The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of first-generation college students of color in a predominantly White institution (PWI) who successfully completed the first two years of college. This qualitative research utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the perceptions of first-generation college students of color and how they viewed their secondary and post-secondary experiences. The conceptual framework was supported through the literature by analyzing the intersectionality of historical factors, socioeconomic status, critical race theory, and educational programs. Although these students of color faced the anxieties, confusion, and difficulties that all college students encounter when they transition to college, their challenges are heightened when coupled with other factors such as lower levels of college readiness, living in high crime communities, a lack of financial resources, a lack of family support, and limited knowledge pertaining to postsecondary education (Brown, 2008; Pascarella, et al. 2003; Strayhorn, 2006). Such factors create unique challenges for first-generation students of color, resulting in disparate academic achievement (Strayhorn). Participants in this study were selected using a criterion-based selection process. This study aimed to give voice to 12 students who self-identified as first-generation students of color, were classified as juniors attending the University of North Florida, and who were a part of the Jacksonville Commitment program. The Jacksonville Commitment program was selected for further study because the program provided students with wrap-around services that supported first-generation students’ persistence and social and academic development. Eisner’s (1998) educational criticism was the primary data analysis approach used in this study, supported by Hatch’s (2002) typological and interpretive analysis. Typological analysis divided the overall data set into categories or typologies. The four typologies identified in this study were: family relationships, socioeconomic status, resilience, and college retention and persistence. Interpretive analysis was used to extrapolate meaning and attach significance to the data. Thematics was used it identify recurring messages within the data (Eisner, 1998; Patton, 2002). Data analysis of the present study led to the development of three themes: (a) Students perceived that they persisted in college as a result of being exposed to a rigorous K-12 curriculum; (b) Students perceived that they persisted in college due to their support network; (c) Previous academic experiences contributed to the development of student self-efficacy. Students in this study challenged the deficit model which suggests that students without resources will not achieve. Instead, they were more aligned with the asset model that connects student success with the positive attributes that they possessed. The major implication from this study is that first-generation students of color have a greater chance of academic success if provided focused supports and academic preparation in primary and secondary schools to prepare them for the collegiate culture.

Choosing a college major and career are the most critical decisions that college students make and students are expected to make these impactful decisions early in their academic careers. First-generation, community college students are a group that are especially affected by this early decision process as they require the knowledge and experience to make informed decisions. Their parents often lack the experience to guide them through this process since they are unfamiliar with being a college student and providing the necessary support in this area. These barriers cause stress among these students and inefficiencies in the decisions that they make. Nevertheless, first-generation, community college students are a group that possess a tremendous amount of motivation and determination for reaching their goals regardless of the barriers they encounter. Community colleges and high schools are in a position to create intervention programs that help promote career development at a time when it’s most critical. The aim of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the decision-making process that first-generation, community college students experienced as they made college major and career choices. The study focused on understanding the factors that influenced students’ college major and career choices. This study found that the factors that influenced students’ college major and career choices were: a desire to break the cycle of poverty for a better life; the desire to set a good example; the desire to become something real; the exposure to knowledge, engaging instructors, and to authentic careers during their educational experience; knowing there is a future; and the support and guidance students received while pursuing their education. Furthermore, students reported that their exposure to knowledge, engaging instructors, and to their authentic careers during their educational experience, as well as the support and guidance they received, helped bolster their level of confidence about reaching their career goals, thus, providing students with a heightened sense of career self-efficacy. Results of this study indicated that having the proper support and guidance, both moral and financial, influenced the choices that they made related to their college majors and careers. Being confident about reaching a career goal gave students the determination and resiliency to keep moving forward in their academic path. Participants described their major and career choice process as confronting unclear futures with determination and resilience; encountering and overcoming financial barriers; being stressful; and as a process of searching. This new knowledge that emerged as a result of this study will assist counselors in utilizing effective counseling approaches in order to maximize the assistance provided to first-generation, community college students based on their actual career development needs. The study results will also help in directing the development of intervention programs focused on career development at community colleges and pre-collegiate institutions.

