Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if successful Hispanic high school seniors (determined by their University of California [UC] eligibility, grade point average [GPA], and passing of the California High School Exit Exam [CAHSEE]) perceive the influence of teacher traits and teacher ethnicity upon their academic success. Problem: There is very little existing research that attempts to explore whether Hispanic students have higher academic success with ethnic-alike teachers. This ethnographic study explored how successful Hispanic high school seniors perceive the influence of teacher ethnicity and teacher traits on their academic success. Methodology: The main research questions of the study explored the influence of teacher traits and teacher ethnicity on the academic success, attitude toward school, and study habits of successful Hispanic high school seniors. Three successful Hispanic high school seniors were selected from 6 different high schools in Southern California for a total of 18 participants. The researcher interviewed each participant individually. The participants were asked a total of 12 questions, and interviews averaged 30 to 45 minutes. Findings: The major findings from this study demonstrated that when the subject pertains to the cognitive domain, teacher traits are overwhelmingly more important to successful Hispanic high school seniors. When the subject pertains to the affective domain, the influence of teacher ethnicity drastically increases. Conclusions: This study argues that hiring ethnic-alike teachers alone will not automatically result in higher academic success for Hispanic students. Recommendations: Further research is recommended to determine if at-risk Hispanic high school seniors perceive the influence of teacher traits and ethnicity on their high school completion, to determine if successful Hispanic immigrant students perceive the influence of teacher traits and ethnicity on their academic success, to explore why Hispanic teachers lack the teacher traits necessary to promote academic success of Hispanic students, and to explore effective professional training programs that focus on the development of Hispanic teacher traits necessary to help Hispanic students succeed.