THE EFFECT OF ADULT AND PEER SUPPORT ON EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER PLANS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This research compares the effects of adult support and peer support on educational and occupational aspirations of high school students across various racial groups using data from Aldine Independent School District: Students Survey (AISD). The results reveal that the impact to which social support predicts students’ educational and occupational aspirations depends on race and ethnicity. More specifically, peer support and teacher support have stronger effects on educational aspirations for African American and non-Hispanic White students than for Hispanic students; the effects of parental communications are a stronger for non-Hispanic White students than for Hispanic and African American students; parental expectations are more important for African American students in determining their educational aspirations than for Hispanic students. As for occupational aspirations, the findings suggest that peer support is more effective for African American students than for Asian students. Teacher support has a stronger effect on non-Hispanic White students’ occupational aspirations than do Hispanic and African American students.