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Running head: INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

Informing and Motivating First-Generation Students


Lillianna S. Franco
Loyola University Chicago

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

Informing and Motivating First-Generation Students


Chapter One: Introduction
Attaining a higher education is associated with being more civically engaged and able to
obtain a more financially stable career. It is stated that those who achieve a higher education are
more likely to participate in their communities and be civically involved (Baum, Ma, & Payea,
2013). Moreover, among individuals ages 25-32 those who have a bachelors degree make an
annual earning of $45,500 while those who graduate from high school make $28,000 (Pew
Research Current Population Survey, 2013). Unfortunately, first-generation students are more
likely to be from low-income families, have lower academic success, have no support from
parents, and lack the desire to obtain a degree (Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora,
1996). According to the U.S. Department of Educations TRIO programs (2014), firstgeneration students are defined as students whose parents have never had any post-secondary
experience or only some. For first-generation students, a post-secondary education would
increase not only their cultural capital but also their socioeconomic status. Evidence shows that
first-generation students require an easier and supported transition from high school to college
(Terenzini et al., 1996). What is most challenging for first-generation students is that they lack
the information needed to make appropriate choices pertaining to a college enrollment (Baum et
al., 2013).
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the formats and ways in which first-generation
college students were informed about college. Moreover, this study will explore which formats
were more successful in making students feel motivated to attend college. Finally, the collected
data will be used to discover new possible ways of informing first-generation students.

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

Research Questions
How are first-generation college students learning about college? By asking this
question, it can help discover the different avenues from which first-generation students,
specifically, are learning about college resources and application processes. This will allow us to
gain a complete view of all the sectors these individuals have been able to utilize in order to gain
knowledge and information about higher education access.
What are the most effective and successful ways in which they are informed and
motivated to attend college? It is important to determine which formats of communication have
been more efficient and inspiring for first-generation students who require a more in depth
guidance. It isnt enough to uncover useful information avenues, it is also important to find what
are most supportive and inspiring formats for first-generation students, in order to help increase
their potential retention rate.
What are some new and innovated ways in which first-generation students can be reached
and informed about college? By utilizing the connection these first-generation students have to
other corresponding students, it is valuable to ask these students for input on other possible ways
other first-generation students can be reached with this valuable information and support.
Sources of Data
The sources of data that will be used to answer this question are first-generation freshmen
students from four-year institutions in the Chicago land area. Considering these individuals,
allow us to identify formats and ways students are learning about college currently. By
collecting surveys and following up with interviews during their freshman year of their fall
semester, we can narrow down the most effective and inspiring ways in which they were
encouraged to attend college.

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

General Methodology
This study, which includes a retrospective quantitative and a phenomenological
qualitative method, follows the fundamental principle of mixed research to provide extensive
data. I am using this method because I want the students we survey to recall their past and
describe their experiences in their interview. My hypothesis is that first-generation students,
which are the independent variable, are more likely to be informed and motivated to attend
college when they have a mentor or friend who supports them. Additionally, I hypothesize that
they have used various formats to discover more about the college process. The independent
variable is the information and motivation they may receive from someone who supports them. I
expect to discover ways in which students received appropriate information about applying to
college and motivation to complete a higher education. Moreover, I hope to inquire about other
possible approaches to dispersing information to first-generation students and about individuals
who could best support students who lack not only knowledge but aspirations to obtain a postsecondary degree.
Significance
Existing research describes what it means to be a first-generation student. Many articles
explain the negative hardships that first-generation students must overcome and all the failures
they have had due to a lack of information, guidance, and support. This study will look at the
success stories of first-generation individuals, who have overcome all the obstacles, and will
utilize these students to discover the appropriate way to help future students succeed. This will
further my field of study by providing me with some new and innovative approaches to sharing
college access information to first-generation students. By answering this research question, this
study could influence how technology, media, high schools, counselors, teachers, mentors, and

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

peers, inform and motivate first-generation students so they can be effectively engaged and
inspired to obtain their higher education.
Limitations
At this point, the obvious limitation with this study is that these first-generation
individuals may not identify with being a first-generation student and may not recognize whether
they had extra or better support. This is due to the fact that this identity may not be ingrained in
their character. Because these individuals are the first in their families to attend college, they
typically dont know about the higher education system and do not even realize that they can be
considered first-generation college students. Additionally, these students may receive negative
judgment by identifying as a first-generation student because culture and society looks down on
these types of students and therefore, they might not want to identify as such.
The validity of this proposed study would rely on the large variety of students involved.
However, there is always the slight chance that the data could be skewed if the majority of
students speak to their own personal experiences and those are not the same as the average
population. My participant pool includes Chicago land area four-year institution students. This
limits the experiences to only students from urban areas and those who decide to attend four-year
intuitions only. Even with these limitations, this study can still provide useful data that can be
compared to other research in other locations and to a larger amount of students.

