Literature Review
Major Factors that Affect First-Generation Students
Introduction
Studies have shown that other students have a higher possibility of succeeding in college while others do not. It has been shown be past studies that some students pose retention problems and others do not. More specifically, first-generation college students are the ones that have a higher degree of retention problems. According to the USA Government’s Educational Opportunities Program, first-generation college students refers to students whose neither of the parent has completed a four-year degree in the United States of America before the student joined college. Past studies have thus shown that this is a well-founded concern that first generation students have a lower likelihood graduating college compared to their peers with at least one parent that has received a college education. The current explanations regarding the failure of success of college students majorly emphasize that there are some complex relationships between characteristics of the individuals and the characteristics of institutions. This literature review is therefore going to focus on the information that has already been reported by past studies on the factors that more greatly impact first generation student’s college success. This topic is generally approached in a number of ways. These include pre-college experience; educational mobility factors; choice of institution; degree expectations and subject; everyday life at university; and academic performance. Both the qualitative and quantitative research methods are used in approaching this topic. Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Don’t need this. Just get right to the point that first generation students face issues in succeeding and staying in college. Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Need to tell us demographics of first gen students in terms of race, SES, etc. Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Don’t need to say things like “this lit review” that is part of the process so people know what you are doing. Just say that there are a number of factors influencing first gen student success, you don’t have to tell us that you’re going to do that Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Need to talk about the types of research questions quant and qualitative research have respectively tried to answer on this topic. i.e. Qualitative studies have looked at how first gen students understand their experience (Smith 2000; Bradley 1999)
Micro-Level Factors Impacting First Generation Students Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Need to talk about owens study here
In their longitudinal study, Dennis et al. (2005) investigated the effects of motivational characteristics and environmental social supports on ethnic minority first-generation college students’ academic outcomes. Their study reported that motivation of these students to attend college based on desire to attain a rewarding career, personal interest, and intellectual curiosity were all important factors in predicting their college adjustment. Career and personal motivation were reported to be predictive of their college commitment. Spiegler and Bednareck (2013) in their international literature review on first-generation students reported that the major focal micro-points in first-generation student research include their experiences at the university, decisions about the institution, and academic outcomes. Sy and Brittian (2008) point out that family obligation of Latina American students negatively impact their ability to transition to their college lives because they have obligations to continue contributing to their families. Comment by Alexandra Olsen: This sentence should go at the beginning since their lit review tells us general things about this and the other studies are more specific/elaborate on this
Macro-level Factors Impacting First Generation Students Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Need to also talk about rodrick study in this section.
In their study, Collier and Morgan (2007) used data from focus groups to conduct an examination of the fit between the expectations of university faculty members and the understanding of those expectations by students. The findings of their study implied that even in groups of students with the similar academic abilities studying under similar learning environments, students from backgrounds that are less educationally advantaged have a lower likelihood of performing as well as those from families that are more educated. Owens and Lynch (2012) employed the use of survey data to carry out an examination on how and whether negative-ability stereotypes had any effect on the grades of a total of 1,865 first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation minority students at a total of 28 selective American colleges. The results of their study reported that immigrant students generally tend to resist such stereotype threats. Spiegler and Bednareck (2013) in their international literature review on first-generation students reported that the major focal macro-points in first-generation student research include pre-college characteristics, degree and subjects, and mobility factors. Comment by Alexandra Olsen: This is micro level, not macro level
Theoretical Tensions and Research Question
There is clearly a conflict in literature on as to whether micro-factors or macro-factors majorly contribute first generation student’s college retention. Though Dennis et al. (2005) support that Micro-level factors play an important role, they however point out that Family expectation motivation was not significantly associated with any college outcome variables in their study. Similarly, though Roderick, Coca, and Ngaoka (2011) agree that college aspirations and qualifications do not necessarily translate to student’s enrolment to four-year college education. A further research is thus required to understand why this is so. The research question, therefore, is: What level factors predominantly affect first-generation college student’s retention? Both the qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used to research this question to find out on whether the micro-level or macro-level factors predominantly predict first-generation student’s rate of college retention.
Works Cited Comment by Alexandra Olsen: Your works cited page should be titled References and currently is not in ASA format. Please refer to the document on EEE on how to properly cite in ASA format
Collier, Peter, and David Morgan. 2008."“Is that paper really due today?” differences in first- generation and traditional college students’ understandings of faculty expectations." Higher Education (00181560) 55, no. 4: 425-446. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 15, 2018).
Dennis, Jessica M., Jean S. Phinney, and Lizette Ivy Chuateco. 2005. “The Role of Motivation, Parental Support, and Peer Support in the Academic Success of Ethnic Minority First-Generation College Students.” Journal of College Student Development 46, no 3: 223-236
Owens, Jayanti, and Scott M. Lynch. 2012. "Black and Hispanic Immigrants’ Resilience against Negative-ability Racial Stereotypes at Selective Colleges and Universities in the United States." Sociology Of Education 85, no. 4: 303-325. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 15, 2018).
Roderick, Melissa, Vanessa Coca, and Jenny Nagaoka. 2011. "Potholes on the Road to College: High School Effects in Shaping Urban Students’ Participation in College Application, Four-year College Enrollment, and College Match." Sociology Of Education 84, no. 3: 178-211. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 15, 2018).
Spiegler, Thomas, and Antje Bednarek. 2013. “First-generation students: what we ask, what we know and what it means: an international review of the state of research.” International Studies in Sociology of Education 23, no 4: 318-337, DOI: 10.1080/09620214.2013.815441
Sy, Susan R., and Aerika Brittian. 2008. "The Impact of Family Obligations on Young Women’s Decisions During the Transition to College: A Comparison of Latina, European American, and Asian American Students." Sex Roles 58, no. 9-10: 729- 737. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 15, 2018).