Title: A look at Latinos in Higher Education through a Psychosociocultural Framework
Gloria and Rodriguez (2000) have developed a psychosociocultural framework that provides a means for helping us understand Latino students, and Castellanos and Gloria (2007) have elaborated on how institutions of higher education can use these theoretical principles to facilitate these students’ academic success. Psychological dimensions of success include students’ self-beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions, whereas social aspects denote networks, connections, role models, and mentors that can help these students. Cultural elements associated with success signal the importance of students finding meaning in their experiences, as well as opportunities to validate their values. These components indicate that it is important for environments in higher education to reflect three important core values, i.e., familismo, comunidad, and personalismo. The presentation will expand on these different elements and their interrelationships.
Biosketch:
Dr. Juan Lira is currently Texas A&M University System Regents Professor and Associate Provost at Texas A&M International University. He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Reading from The University of Texas at Austin. As a bilingual bicultural educator he has had the privilege of working with all types of students, many of whom have been Hispanic. One of his main research interests is to examine how an understanding of psychological, social, and cultural factors can help educators create learning environments for students that are challenging, personally relevant, and supportive. Dr. Lira was recognized by Texas A&M International University as the Scholar of the Year in 1999-2000 and as Teacher of the Year by the College of Education in 2004-2005.