Sociologists offer a rich description of families from higher and lower social classes in their work. Some individuals, however, manage to break out of the system of social inequalities and receive an academic degree, even though their parents have a lower level of education. The aim of the thesis is to describe the specifics of such students and outline the psychological level of the given issue. Psychological oriented authors in other countries call this population first generation college students. In particular, key life moments that have influenced the individual's educational path will be examined. Another goal will be to find out how such individuals perceive themselves as a student and also find out which attributes are associated with this role. The research also focuses on the family and the wider social environment of the individual to discover whether this social environment provide some support. The thesis also contributed to explanation of motivation and integration as main factors associated with and academic success of students. The research method is semi-structured interviews and respondents were young people in Master's / engineering programs at universities. The basic condition was that they have parents without higher education. Data analysis revealed that for respondents are...

Growth mindset is an important component for a journey towards self-actualization. It is unknown if whole-person learning can assist development of that growth mindset for first-generation learners. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine if exposure to whole-person learning positively influences a growth mindset by exploring the relationship between whole-person learning and a growth mindset in first-generation learners. Whole-person learning was presented as a vehicle for developing that growth mindset towards self-actualization. Dweck's Mindset Survey scores were collected from first-generation learners who participated in orientation courses either with or without whole-person learning in 4 institutions (n = 177) using a pretest/posttest control group design. A mean analysis of the overall pretest and posttest score was conducted using a factorial ANOVA. No significant change in mindset was detected from the pretest (first week of orientation courses) to posttest (last week of orientation courses) based on exposure to whole-person learning. It was discovered through one-way ANOVA demographic analysis that Black first-generation learners had a significantly higher mindset mean score (7.1) than White first-generation learners. While it is still unknown if exposure to whole-person learning pre-disposes first-generation learners towards growth mindset, there was a positive implication in that Blacks appeared more pre-disposed to a journey of self-actualization when exposed to whole-person learning. The social change benefit for this implication is that an increased focus on affective learning may lead to higher success rates within academics, career, and personal satisfaction for Black first-generation learners. Future researchers should include faculty engagement with whole-person learning and the development of an instrument more conducive to measuring mindset for adult learners.

The economic sustainability of an area is largely dependent on the education level of its population, yet little is known about the role cultural racism may play in academic success. The purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the theory of cultural racism, defined as, the establishment of cultural institutions by whites/Europeans to the detriment of non-white people, as it relates to academic success at the college level. Data were collected from 100 participants from 3 predominately African American high schools in the Atlanta, Georgia area to explore whether the presence of cultural racism existed from the perspective of the participants, and the impact of cultural racism, income, and status as a first generation college student on self-reported academic success. Data were collected through a web-based survey which included the Index of Race-Related Stress questions and analyzed using logistic regression. Study results indicated a statistically significant relationship (p < .01) between the elements of cultural racism and academic success, suggesting that students who experienced cultural racism also experienced poor academic performance. Other variables, including income and whether the student was a first generation college student, also contributed to the overall collegiate academic achievement among this population. Indicators of positive social change stemming from this study include recommendations to policy makers at all levels of government to enhance diversity training for students and educators about the implications of cultural racism in order to ameliorate its negative effects, thereby promoting more economically stable and diverse communities.

The transport sector is seen as particularly problematic when concerns about climate change and dependency on fossil energy are discussed. Because of this, bioenergy is strongly promoted for use in the transport sector, both on a European level and nationally in Sweden. Even though bioenergy is considered one of the key solutions, it is generally agreed that both supply- and demand-side measures will be needed to achieve a change to a more sustainable transport system. One of the reasons for this is the limited availability of biomass, especially agricultural feedstocks competing with food or feed production. Woody biomass, however more abundant, is also exposed to tough competition from other sectors. In this thesis, the role of biogas as a vehicle fuel in a future sustainable transport system is discussed together with the prerequisites needed to realise such a transport system. Biogas is a biofuel that could be produced in several different ways: by anaerobic digestion, which is a first-generation production route, by gasification, which is a second-generation process, and by catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, a third-generation technology. The main focus in this thesis is on biogas produced by anaerobic digestion and the results show that there is a significant potential for an increase compared to today’s production. Biogas from anaerobic digestion, however, will only be able to cover a minor part of the demand in the Swedish transport sector. Considering biogas of the second and third generations, the potential for production is more uncertain in a mid-term future, mainly due to competition for feedstock, the possibility to produce other fuels by these processes, and the present immaturity of the technology. The limited potential for replacing fossil vehicle fuels, either by biogas or other renewable fuels, clearly shows the need for demand-side measures in the transport system as well. This thesis shows the importance of technical and non-technical means to decrease the demand for transport and to make the transport as efficient as possible. The results show that both energy-efficient vehicles and behavioural and infrastructural changes will be required. Policies and economic incentives set by governments and decision-making bodies have a prominent role to play, in order to bring about a shift to a more sustainable transport system, however, measures taken on individual level will also have a great impact to contribute to a more sustainable transport system. / <p>QC 20121116</p>

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 8, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-208).

