The gap between ability and achievement in male college students has become a pressing concern, particularly among those from underserved groups. Many male students exhibit potential that is not fully realized, and a lack of social support has emerged as one possible factor contributing to this disconnect. Research by Dr. James Morris provides important new insights into this relationship. He explores the idea of academic ‘self-concept’, which describes a belief in one’s own academic abilities, and how this can be enhanced to improve educational outcomes. Read More
With a particular focus on Black and Latino male college students, Morris wanted to examine how academic self-concept is influenced by a sense of social support from family, friends, and romantic partners.
He surveyed 76 male undergraduate students, investigating whether their levels of perceived social support had changed throughout their college years and how this sense of support related to their academic confidence. Morris also wished to explore which type of support had the biggest impact on the academic self-concept of these students.
The findings revealed several important patterns. Firstly, Morris uncovered a significant positive relationship between academic self-concept and perceived social support. In other words, students who felt more socially supported in their lives consistently showed greater confidence in their academic abilities. Unexpectedly, students’ sense of being socially supported remained stable from their freshman year through to senior year.
Morris found that perceived support from family, friends and romantic partners all contributed to improved academic confidence. Surprisingly, no single type of support emerged as more influential than the others, suggesting that feeling strong social connections of any kind can enhance academic self-concept.
These findings are particularly relevant given current trends in male student achievement. Today’s college campuses comprise 56% female students and 44% male students, with male students usually experiencing higher dropout rates. They also face increasing challenges in both their academic performance and mental health.
This study provides compelling evidence that having a strong sense of social support plays a crucial role in the academic confidence of male students, which undoubtedly leads to greater educational attainment. As such, developing targeted interventions to strengthen feelings of belonging could significantly improve students’ academic achievement. In his future research, Morris aims to use a qualitative approach to investigate the past experiences of students that have shaped their perceptions of social support.
This research contributes to our growing understanding of how social and emotional factors influence academic attainment, and how fostering a strong sense of social support amongst male college students could help to close the gap between ability and achievement.
