A CAUSAL MODEL OF THE EDUCATIONAL PLANS AND CAREER EXPECTATIONS OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN HIGH-SCHOOL GIRLS

A structural model predicting the educational and career expectations of 282 Mexican American high school girls was developed and then teste d on samples of 247 Mexican American boys and 228 European American gi rls. Predictors included socioeconomic status, acculturation, academic achievement, instrumentality, expressiveness, gender role attitudes, parental and teacher support, family and career commitment, and percep tions of barriers. Results indicated that the initial model was plausi ble in the sample of Mexican American girls. Findings from the multipl e-groups analyses provided evidence supporting the primacy of cultural influences over gender in predicting the educational and career expec tations of Mexican American girls.