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

Chapter Two- Review of Literature


Strengths and Weaknesses in Existing Literature
Previous research studies that relate to my topic have made major developments over the
years. First-generation college students were first accounted for in a journal article as the types
of students who were being directed to community colleges (Karabel, 1972). This evidently
exposed the fact that social class was stratifying these individuals. From here, many research
articles concentrated on the identification of first-generation students. Studies asked the
question: who are these students? For example, Nunez and Cuccaro-Alamin (1998) not only
described the definition of what it meant to be a first-generation student, they also detailed that
most first-generation students were low-income and identified with being a minority.
Additionally, they found that 43 percent of freshmen between 1989-1990 identified as firstgeneration (Nunez and Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998). With such solid statistics, other research was
inquired to identify more about this population of students and the choices they made in higher
education. Many studies followed that detailed factors about why first-generation students chose
the institutions that they did. Some of the reasons were related to cost, location and reputation.
One of the biggest challenges a first-generation student faces is not pursuing a more
academically challenging education because of the lack of knowledge of what they could achieve.
Many of the studies that followed showed that first-generation students not only lacked
motivation but also guidance in college and therefore, programs were implemented to help
support these students who were not being as successful as other students in college. Nunez and
Cuccaro-Alamin (as cited in Esten, 1998) detailed that students success in enrolling and
completing a post secondary education was dependent on their parents education. Furthermore,
their research analyzed how students felt after participating in TRIO programs. TRIO programs

INFORMING AND MOTIVATING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

provide student services to low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities in order to
increase their educational attainment (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). According to Esten
(1998), with regard to the highest levels of educational attainment achieved 10 years later, the
TRIO participants included in the HS&B Study reported greater academic success than did their
non-TRIO counterparts (p. 334). With the success of these types of programs and data
showcasing that the experimental programs worked, questions now emerged about specific
groups of first-generation students and their struggles before entering college.
Particular studies that concentrated on low-income and minority first-generation high
school students surfaced. They further detailed the negative influences and problems these
particular students faced. Low parent involvement, few positive expectations, unsuccessful
transitions to college, and the lack of support, were factors that attributed to the success of firstgeneration Hispanic/Latinos in college (Martinez, 2003). The positive to all of the previous
studies is that they helped set the foundation for further research. The strengths they contained
were detailing definitions and key words, examining the challenges faced, and observing
programs as possible solutions to some of those challenges.
The weaknesses to these studies are that they lacked many possible innovative solutions
to the various problems that had been highlighted for many years. For example, Terensini et al.
(1996) had identified three major themes, which they believed should be investigated, and they
included precollege expectations and choices, transitions to college, persistence during college.
Conversely, since the focus had been in identifying and observing some programs for college
students, little research was devoted to examining new solutions to college readiness and
transitions for high school students. Furthermore, not much thought was put into what one
solution could help solve all three problems as best as possible. Since then, little research has

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been held to investigate the types of programs that could help aid the question of access. One
study observed a university summer program that included high school first-generation students
and the questionnaire obtained confirmed that students aspirations to go to college increased
after attending the program (Lasselle, Keir, & Smith, 2009). While this study was a step in the
right direction, there is still a lack of research of new ways for engaging these youth.
Connections and Gaps Between Literature and My Research
Many of the previous literatures had gaps between the variables included in their studies
and are the ones I plan to use in mine. Research lacked the inclusion of high school aged
students who face challenges with college readiness; therefore, the variables of the students
grade levels were not taken into account. One of the few studies that examined high school
students scrutinized other modes of informing first-generation youth about college access by
focusing on technology. In particular this study researched how first-generation students utilized
social media to connect to others for information about college applications and support. They
found a positive correlation with first-generation students who inquired for help using social
media contacts (Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & Gray, 2013). This study is similar to my
research purpose however, their focus was solely on social media where as I am keeping it open
to find out which other formats, media forms, or specific individuals, are being utilized by firstgeneration students. I feel my study logically follows this study because it will be able to prove
their conclusion and validate it.
Some new studies have focused on how school counselors work with low income and
first-generation students to promote college access (Savitz-Romer, 2012). However, my research
will fill the gap between what structural advisors, such as counselors, could provide and what
other avenues in their environments and media can be utilized to find information about college

