Latinx Immigrant High School Students and Their Teachers

Study of Latinx Immigrant High School Students and Their Teachers: Comprehensive Notes

CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT & STUDY OVERVIEW

Introduction

  • Between 2000 and 2015, the Latinx youth population in the U.S. grew by 47% (Mather, 2016).

  • From 2012 to 2022, Hispanic students' enrollment in U.S. public schools increased by 5% (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023).

  • Almost 1 in 3 public school students is Latinx today (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023).

  • 63% of Latinx students are first- or second-generation immigrants (Batalova & Feldblum, 2020).

  • Schools often lack resources to effectively educate and integrate immigrant students (Szlyk et al., 2020).

  • Latinx immigrant youth face educational inequities, evidenced by persistent academic achievement gaps (Alvarez et al., 2016).

Challenges Faced by Latinx Immigrant Youth

  • First-generation Latinx immigrants encounter cultural and language barriers when adapting to a new educational system (Abdusamatov et al., 2025; Manspile et al., 2021).

  • Challenges include:

    • Language acquisition (Manspile et al., 2021; Yoshikawa & Kalil, 2011).

    • Experience of outsider status (Rodriguez & Macias, 2022).

    • Adjustment to academic expectations (Davilos & Suarez-Orozco, 2024).

    • Increased feelings of alienation and stress during adolescence (Abdi et al., 2023).

Significance of Sense of Belonging

  • Belonging is critical for engagement and academic success (Allen & Boyle, 2022).

  • Lack of belonging often leads to high absenteeism, drop-out rates, and feelings of academic isolation (Russell & Mantilla Blanco, 2022).

  • Supportive student-teacher relationships can enhance feelings of belonging (Baysu et al., 2021; Kincade et al., 2020).

Problem Statement

  • Newcomer Latinx immigrant high school students encounter significant barriers leading to achievement gaps (Patel et al., 2024).

  • The challenges intensify during adolescence, affecting their identity and autonomy (Newman & Newman, 2020).

  • Rural immigrant students face unique challenges, including:

    • Longer commutes.

    • Lower curricular rigor.

    • Additional family responsibilities (Peterson et al., 2025; Tieken, 2016).

  • The gap in research on rural Latinx students’ perceptions of teacher relationships and school belonging highlights the need for qualitative inquiries.

Research Questions

  1. RQ1: How do rural Latinx immigrant high school students who immigrated after age 12 describe their relationships with teachers?

  2. RQ2: How do rural Latinx immigrant high school students describe their sense of belonging within their school community?

  3. RQ3: How do rural Latinx immigrant high school students perceive their teacher relationships to influence their sense of belonging?

Purpose and Study Rationale

  • The study aims to qualitatively explore how Latinx immigrant high school students perceive their relationships with teachers and how these relationships influence their sense of belonging.

  • Focus on students aged 14-18 who immigrated after age 12, emphasizing the challenges during adolescence.

  • Objectives include enhancing student engagement and informing equitable educational practices.

  • Data will be collected via semi-structured interviews with 10 immigrant Latinx students from a rural public high school in Florida, focusing on their experiences navigating language barriers and cultural transitions.

Study Design Overview

  • Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s (1995) ecological systems theory, focusing on the interplay between individual experiences and broader educational contexts.

  • A qualitative phenomenological approach will be utilized to capture the lived experiences of students in their own words.

  • Data Collection and Analysis:

    • Semi-structured interviews will be conducted, followed by thematic analysis using NVivo 15.

    • Trustworthiness will be assessed through member checks and peer debriefing.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

  • Disparities in academic achievement persist for Latinx immigrant students (Alvarez et al., 2016).

  • Adolescence presents unique challenges, affecting identity development and sense of belonging (Abdi et al., 2023).

  • Fostering belonging is crucial for academic outcomes.

Theoretical Framework

  • This study is based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, highlighting the impact of systemic interactions on individual development.

    • Microsystem: Direct interactions (home, school).

    • Mesosystem: Connections between microsystems; influences of family and community on school experiences.

    • Macrosystem: Larger societal factors shaping educational opportunities for immigrant students.

    • Chronosystem: The element of time and its influence on student experiences.

Latinx Immigrants in the U.S.

  • Latinx is a gender-neutral term that includes individuals of Latin American descent, while Hispanic specifically refers to Spanish-speaking individuals (de Onís, 2017).

  • Latinx immigrants currently represent a large demographic in the U.S., making up about 19% of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).

  • Immigration motivations include economic opportunities and escape from violence or political instability.

Academic Achievement Gap

  • There are continuing disparities in educational outcomes, including:

    • NAEP data indicates Hispanic students score 21 points lower than White peers in fourth-grade mathematics.

    • Graduation rates for Latinx students have improved, yet college preparedness remains low (UnidosUS, 2022).

  • Gaps are exacerbated at lower achievement percentiles (NAEP, 2024).

Influential Factors Affecting Immigrant Experiences

  • Three main categories of factors affecting Latinx immigrant students: socioeconomic status, home environment, and school environment.

Socioeconomic Status

  • Socioeconomic status (SES) is significantly correlated with educational success; many Latinx families live below the poverty line (Cabrera et al., 2019).

  • SES influences access to educational resources.

Home Environment

  • Supportive family environments contribute to better academic outcomes.

  • Immigrant parents often face challenges that limit effective involvement in their children’s education (Mitchell & Tienda, 2006).

School Environment

  • Positive school environments are crucial for academic achievement; racial/ethnic matching between teachers and students can enhance outcomes (Castro & Calzada, 2021).

Student-Teacher Relationships

  • Strong student-teacher relationships significantly influence students’ sense of belonging and achievement, particularly for marginalized groups (Roorda et al., 2011).

Belonging

  • School belonging is associated with academic success, where a sense of inclusion leads to higher engagement and better performance.

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