This study examines the effect of student peer interactions on students' educational outcomes. It presents African-heritage students' perceptions of their interactions at a predominantly White institution of higher education (PWI) and how these interactions affect their academic persistence. The study focuses on intraethnic and interethnic student-peer interactions in the university environment. Concern about attrition rates and retention of students of African descent requires that educators and administrators take actions to facilitate the development and academic success of these students. Traditional student development models, often based on a Eurocentric world view, have often failed to adequately address the needs of this student population. Social functioning and social adjustment are critical to African-heritage students' development. Sociocultural involvement is an inherent aspect of African-heritage characteristics, which include music and dance and collective cooperation. In this study, these relevant sociocultural issues, including a common experience of oppression, are examined as they relate to African-heritage students' interpersonal interactions, social adjustment, academic persistence and development. The social functioning of African-heritage students is identified and represented in five proposed modes of social adjustment, (1) alienation/isolation, (2) assimilation/acculturation, (3) biculturality, (4) Africentricity and (5) cultural relativism/pluralism, These modes of adjustment may also be considered ways in which Black students cope with and respond to various situations while interacting in the PWI environment. This study utilizes a triangulation research design that includes qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Focus group interviews are the primary data collection method. The focus group interview process included spoken dialogue and written responses to focused questions and is complemented with additional individual written responses. This process is triangulated with quantitative methods of demographic survey and a Likert scale questionnaire. Participants are students of African descent at a four-year public university in New England. These Black students relate important behavioral strategies used to interact in, adjust to and persist at the PWI.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-9082 |
| Date | 01 January 1995 |
| Creators | Bourne, C. Khandi |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
| Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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