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Contents
- Abstract
- Literature Review
- High Schools as (Potential) Sites of Anticipatory Socialization
- Educators as Socializing Agents
- Messages as Tools for Anticipatory Socialization
- Research Methodology
- Participants, Interview Procedures, and Analysis Procedures
- Data Analysis
- Findings
- Perceived Factors that Impact Postsecondary Advancement
- Impacts of Race and Socioeconomic Status
- Family and Friends
- Constructing Messages about College
- Message Source
- Message Timing
- Discussion
- Intersectionality, SES, and Color-blindness
- The Role of High School Educators in Anticipatory Socialization
- The Role of Sensemaking
- Implications for Theory and Practice
- Limitations
- Conclusion
Figures and Tables
Abstract
Previous research has identified the important role high school educators play in the postsecondary advancement of racially marginalized students. However, research has yet to examine how educators construct messages to facilitate these students’ transition from high school to college. Therefore, this study explores how teachers make sense of factors impacting postsecondary advancement and, as a result, how they construct messages about higher education for diverse students. In-depth interviews with educators from three school districts in central Texas revealed several perceived factors, including the equalizing effect of SES across racial lines and a color-blind mentality toward student advancement. Educators constructed a variety of messages about higher education, including both generalized and individualized messages about the more pragmatic aspects of college (e.g., the application process, study habits, and daily life), and motivational messages meant to encourage college decision-making. Based on these findings, I make suggestions for future research about higher education messaging for racially marginalized students.
Attending college can be one of the most meaningful experiences for young adults, as higher education provides significant opportunities for personal accomplishment, upward social mobility, and civic engagement. However, members of racially marginalized groups often have limited access to opportunities for postsecondary advancement due to deep-seated inequities and issues regarding inclusion. For example, although demographically more diverse, schools often remain internally segregated in ways that create environments that discourage students who do not “fit the mold” of the type of student for which the educational system was designed (Drake, 2017; Muller et al., 2010). In 2019, The Civil Rights Project noted, “Despite the growing diversity, the larger political climate has complicated educators’ efforts to effectively make schools welcoming for the students they enroll who are...