Native American undergraduate students' persistence intentions: a psychosociocultural perspective.

Attending to persistence intentions among Native American students enrolled in institutions of higher education is critical, given low retention rates. The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) we developed and examined the psychometric properties of a new measure, the Native American Collective Pursuits of Education (NACOPE), and (b) we explored persistence attitudes among 156 Native American students using Gloria and Rodriguez's (2000) psychosociocultural framework. Pilot data and exploratory analysis supported the psychometric properties of the NACOPE and its use to understand educational experiences for Native American students. Results also supported the prediction of culturally relevant noncognitive variables to persistence intentions. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for higher education are discussed.