Date of Graduation

2005

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The general purposes of this study were three-fold. The first purpose was to gain an in-depth understanding of West Virginia African American students’ beliefs of their overall school climate. The second purpose of this study was to examine African American students’ beliefs of factors that may positively and negatively affect their academic achievement. Last, the third purpose was to examine participants’ beliefs of high and low achieving African American students. A purposeful sample of 151 secondary students (grades 9-12); in eight West Virginia counties were surveyed and interviewed, using the Generalized Belief Measurement instrument and focus group interviews. Findings from this study concluded that there is a significant relationship between West Virginia African American secondary students’ beliefs of teachers and their beliefs of their academics success. In addition, there is a significant relationship between participants’ beliefs of their emotional ties to school and their beliefs of their academic success. Last, this study resulted in the identification of positive and negative factors that participants believed positively and negatively affect their school climate and academic success.

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