A correlation study of racial identity, resilience, and academic performance in African American male adolescents

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among racial identity, resilience, and academic achievement in African American male adolescents as they matriculate within an urban high school setting. More specifically, it addresses the multifaceted meta-cognitive variables, which may contribute to the academic deficits that numerous African American male high school adolescents face. This study employed a quantitative research methodology in order to compare levels of racial identity, resilience, and academic achievement. The Racial Identity (Helms, 1995) instrument was used in this study to measure levels of psychological and social adjustments that African American male students experience as they encounter race- related issues. The Resilience Scale (Wagnild & Young, 1990, 1993) instrument was used in this study to measure the participant's ability to thrive and experience success despite of adversity. The 94 participants in this study were selected from a pool of African American male seniors who attended two urban high schools located in the southeastern region of the United States. The participants were administered the Racial Identity and the Resilience Scale instruments and their scores were tabulated and compared to their GPA. Additionally, correlation analysis was conducted in order to determine the linear associations between sublevels scores on the BRIAS and GPA, sublevel scores RS and GPA, and sublevels scores on the BRIAS and RS. The data depicted a linear association between resilience sublevels and GPA. Secondly, the data illustrated a linear association between racial identity and resilience sublevels. A multiple regression analysis was conducted in order to determine relationships among BRIAS sublevels, RS Sublevels and GPA. The results of multiple regression analysis suggested a relationship among of the BRIAS sublevels, RS sublevels and GPA.