Most of today's college students perceive higher education as the most critical element to their future success, quality of life, financial security, and general well-being. Consequently, more and more students entering colleges and universities choose to major in professional or pre-professional programs such as business, engineering, pre-med or pre-law. The majority of past research has concentrated on student attrition and retention in undergraduate education for the majority population. These studies have not enabled scholars to obtain a deeper understanding of the factors relating to minority populations -- especially those from the Hispanic community. In addition, the majority of these studies have not provided an understanding of students' progress and eventual success in legal education. The purpose of this study was to determine which variables from commonly accepted foundational theories on higher education retention, attrition, and student development are applicable to the first-year experiences of Hispanic students enrolled in a Juris Doctorate Program at an accredited law school at a public institution who are the first in their family to attend. Using both a survey instrument and narrative interviews, the study revealed that first-generation Hispanic students are disadvantaged compared to their peers when it came to understanding important law school financial, cultural, and academic issues. While family support, faculty relationships, law school study/support groups, academic mentoring, and academic advising positively influenced first-year progress; the respondents' cultural identity and race negatively impacted faculty and peer interactions both in and out of the classroom. The lack of need-based financial aid, higher tuition costs associated with legal education, tuition deregulation, increased debt from borrowing, and poor information about financial assistance all negatively affected their success. The negative effects of stress and anxiety permeated numerous first-year experiences including law school orientation, law school classes, final exams, grades, and figuring out how to pay for school. These results should help key stakeholders associated including faculty and administrators to better understand minority student issues and the impact of stereotype threats specific to the legal education context in an effort to reduce first-year attrition rates and improve minority access to the legal profession. / text

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of experiential learning on thinking styles among first-generation university students from low income families. 93 students were administered Thinking Style Inventory-Revised II (TSI-R2, Sternberg, Wagner & Zhang, 2007) (TSI) and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory-Adult Form (SEI-A). To examine the effect of experiential learning experience on thinking styles, participants responded to the TSI and SEI-A twice and reported the number of extra-curricular activities they joined over a 5-month period. It was found that experiential learning experience was positively correlated with more complex and creativity-generating thinking styles and higher levels of self-esteem for female students and in fact the aforementioned thinking styles were desirable and preferred for students. Findings of this study indicated that different kinds of extra-curricular activities were statistically significant for contributing to the development of certain thinking styles. Such as Volunteering contributed to the Judicial style, Exchange programme facilitated the development of the Hierarchical style and Internship discouraged the Conservative style development. Implications of these findings for teachers were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

With increasing numbers of first-generation college students enrolling in colleges and universities across the US, so too is the need to begin preparing such underrepresented students for graduate school and a career in academia. As a phenomenological case study of student transformation, this dissertation examines the experience of nine first-generation college students in the summer research portion of the Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program (McNair) at University of Arizona. The qualitative data collected includes in-depth interviewing, observing the students' in-class presentations on the progress of their summer research, and reviewing the students' written work. Drawing on Adult Transformational Learning Theory (Mezirow, 1991) and Gee's writings on student identity (2000) and Discourse (2005), this study primarily addresses the following questions: 1) How do UA McNair students take on and use the Discourse of research during the 10 week summer program? And 2) as they engage in the Discourse of research (in classes, with mentors, with peers, in written work), what academic identity transformations are observed (in the classroom, in interviews, and in written work)? Narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) was utilized to organize and examine the data, and research texts consist of academic biographies written for each student. Findings reveal that student transformation is the noticeable difference in the students' utilization and integration of a language system used to describe their summer research and to define their research interests. Defined as the Discourse of research, this becomes the basis for students enacting the identity of undergraduate researcher. As a cohort of nine McNair Scholars, students share the experience of undergraduate research and engage in conversations which address the insecurities they have as first-generation college students. Through this formation of an affinity group (Gee, 2005) and their utilization of the Discourse of research, students engage in critical reflection, reevaluate their academic identities, and begin preparing themselves for their transition from undergraduate students to first-year doctoral students.