ERIC Number: EJ1237266
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jan
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1245
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Factors That Facilitate Acculturation Strategies and Academic Success of West African Immigrant Youth in Urban Schools
Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; Brobbey, Gordon; Smith, Patriann
Education and Urban Society, v52 n1 p21-50 Jan 2020
Immigrant students in U.S. educational system experience challenges learning to adapt and integrate into new educational environments. Little is known, however, about factors that facilitate acculturation strategies of immigrant youth from West Africa and how they affect their academic success and challenges faced. Considering the current political discourse over the influence of immigration in U.S. schools, 20 immigrant youth from Ghana and Nigeria were recruited and interviewed in the metropolitan area of New York City. Analyses of semi-structured interviews revealed that teacher, parent, and peer support; social and electronic media; and extracurricular activities emerged as the factors that helped acculturation strategies and academic success. Challenging factors were dealing with sociocultural differences; discrimination, stress, and social integration; and language differences. The article discusses the implications of these findings for teachers to understand acculturation strategies to help West African immigrant youth to adapt, acculturate, and integrate into new school environments.
Descriptors: Acculturation, Academic Achievement, Immigrants, Urban Schools, Foreign Countries, Teacher Student Relationship, Parent Child Relationship, Peer Relationship, Social Media, Extracurricular Activities, Cultural Differences, Stress Variables, Social Integration, High School Students, Adolescents, Student Adjustment, Social Support Groups, Native Language, Biculturalism, Racial Bias, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ghana; Nigeria; New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A