Disentangling Perceived Educational Support Sources and Types in Adolescence and Latinas’ Educational Attainment in Adulthood

Abstract

Social support has a well-documented impact on adolescent educational success. Nonetheless, there has been less focus on the relationship between social supports and educational attainment for Latinas. Using a sample of 138 Hispanic females (ages 25–31) from an ongoing longitudinal National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study (2004–present), we identified key sources of social support (family, teachers, and peers) and types of social support (emotional, informational, and instrumental) in the educational pipeline of Hispanic females. We also examined the associations between social supports and their educational attainment. Through descriptive analyses, we found that family was perceived to provide the most support followed by peers and teachers in adolescence. Through regression analyses, we found that family support positively predicted their educational attainment. Our findings highlight the importance of family-rendered support for educational attainment while also expanding our understanding of the social support mechanisms for Hispanic females.