Puerto Ricans

The basic assumption of this study is that
mainland and island schools reinforce a modality to achieve
which stresses contrasting achievement values. For example,
the value placed on competitive achievement in United States
schools seems to contradict the value placed on cooperative
achievement in Puerto Rican schools. In order to bridge the
gap between the school policies and practices of these two
different educational systems, in the sense that the school
refl ects an understanding and acceptance of differences in
the values underlying achievement potential, it was
imperative to undertake empirical exploration of the
relational value orientations and achievement modes of
islander and mainlander Puerto Rican college students.
Knowledge about these two areas facilitates an understanding
of the relational value orientations and achievement
potential learners bring into the school and any changes
undergone as a result of the school's socializing function.
The work of educators in pluralistic settings of the United
States as well as in Puerto Rico, especially in the areas of
curriculum and instruction, may be enhanced by a
comprehension of the relational value orientations and modes
of achievement potential prevalent among multicultural learners.