- Adolescents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are exposed to violence that can negatively impact them, but neighborhood characteristics alone did not predict adolescents' academic self-efficacy. - Adolescents with high academic self-efficacy tended to have high GPAs and sense of school belonging. When adolescents are confident in their academic abilities, they are more likely to enjoy school and engage in behaviors that promote success. - The study found that neighborhood success and academic self-efficacy positively predicted 7th grade GPA and sense of school belonging, while neighborhood factors alone did not predict self-efficacy.

1. Conclusion
Adolescents who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods
are exposed to violence and danger that can negatively
impact their ability to navigate their external environments
(Sharkey, 2006). Neighborhood characteristics did not
predict adolescents’ academic self-efficacy. Perhaps,
adolescents’ academic self-efficacy is more affected by their
interactions in schools and with parents who may protect
their adolescents from the disorganization of the
neighborhood. However, parents who thought neighborhood
youth had high chances of success had adolescents who had
high GPAs and high sense of school belonging. In addition,
youth in neighborhoods with more institutional resources
had higher school belonging. These resources may keep
youth from getting involved with negative activities and
peers and provide other sources of supervision beyond
parents.
Adolescents with high academic self-efficacy also
tended to have high GPAs and a high sense of school
belonging. When adolescents are confident in their academic
abilities they are more likely to enjoy school and engage in
academic behaviors that promote academic success.
There were a few limitations to the study.
Neighborhood quality was only based off of the primary
caregiver’s perceptions. The participants were only in 7th
grade, classifying them in the early stages of their
adolescence. Their views about neighborhood might differ if
they were in another grade.
For future research it would be important to assess if
adolescents’ perceptions of neighborhood quality impacted
their academic self-efficacy. Another future direction would
be examining if there is a relationship between adolescents’
perception of neighborhood quality and their primary
caregivers’ assessment.
Deborah O. Adewale and Fatima Varner, PhD
Fordham University
Literature cited
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From the Streets to the Classroom: The Relationship
Between Neighborhood Quality and Adolescent Academic
Outcomes
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to explore how neighborhood
quality is related to early adolescents’ self-efficacy and how these
contribute to adolescent’s academic outcomes. Understanding the
relationship between neighborhood quality and adolescents’
outcomes can show how perceived neighborhood problems can
negatively impact student performance in school. The study uses
data collected from wave one of the Maryland Adolescent
Development In Context Study (MADICS). Neighborhood
variables did not predict academic self-efficacy. Neighborhood
success and academic self-efficacy positively predicted final 7th
grade GPA and school belonging. The study findings can be used as
a stepping stone to develop programs that can be used address
neighborhood-school connections.
Introduction
Disorganized neighborhoods (i.e, unsatisfactory, unsafe, unstable,
and/or unsupportive neighborhoods) have been found to negatively
relate to mental health (Snedker and Hooven, 2013), self-efficacy,
and academic outcomes (Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000).
Neighborhood problems and negative neighborhood peers can
distract adolescents from academic performance. However,
resources within a neighborhood such as recreation centers and
positive older role models help protect adolescents from getting
involved in the disorganization of the neighborhood and aid in the
positive growth of adolescents (Sharkey, 2006).
When parents perceive their neighborhood to be disorganized (i.e.
violent, dangerous, visible gang activity), they may engage in more
monitoring of their child (Byrnes, Miller, Chen, & Grube, 2011).
With very high levels of monitoring, adolescents may feel
restricted in their freedom and personal growth, which may
undermine self-efficacy.
The level of adolescents’ self-efficacy determines how much
adolescents can handle what comes to them (Wigfield & Eccles,
2000).
Adolescents with positive views of their neighborhood tend to
have high self-efficacy (Sharkey, 2006).
Self-efficacy has been found to relate to academic achievement
(Eccles & Roeser, 2009)
Hypothesis
Neighborhood quality will positively predict adolescents’
academic self-efficacy.
Neighborhood quality will be positively related to adolescent
academic performance and school belonging.
Adolescents’ academic self-efficacy will be positively related to
adolescent academic performance and school belonging.
Method
Sample: 1,158 adolescents and their families were assessed. The
primary caregivers (PCG) were mainly female (92.7%). The
adolescents were 7th
grade males (49.8%) and females (50.2%).
Measures
Neighborhood Hazards: 14 items, α = .96; e.g. Do you think the
following is a problem: prostitution; sexual assault or rape; gang;
1(not a problem) to 3 (big problem); PCG report
Neighborhood Success: 3 items, α = .86; e.g., Teens in
neighborhood have a chance to go to college; Teens in
neighborhood have a chance of finding a stable job; 1 (very
unlikely) to 4 (very likely); PCG report
Institutional Resources: 6 items, α = .71; e.g., Do you have after-
school programs in your community?; PCG report
Adolescent Self-Efficacy: 8 items, α = .80; e.g. How good are you
in math?, How good are you in other school subjects?; adolescent
report
Academic Self-Efficacy: 4 items, α = .79; e.g. How well do you so
in school?; adolescent report
7th
grade GPA: Scale: 0-4; school record data
School Belonging: 10 items, α = .77; e.g., You don’t feel like you
belong at school; Classes are a waste of time; You look forward to
going to school every day (reversed); 1(strongly agree) to 5
(strongly disagree); adolescent report
African American: Dummy Variable with European Americans as
comparison group
First Born: Is the target child the oldest?; PCG report
Primary Caregiver’s Income: Less than $5,000 to More than
$75,000; PCG report
Primary Caregiver’s Education: number of years of education
(min: 5, max: 26); PCG report
Results
Descriptive Analyses
 African American adolescents report more school
belonging than European Americans
The average income of primary caregivers is $45,000 to
$49,999
European American primary caregivers, on average, earned
more income than African Americans and reported more
successful adolescents within their neighborhood
Girls had higher GPAs and sense of school belonging than
boys
Table 2. Effects of Neighborhood Quality, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Demographic Variables on Academic
Outcomes
Table 1. Effect of neighborhood qualities on Academic Self-Efficacy
Regression Analyses
Neighborhood variables did not predict academic self-
efficacy
Academic Self-Efficacy in adolescents is significantly
correlated with positive GPA in 7th graders
Adolescents who have high GPA and report high sense of
school belonging have caregivers who report more success
among adolescents in the neighborhood.
7th
GPA School Belonging
B SE B t B SE B t
Intercept 4.10 .05 89.87 -.05 .06 -.77
Female .52 .04 12.55** .20 .05 3.73**
First-born .04 .04 .91 .01 .06 .23
African American -.33 .04 -7.37** .24 .06 4.17**
Primary Caregiver Educational
Attainment
.05 .01 5.55** -.02 .01 -1.88
Primary Caregiver Income .02 .01 4.35** -.01 .01 -.88
Institutional Resources .02 .08 .27 .22 .10 2.20*
Neighborhood Success .10 .03 3.29* .14 .04 3.58**
Neighborhood Hazards -.04 .04 -1.03 -.08 .05 -1.62
Academic Self-Efficacy .31 .02 15.90** .35 .03 13.73**
R2
.384 .174
Academic Self-Efficacy
β SE B B
African American .006 .067 .014
Female .007 .063 .015
First-born -.004 .064 -.008
Primary Caregiver Educational Attainment .091** .015 .041
Primary Caregiver Income .068 .009 .018
Neighborhood Hazards -.016 .057 -.030
Neighborhood Success -.006 .046 -.008
Neighborhood Efficacy -.004 .116 -.016