The Effects of Self-Efficacy on Academic Success of First-Generation College Sophomore Students

2010 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mui Vuong ◽  
Sharon Brown-Welty ◽  
Susan Tracz
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
College Sophomore ◽  
First Generation College

A Longitudinal Investigation of First-Generation College Students’ Mentoring Relationships During Their Transition to Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110227
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Hagler ◽  
Kirsten M. Christensen ◽  
Jean E. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
First Year ◽  
School Membership ◽  
Longitudinal Investigation ◽  
First Generation College

Non-parent mentoring relationships are important protective factors for first-generation college students. Previous research has focused on singular mentoring relationships measured at one time point, failing to capture the breadth and dynamic nature of social networks. The current study is a longitudinal investigation of first-generation students’ mentoring networks during their transition to college at a four-year, predominantly minority-serving commuter university. At the beginning and end of their first year, students (N = 176) responded to online surveys on their mentoring relationship(s), attitudes toward help-seeking, and college experiences. Cumulative support from pre-college mentoring relationships retained across the first year was positively associated with self-efficacy. Support from newly acquired mentoring relationships was positively associated with psychological sense of school membership. Network orientation was positively associated with self-efficacy and sense of school membership. These findings highlight the importance of diverse mentoring networks and demonstrate the utility of collecting longitudinal data on multiple mentoring relationships.

A Psychosociocultural View of Hispanic First-Generation College Students’ Graduation Rates

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110562
Author(s):  
Christian A. Latino ◽  
Justine Radunzel ◽  
Jason D. Way ◽  
Edgar Sanchez ◽  
Alex Casillas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

First-generation college students (FGCS), nearly 50% of which identify as Hispanic, are an underserved population. The psychosociocultural theoretical framework posits that individual, environmental, and cultural factors contribute to the academic success of Hispanic students. This study examined the relationship between these factors (i.e., demographics, academic self-efficacy, meeting with professors, and attending cultural programming) to 6-year bachelor’s degree attainment and time to bachelor’s degree attainment among Hispanic students at a Hispanic Serving Institution ( n  =  358). Being better prepared academically, being female, and having greater academic self-efficacy were positively related to bachelor’s degree attainment; FGCS status was negatively related. Among students who graduated ( n  =  208), entering college being better prepared academically, and having greater academic self-efficacy were related to quicker bachelor’s degree attainment; FGCS status was not significantly related. Practitioners may pay more attention to Hispanic students’ academic self-efficacy and the success of Hispanic male students.

scholarly journals Understanding the Transient Nature of STEM Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Across Time: Considering the Role of Gender, Race, and First-Generation College Status

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaylee Litson ◽  
Jennifer M. Blaney ◽  
David F. Feldon
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Over Time

Developing research self-efficacy is an important part of doctoral student preparation. Despite the documented importance of research self-efficacy, little is known about the progression of doctoral students’ research self-efficacy over time in general and for students from minoritized groups. This study examined both within- and between-person stability of research self-efficacy from semester to semester over 4 years, focusing on doctoral students in biological sciences (N = 336). Using random intercept autoregressive analyses, we evaluated differences in stability across gender, racially minoritized student status, and first-generation student status. Results showed similar mean levels of self-efficacy across demographic groups and across time. However, there were notable differences in between-person and within-person stability over time, specifically showing higher between-person and lower within-person stability for racially minoritized and first-generation students. These findings indicate that racially minoritized and first-generation students’ research self-efficacy reports were less consistent from semester to semester. Such results may indicate that non-minoritized and continuing-generation students’ experiences from semester to semester typically reinforce their beliefs about their own abilities related to conducting research, while such is not the case for racially minoritized nor first-generation students. Future research should examine what types of experiences impact self-efficacy development across doctoral study to offer more precise insights about factors that influence these differences in within-person stability.

scholarly journals Decoding the Hidden Curriculum: Latino/a First Generation College Students’ Influence on Younger Siblings’ Educational Trajectory

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Delgado
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Research University ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Past Research ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Older Siblings

Past research demonstrates that familial and community support can aid the academic success of Latino/a students. However, few studies explore how older siblings influence their younger siblings’ education trajectory including primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews with Latino/a first generation college students at a large research university in Southern California, I find that older siblings assist their younger family members by (a) choosing schools, (b) assisting with reading comprehension, (c) helping with homework assignments, and (d) post high school preparation. In doing do, they demystify norms and rules about education and attempt to position their loved ones on a path of upward mobility. I capture the labor Latino/a children of immigrants provide to their families and how these contributions can result in tensions between parents and children. Findings advance frameworks in immigrant brokering, Latino/a families, and education.

