Unseen advantage and disadvantage in high schools: Cultural norms and educational equity

Abstract

This study examined the tenets of cultural mismatch theory using survey data from 518 high school students. Structural equation modeling examined how cultural norms influence relationships among student demographic characteristics, school location, and social, psychological, and academic outcomes. Students who identified as Black and those attending suburban schools reported greater endorsement of independent cultural norms that significantly predicted greater comfort in school, better psychological well-being, and higher aspirations for future educational attainment. Alternatively, students of color reported greater endorsement of interdependent cultural norms that were significantly associated with greater comfort in school and psychological well-being but no academic outcomes. Results point toward cultural norms as one unseen indicator that may influence classroom learning and achievement and contribute to equity issues in schools.