the school and mathematics achievement. In addition, students who expressed more interest in moving away from the area and less importance on living near family had higher educational expectations. Mathematics teacher beliefs about student success and the academic press within schools did not have a significant effect on mathematics self-efficacy beliefs, educational expectations, or mathematics achievement. The findings provide support for the importance of socioeconomic status and certain school contextual influences for rural youth's academic and career trajectories.