University Makerspaces: More Than Just Toys

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan C. Hilton ◽  
Shaunna F. Smith ◽  
Robert L. Nagel ◽  
Julie S. Linsey ◽  
Kimberly G. Talley
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Frequent User ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Design Skills ◽  
Hispanic Serving

University makerspaces are growing increasingly in vogue, especially in Colleges of Engineering, but there is little empirical evidence in the literature that these spaces impact the students. Speculations have been made about these spaces creating a community of practice, improving retention, improving design skills and self-efficacy, teaching manufacturing skills, improving creativity, and providing many other benefits, but this has not been empirically documented. This paper compares student engineering design self-efficacy (i.e., confidence, motivation, expectation of success, and anxiety toward conducting engineering design) to reported usage rates from a makerspace at a large Hispanic-serving university in the Southwestern United States. Not all users of these spaces were engineering students, and as such, responses were examined through the context of student major as well as differences in gender, race/ethnicity, or first-generation college student status. Design self-efficacy is critical because when individuals have high self-efficacy for particular skills they tend to seek more opportunities to apply those skills, and show more perseverance in the face of set-backs. Thus, self-efficacy is often a good predictor of achievement. The results from one year of data at the Hispanic-serving university indicate that female and first-generation college students have significantly lower engineering design self-efficacy scores. The data also shows that being a user of the makerspace correlates to a higher confidence, motivation, and expectation of success toward engineering design. Initial data from two additional schools are also consistent with these same results. These results indicate that, for all students, regardless of race/ethnicity and/or first generation status, being a frequent user of a university-serving makerspace likely positively impacts confidence, motivation, and expectation of success toward engineering design.

First-Generation College Students’ Persistence Intentions in Engineering Majors

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patton O. Garriott ◽  
Rachel L. Navarro ◽  
Lisa Y. Flores
Keyword(s):  
Parental Support ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Outcome Expectations ◽  
Physiological Arousal ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
First Generation College Student ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
First Generation College

This study examined the relationship between parental support, engineering-related (realistic/investigative themed) learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and persistence intentions in a sample of first-generation college student (FGCS) engineering majors ( N = 130). Parental support was assessed at the conclusion of an academic year and modeled as a predictor of other engineering-related variables assessed a year later using the social cognitive career theory framework. Results showed that parental support predicted realistic/investigative-themed verbal persuasion and vicarious learning, while realistic/investigative-themed performance accomplishments and physiological arousal predicted engineering self-efficacy. Realistic/investigative performance accomplishments also predicted outcome expectations. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations were predictors of engineering persistence intentions. Contrary to expectations, self-efficacy did not significantly predict outcome expectations. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationships of realistic/investigative-themed performance accomplishments and physiological arousal to persistence intentions were explained by self-efficacy. Results are discussed in terms of increasing retention of FGCS in engineering.

Blazing a Trail to First Generation Success

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-47
Author(s):  
Jehangir Pheroze Bharucha
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Cultural Transition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
First Generation College

While higher education is rich in diversity and rewards, it can be particularly arduous for first-generation college students. This paper reports the results of a qualitative research study investigating the college experiences, identity development, and issues faced by this student subpopulation that moved from sixth-form and completed the undergraduate programme at a midsized public university in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. These students have faced and managed to overcome a host of academic, socio-economic, emotional, and cultural challenges. The parents' low socio-economic status is the biggest barrier to the academic success of these students. They viewed their status as a source of strength. The biggest cultural transition faced by the participants involved bringing their student identity home. It is hoped that the results of this study will offer some fresh perspectives into the continuing discussion on first generation students.

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