The relationship of stress to academic performance of Latino middle school students

Date of Completion

January 1996

Keywords

Education, Bilingual and Multicultural|Education, Guidance and Counseling|Education, Educational Psychology

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

This study explored the area of school stress of Latino students by seeking answers to the relationships between Sources and Manifestations of stress and the relationship to Academic Performance, Grade, Gender, Years Residing in the United States, and Number of People in the Household and Family Composition.^ A 25-item instrument that measures stress among Latino middle school children was developed for the purpose of this study. All the variables were tested through multiple regression analysis followed by stepwise procedures and discriminant function analysis when significance was evident between two categorical variables. The Encuesta Situacion Escolar (ESE) was used to measure stress of Latino middle school children.^ This study consisted of the content and construct validation of the Encuesta Situacion Escolar (ESE) which was originated from the School Situation Survey (SSS) by Helms and Gable (1985). A total of 852 cases participated in this study including informal assessment of the ESE (N = 111).^ Results from data analysis showed a significant relationship between Academic Performance, Gender, Grade, Family Composition and Sources (Academic Self-Concept, Teacher Interaction) and Manifestations (Physiological and Behavioral) of stress. The main findings of this study were that Reading, Math and Language academic performance of Latino children in Middle School relates to their self- perception and concerns regarding school work, and worries about perceived teachers' attitudes and opinions of them (Sources of stress: Academic Self-Concept, Teacher Interaction). This stress was expressed through Physiological and Behavioral Manifestations which varied depending on the Grade, Gender and Family Composition. ^

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