Family, obligation, and educational outcomes: Unraveling the paradox of high aspirations and low academic achievement among the children of Haitian immigrants
by Nicholas, Tekla, M.A., FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, 2008, 100 pages; 1452672

Abstract:

The desire for academic success is shared by Haitian parents and their American-born children. Yet, despite this will to succeed, second generation Haitian students have been shown to fare poorly in school when compared to other ethnic groups. This qualitative study revealed that students' poor results in high school were not due to adversarial attitudes toward education; rather, they reflected inadequate foundations in basic academic skills. In particular, limited vocabularies hamper the academic achievement of many Haitian American students. Some students who expected that passing grades would lead to college are unable to pass the FCAT exam required to earn a high school diploma. Surprisingly, the highest levels of academic achievement were attained by the students with the poorest and least educated parents. They displayed extraordinary motivation attributed to a strong sense of familial obligation.

 
AdviserMichael Harris
SchoolFLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
SourceMAI/ 46-05, p. , Jun 2008
Source TypeThesis
SubjectsCultural anthropology; Sociology of education; Ethnic studies
Publication Number1452672
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