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applications and expectations. While my results will unite data that could be used to further gain
knowledge about how first-generation students are gaining college readiness, it will also gather
innovative ideas of what students are currently utilizing. I hope these results can contribute to
the field by opening a door for those who are stakeholders in the education sector to realize the
new ways in which we have to meet these specific students in order to obtain equity in our field.
Relevant Definitions
First-generation- When I refer to individuals who are first-generation students, I am describing
them as students whose parents attended little or no post-secondary institution.
Motivation- Students who have aspirations of obtaining a higher education and are enthusiastic
about attending college are motivated.
Expectations- What students are looking forward to in their future college education. This may
include positive and negative anticipation about what college will be like for them.
Low-income- When individuals do not surpass the poverty line, which is established by the
census bureau they are considered low-income.
Minority- Individuals who do not belong to the majority group in their community or school.
They are commonly segregated by their race, religion, or gender.
College readiness/access- The preparation that student receive through guidance, resources, and
information, as they plan out and execute their college choices.
Formats- When I refer to formats that students utilize to learn about college applications and
expectations, I am referring to what or whom they look to for information. This may include but
is not limited to the following: family members, friends, school teachers or counselors, social
media contacts, online informational websites, magazine, books, journal articles, online videos,
or television shows.

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Chapter Three- Method


The method that I will utilize for this study will include a retrospective quantitative
analysis and a phenomenological qualitative interview. Therefore, this study will include mixed
methods. I chose this method in order to gain a well-rounded understanding of how students
were informed and how they felt about it. This methodology will require participants, who are
independent variables and cannot be controlled, to take a non-experimental survey that will
inquire about their past and an in-person interview that will help describe their experience
receiving information about college. A representative sample of this population will be randomly
chosen to participate in this mixed methods research. I chose this methodology because the
variety of research that I have reviewed involved both quantitative and qualitative research. Both
methods are important to answering my research question because the survey will inquire about
formats that these individuals used to learn about college readiness information and the personal
interview will expand upon the perceptions and emotions that are had while gaining information
and transitioning into college. According to Eisner (as cited in Martinez, 2003) human feelings
do not pollute understanding. For this reason, I believe it is valuable to gain a deeper emotional
understanding of first-generation choices and college expectations.
Research Participants
A quota sampling method will be utilized to gather research participants so that I can
determine the appropriate sample size and characteristics of this population. All students should
identify with being a first generation college student. The sample will be comprised of 50
randomly selected college freshmen from ten private and public 4-year colleges from the
Chicago land region. There will be an equal amount of males and females who partake in the
study. Strategically, they will be asked to complete the research study during their fall semester

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of freshmen year so that the information gathered can be fresh in their minds and to understand if
their previously gained motivation has stayed consistent. In order to recruit students, flyers will
market the research study in a variety of four-year institutions in the Chicago land area.
Additionally, as an incentive each student who completes the research survey and the in-person
interview will receive a gift certificate to a bookstore. From my sample, I would collect
information about their age, gender, race, socio economic status, and they will be asked to verify
that they indeed are first-generation students. I will follow previous research studies, which
defined a first-generation student as a student whose parents did not graduated from college
(Wohn et al., 2013). By being consistent with other research studies, correlations can be made
and further connections can be identified as to why there is a lack of effective information for
first-generation students.
Instruments
Data for this study will be obtained by both a survey and an interview of this specific
population of students. This procedure is the most effective way of obtaining information
because it means going straight to the source and questioning what worked for them and
therefore, increasing reliability. The mixed methods approach is very important to gaining a
holistic understanding of what first-generation students have experienced and believe would best
benefit other students in the future. According to Johnson and Christensen (2012) mixed
research can integrate findings from both quantitative and qualitative research to insure a valid
conclusion; this is called meta-inference. Combining findings from both forms of studies will
prove validity.
The survey will include questions about the characteristics these first-generation students
identify with in order to gain a better understanding of the demographic of the students who

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participated in the study. Moreover, it will ask which individuals or things were fountains of
information for them. The first-generation students will be asked to choose from a list of
possible formats of information. The list will include: family members, friends, school teachers
or counselors, social media contacts, online informational websites, magazine, books, journal
articles, online videos, television shows, or other. Additionally, regardless of whether the avenue
of information came from human contact or resources, we will gain a deeper understanding
about which formats of information were most effective and motivating by asking which format
was more useful and inspiring (see Appendix A for descriptions of quantitative research
instruments). This questionnaire was created by observing other research studies that studied
similar concepts. For instance, Wohn et al. (2013) described three sources of social capital that
first-generation students could have encountered to receive college readiness information. While
that study only focused on family, friends, and social media, my study will encompass more
forms of information that students may find more reliable or helpful. Therefore, my questions
will be less narrow and more accurate because they will obtain a more wide range of possible
outcomes.
When constructing my questionnaire, I made sure that my questions would help answer
my research questions. I realized that if I were to ask freshmen to recall their past experiences
and opinions, it was important to make the survey clear and short. Furthermore, I determined
that for my survey, I would ask closed-ended questions in order to just gain specific data that
would help identify major themes. Since I decided to choose a mixed methods design, I would
utilize the in-person interview to ask open-ended questions. The protocol for my interview
would consist of meeting individually with each students and using a tape recorder so I am able
to code the responses later. I will inform students that they are being tape-recorded and then, I

