First-Generation Students, College Majors and Gendered Pathways

It is estimated that 15-22% of students have high levels of test anxiety (von der Embse, Jester, Roy, & Post, 2018), which can be associated with greater academic stress and poorer educational performance (e.g., Steinmayr, Crede, McElvany, & Withwein, 2016). First-generation students (where neither parent has completed post-secondary education) are a critical group to study given that they are at higher risk for poorer educational attainment and being unsuccessful at the post-secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between basic psychological needs and test anxiety in a sample of first-generation Ontario high school students across two points in time (N = 147; Mage = 14.82, SD = 1.28). Self-report data was collected as a part of an on-going longitudinal study focusing on students attending a high school with specialized programming to enhance the transition to post-secondary institutions. Results from cross-lagged path analyses indicated that being older, female, and having higher levels of needs frustration significantly predicted higher levels of test anxiety over time within this sample. Our results highlight important educational implications, emphasizing the importance of fostering classroom environments where students perceive their psychological needs to be met, particularly within this unique population of students.

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The effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and type of degree attained: evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021003104 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-22

Author(s):

Julia A Wolfson ◽

Noura Insolera ◽

Alicia J Cohen ◽

Cindy W Leung

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

First Generation ◽

Degree Attainment ◽

Panel Study ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Household Food Security ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Effect Of Food ◽

Nationally Representative

Abstract Objective: To examine the effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and degree attainment. Design: Secondary analysis of longitudinal panel data. We measured food insecurity concurrent with college enrollment using the 18-question USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Educational attainment was measured in 2015-2017 via two questions about college completion and highest degree attained. Logistic and multinomial-logit models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were estimated. Setting: United States (US) Participants: A nationally representative, balanced panel of 1,574 college students in the US in 1999-2003 with follow-up through 2015-2017 from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Results: In 1999-2003, 14.5% of college students were food insecure and were more likely to be older, non-White, and first-generation students. In adjusted models, food insecurity was associated with lower odds of college graduation (OR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.88, p=0.01) and lower likelihood of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree (RRR 0.57 95% CI: 0.35, 0.92, p=0.02) or graduate/professional degree (RRR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.86, p=0.022). These associations were more pronounced among first-generation students. 47.2% of first-generation students who experienced food insecurity graduated from college; food insecure first-generation students were less likely to graduate compared to first-generation students who were food secure (47.2% vs. 59.3%, p=0.020) and non-first-generation students who were food insecure (47.2% vs. 65.2%, p=0.037). Conclusions: Food insecurity during college is a barrier to graduation and higher degree attainment, particularly for first-generation students. Existing policies and programs that help mitigate food insecurity should be expanded and more accessible to the college student population.

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Shape-shifting and pushing against the odds: staff perceptions of the experiences of first generation students in South Africa and the UK

The Australian Educational Researcher ◽

10.1007/s13384-021-00438-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Forsyth ◽

Claire Hamshire ◽

Danny Fontaine-Rainen ◽

Leza Soldaat

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

South Africa ◽

First Generation ◽

Teaching Practice ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Staff Perceptions ◽

Staff Members ◽

Diversity And Inclusion ◽

University Life ◽

The Uk

AbstractThe principles of diversity and inclusion are valued across the higher education sector, but the ways in which these principles are translated into pedagogic practice are not always evident. Students who are first in their family to attend university continue to report barriers to full participation in university life. They are more likely to leave their studies early, and to achieve lower grades in their final qualifications, than students whose families have previous experience of higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a mismatch between staff perceptions and students’ experiences might be a possible contributor to these disparities. The study explored and compared staff discourses about the experiences of first generation students at two universities, one in the United Kingdom (UK), and the other in South Africa (SA). One-to-one interviews were carried out with 40 staff members (20 at each institution) to explore their views about first generation students. The results showed that staff were well aware of challenges faced by first generation students; however, they were unsure of their roles in relation to shaping an inclusive environment, and tended not to consider how to use the assets that they believed first generation students bring with them to higher education. This paper explores these staff discourses; and considers proposals for challenging commonly-voiced assumptions about students and university life in a broader context of diversity and inclusive teaching practice.

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How College Affects First - Generation Students

About Campus Enriching the Student Learning Experience ◽

10.1002/abc.6190010503 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 1 (5) ◽

pp. 9-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Howard B. London

Keyword(s):

First Generation ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Research Project

For many first-generation students, college is a transforming experience—one that requires students to play out powerful intellectual, psychological, family, and cultural dramas. Drawing on a multiyear research project he conducted with a group of colleagues, the author describes these dramas, their effects on students, and what colleges can do to help as students play them out.

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