Barriers to the Success of Ethnic Minority Students in School Psychology Graduate Programs

Abstract.

The current study examined factors that may serve as barriers to the success of ethnic minority graduate students by assessing the academic, social, and emotional experiences of approximately 87 ethnic minority and 313 ethnic majority school psychology graduate students. Results indicated that ethnic minority graduate students reported significantly more negative race-related experiences, which were associated with higher levels of emotional distress, than were ethnic majority graduate students. In addition, ethnic minority graduate students reported lower levels of belongingness than did ethnic majority students' and negative race-related experiences were associated with lower perceptions of belongingness across all participants. Belongingness and autonomy were significantly associated with self-reported academic engagement for both ethnic minority and majority students. Discussion focuses on the significance of racial microaggressions and belongingness to graduate students in school psychology programs.

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Notes on contributors

Chelsi R. Clark

Chelsi R. Clark, MS, is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi. Her research interests include identifying appropriate academic interventions for youth at risk for academic failure and identifying methods to increase cultural and linguistic competence in the field of school psychology.

Sterett H. Mercer

Sterett H. Mercer, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include methods to improve judgment and decision making using curriculum-based academic measures, as well as the impact of classroom contextual factors (e.g., teacher–student relationship quality, social norms, and peer relationships) on student functioning.

Virgil Zeigler-Hill

Virgil Zeigler-Hill, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University. He is a social-personality psychologist with research interests that include self-esteem, narcissism, and interpersonal relationships.

Brad A. Dufrene

Brad A. Dufrene, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include the treatment utility of functional assessment and behavioral consultation in applied settings.