School achievement differences among Chinese and Filipino American students: Acculturation and the family

Sothy Eng, Kirti Kanitkar, Harrington H. Cleveland, Richard Herbert, Judith Fischer, Jacquelyn D. Wiersma

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

The general belief that Asian American adolescents are successful has led researchers to ignore variations in Asian adolescents' academic success. Using samples of Chinese and Filipino adolescents drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined whether differences between these two groups in acculturation, parent-adolescent attachment, and parental school involvement could account for academic achievement differences. Results revealed that Chinese adolescents generally performed better in school than their Filipino counterparts. Factors that predicted academic achievement were ethnicity, acculturation, and parents' academic involvement. An interaction was found between ethnicity and acculturation, indicating that acculturation is a predictor of academic performance among Filipino youth but not among Chinese youth. Cultural values in parent-adolescent attachment, acculturation, and parents' school involvement are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)535-550
Number of pages16
JournalEducational Psychology
Volume28
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2008

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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