Gender Differences in Black and White Students' Adjustment to College at a Predominately White University

Abstract

The present study explored whether there are significant differences between Black and White college freshmen students regarding factors related to retention (i.e., self-efficacy, perceived racism, cross-cultural communication difficulty, academic demands, career direction, social isolation, GPA, employment, familial responsibilities) at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Participants completed (a) The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995), (b) The Inventory of College Challenges for Ethnic Minority Students (ICCEMS) (Ying, Lee, & Tsai, 2004), and (c) a demographic questionnaire. It was found that (a) Black and White students reported similar levels of self-efficacy, (b) Black students reported lower levels of unclear career direction and social isolation, (c) Black students reported utilizing loans less frequently and the Pell Grant more frequently than White students, and (d) they reported lower rates of employment and less concern about balancing work and school. Implications of these findings and other factors were discussed further.