Term of Award

Spring 2017

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Committee Chair

Laura Agnich

Committee Member 1

John Brent

Committee Member 2

Brenda Sims Blackwell

Committee Member 3

Jonathan Grubb

Abstract

This study sought to examine the factors that influenced a high school student’s educational aspirations. This study used data collected by the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) 2009-2013 to examine how a student’s engagement, interest, attitudes toward math teacher, counselors helping with college materials, and meeting with a counselor influence a student’s educational aspirations. The findings suggest that student engagement, student interest and meeting with a counselor were significant predictors of higher educational aspirations even after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income. Counselors helping with college material was also a predictor of higher educational aspirations, however after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income, it was no longer significant. Student attitudes toward math teacher is a significant predictor of student educational aspiration sand remains so even after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

Included in

Criminology Commons

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