Literature and Methodology

Literature and Methodology

Literature Review

Recent research on the education level of U.S immigrants over the last decade shows a significant increase compared to the native-born whose education has not increased dramatically. Compared with U.S born population, immigrants in higher levels of education are likely to hold bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees. Previous research conducted also show that the U.S has more immigrants than any other nation in the world, and with education levels increasing in different parts of the globe, governments have invested in their educational system. Though more research is needed, this review aims to analyze the findings from various scholarly articles.

According to Krogstad and Radford (2018), 30.0%  of immigrants age 25 and older had a postgraduate or a bachelor’s degree compared to 31.6% of U.S. natives as of 2016. Due to the rising levels of education in many parts of the world, 44 million immigrants in the United States are better educated than ever. The global literacy level had increased from 56% in the 1980s to 85% in 2014. Furthermore, changes in the origin of U.S. immigrants have also contributed to the increased share in higher education. Numbers of immigrants from Asia has grown steadily, while those from Mexico and Central America are declining. Latin Americans tend to have lower levels of education compared to immigrants from Asia who make up a majority of international students.

According to Zong & Batalova (2016), the number of immigrants with higher education in the U.S. has grown twice the rate of the same population among the U.S. born. According to the study, in 2014, 10.5 million immigrants had a college degree or higher, representing almost 29 percent of the total U.S born population age 25 and above. This was a 78 percent increase compared to the 39 percent increase on native-born U.S. higher education population. Camarota & Zeigler (2018), further states that from 2007 to 2017, newly immigrants with at least college degree increased from 34 percent to 49 percent while those without a high school diploma decreased from 34 percent to 16 percent. The natives’ education also increased but not as significant as immigrants. According to the study, the substantial increase in education of new immigrants does not overly affect the existing stock of immigrants.

According to Pivovarova &Powers (2017), when immigrants are disaggregated according to factors such as country of origin, race or economic status, their educational outcomes compared to the natives also vary.  According to the study, the academic achievement of generational immigrant students compared to white native students varies. In addition, an immigrant advantage in mathematics among Asian students and white native students was recorded. In understanding these academic achievements among immigrant students compared to natives, the study reveals that immigrant students are most likely to be from places with a high level of poverty. This makes them more ambitious in their academics so that they can change their lives.

On the difference in academic achievement between the immigrant students and native students, Santos et al. (2016), states that parental educational levels also play a significant role.  According to the study, the economic and material resources of families should be considered. The main differences in student are also affected by the perception of family support and control. The study further reveals that there have been few studies on academic success or expectations and perceived family support on the school life of immigrant students.

Methodology

This study will be based on a qualitative analysis of data from scholarly articles that compares U.S immigrants’ education level against the native population. Data analyzed from these scholarly articles will help in understanding the phenomena. A comparative approach will also be used to define crucial concepts and develop variables that represent the theoretical relationship derived from the core subject.

References

Camarota, S. A., & Zeigler, K. (2018, April 17). Better Educated, but Not Better Off. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from https://cis.org/Report/Better-Educated-Not-Better

Krogstad, J. M., & Radford, J. (2018, September 14). Education levels of U.S. immigrants are on the rise. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/14/education-levels-of-u-s-immigrants-are-on-the-rise/

Powers, J. M., & Pivovarova, M. (2017). Analyzing the achievement and isolation of immigrant and US-born students: Insights from PISA 2012. Educational Policy, 31(6), 830-857.

Santos, M. A., Godás, A., Ferraces, M. J., & Lorenzo, M. (2016). Academic Performance of Native and Immigrant Students: A Study Focused on the Perception of Family Support and Control, School Satisfaction, and Learning Environment. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 1560. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01560

Zong, J., Zong, J. B. J., & Batalova, J. (2017, March 2). College-Educated Immigrants in the United States. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/college-educated-immigrants-united-states