The impact of social distance factors on students' academic achievement

According to Schumann (1978), social distance resulting from the interaction of sociolinguistic factors, influences the rate of linguistic development. One of the purposes of the present study was to investigate the extent to which the items developed to measure the social distance factors are congruent with Schumann”s seven hypothesized social distance factors. The variables included in his model are: Dominance, Enclose, Cohesive, Size, Congruent, Attitudes, and Intended Length of Residence. In addition, this study investigated the extent to which subjects” perceptions of: (a) Social Distance factors, (b) Initial Ability factors, and (c) Background factors affected students” academic achievement. The following research questions were investigated: 1. To what extent were the items developed to measure the Social Distance factors congruent with Schumann”s seven hypothesized Social Distance factors? 2. After statistically controlling for students” background characteristics ( i.e., Age of Arrival and Language Use) and initial ability to what extent did Social Distance affect students" academic achievement? The present study employed a correlational design. Subjects in the study were 228 junior and senior high students participating in English as a Second Language programs (ESL) in the state of Texas. The sample was selected from two different communities representing different possible degrees of Social Distance. A questionnaire designed to survey students” perceptions of Social Distance was used to assess the significance of those perceptions on school achievement. Factor analysis was conducted to determine the degree to which the items developed to measure the social distance factors were congruent with Schumann”s seven hypothesized Social Distance factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of Social Distance on subjects” academic achievement using the following model: Academic Achievement = Social Distance + Initial Ability + Background. The factor analysis results indicated the existence of eight separate factors in the model. They accounted for 73 [percent] of the variance in the first site, and 63[percent] of the variance for the second site. The factor pattern did not follow the hypothesized pattern described by Schumann. Specifically, the suburban Houston site with limited Power, low Enclose, and small in Size, was identified as representing a good language learning situation, while the U.S./Mexico site with some political and economical Power, highly enclose, and large in size, was identified as representing a poor language learning situation. The descriptive results for the suburban Houston site indicated a wide range of perceptions among for most of the Social Distance factors. The descriptive results for the U.S./Mexico border site revealed limited variance among subjects” perceptions of the Social Distance factors. Ain the regression equation of Schumann”s factors on Post Achievement and Initial Achievement, Preachievement factors had the strongest relation with Postachievement for both equations. Forty-nine percent of the variance was accounted for in the first site and 51[percent] of the variance for the second site. Schumann”s prediction of a relationship between Social Distance and students” performance in the target language was not evident in the present study. The Social Distance model was therefore not supported by the present study.