The relationship of three factors of acculturation to grade point average and degree goal in a sample of Hispanic college students

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, and by the year 2000 will be the largest. Yet their educational attainment and retention in school is the lowest of all minority groups. This study sought to determine the relationship between the acculturation of Hispanic college students and their educational success. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between each of three independent variables of acculturation, namely, language use, ethnic identification and loyalty, and generation to two dependent variables, grade point average and degree goal in a sample of Hispanic college students. Six hypotheses, each postulating a relationship between these two sets of variables, were tested. The instruments which were developed by the researcher to collect the data used in hypothesis testing were the Hispanic College Student Acculturation Inventory (HCSAI) and a Personal Data Form (PDF). Study subjects were 162 Hispanic college students from three universities and one community college in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Analysis of the study data utilized the Pearson product-moment correlation and z-test as well as the analysis of variance and t-test. The criterion for statistical significance in the study was p $\le$.05. Results of hypothesis testing were that the relationship between any of the three factors of acculturation, language use, ethnic identification and loyalty, and generation to grade point average was not significant. However, the results of hypothesis testing did find a significant relationship between each of these three factors of acculturation and educational degree goal in the study sample. It was concluded that the level of acculturation of Hispanic college students does not seem to be a factor in their academic success (measured by grade point average), and that the level of acculturation of Hispanic college students is related to educational degree goals. Implications for the recruitment and retention of Hispanic college students and recommendations for further research are also discussed.