Natural mentors, racial identity, and educational attainment among african american adolescents: exploring pathways to success

Abstract

The present study explored how relationships with natural mentors may contribute to African American adolescents' long-term educational attainment by influencing adolescents' racial identity and academic beliefs. This study included 541 academically at-risk African American adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The mean age of participants at Time 1 was 17.8 (SD = .64) and slightly over half (54%) of study participants were female. Results of the current study indicated that relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long-term educational attainment among participants through increased private regard (a dimension of racial identity) and stronger beliefs in the importance of doing well in school for future success. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Figure 1

Theoretical model for the direct and indirect influences of natural mentor presence on adolescents’ beliefs in the importance of school for future success and Time 2 educational attainment via adolescents’ racial identity beliefs (public regard, private regard, and centrality).

Figure 2

Structural equation model showing relationships (standardized coefficients) between mentor presence, racial identity, school importance, and Time 2 educational attainment, controlling for gender, SES, and 8^th grade GPA. Model only includes significant paths. Correlations among disturbances and among measured variables are not shown. Satorra-Bentler χ²(82) = 183.4, p < .01; NNFI = .93, CFI = .95, RMSEA = .04.