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will ask each participant to sign a document that allows me to utilize this information for the
study. Next, I will try to build rapport with the student by starting with open-ended questions
that probe them for the interview. Then, I will go deeper by asking these first-generation
students about their feelings regarding a variety of formats of gaining understanding about
college readiness. I will ask them to describe the most useful and effective resource they
obtained and I will ask them to elaborate when they discuss the one that makes them feel most
motivated. I am looking to find new and innovative ways in which these students found
resources in their environments (see Appendix B for descriptions of qualitative research
instruments). I will be focused on being cognitive of their gender, age and culture because those
may have an effect on their lived experiences and opinions.
Procedure
First, students will be recruited using flyers, which describe the incentive, in Chicago
land region four-year institutions. Once the students respond to the flyer, they will have to verify
that they are indeed freshmen in college and identify as first-generation college students in order
to be selected. Data will be collected by conducting the research in two phases. Both phases
will be of equal status and they will be taken sequentially to be able to identify and analyze key
themes in order to prepare for the personal interview in the second phase. This study includes a
retrospective quantitative survey and a phenomenological qualitative interview. First, students
will be asked to respond to a survey, which is non-experimental, to identify formats from which
these first-generation college students gained information about college and obtained college
readiness resources. They will also be asked to share with us which format they felt was most
effective and motivating. This method was included to increase our information about their past
experiences.

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Secondly, they will be interviewed, in person, to ask open-ended questions that will
hopefully get to the detailed reason as to why the information they received in previous years
was effective. Next, I will try to determine their current motivation in college and how it has
changed from when they were first inspired to attend college. Furthermore, the personal
interview will be used to inquire about other possible approaches to inform and motivate younger
first-generation students about college. The phenomenological qualitative interview will be used
so that we understand the individuals lived experiences and inner feelings toward possible
resources gained. Again, the interviews will be recorded and coded to collect the data and to be
further analyzed. This method was included to increase the depth of the knowledge pertaining to
this subject by discovering its essence.
The validity of the results from the quantitative survey will rely on the truthfulness of the
students. However, what I can control is creating a survey that is easily understood and clearly
defines words and themes. In the qualitative data, the validity will depend on not including my
biases in the interview and allowing the participant to express their own feelings. In order to
verify that both the quantitative and qualitative results are valid, I have ordered the phases to
follow each other in order to insure sequential validity. The quantitative survey will ask
questions that can be later expanded upon in the qualitative interview; therefore, disregarding
any invalid or confusing answers.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
The demographic data collected from the survey will be used to quantify the most
resourceful format first-generation students utilized to obtain college readiness preparation.
Moreover, that data will identify relationships among exhaustive categories. For example, the
most effective formats will be crossed analyzed with the ones that felt most motivating. This

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will allow us to statistically analyze in a graph which fountain of information is not only most
effective but also inspiring among first-generation students. Likewise, the qualitative data will
also allow us to gain a better understanding of experiences and feelings of obtaining knowledge
and stimulus to attend college. The analysis of the qualitative method will be found by carefully
focusing on the experiences held within the phenomenon. The data from the interview will be
coded to find highlighted themes among what all the individuals shared to find the common trait
for receiving effective and motivating college information. The mixed data analysis would allow
us to create a matrix in which we can discover easier or new innovative ways that firstgeneration students can be best informed about college and hold positive expectations about it.
The point of this study is to collect a rich and holistic description of what has previously helped
guide first-generation students and discover new forms of helping this special population of
students who seem to be disadvantaged when trying to find resources and support.

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Appendix A
Survey questionnaires will be collected and student will be asked to answer demographic
questions, questions about the way they gained college readiness information, and which format
made them feel most comfortable. Questions asked will include the following:
1.

From which of the following formats did you learn about the college
application process? Choose all that apply.
a. Family Members
b. Friends
c. School Teachers and Counselors
d. Social Media Contacts
e. Online Informational Websites
f. Magazines
g. Books
h. Journal Articles
i. Online Videos
j. Television Shows
k. Other: _________________

2.

Which of the above options was most resourceful and useful in gaining college
readiness information?

3.

Which of the above options was most motivational and inspiring to you to
attend college and achieve a higher education?

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Appendix B
In-person interviews will be conducted and student will be asked to answer open-ended
questions about their responses from the survey completed in order to gain a more. Questions
asked will include the following:
1. Describe what it is like to be a first-generation college student?
2. Describe how you learned about the college application process?
a. Who or what informed you?
b. Which format was most beneficial?
c. Which was least beneficial?
3. What are some of the resources you gained or did not gain from these formats?
4. Describe how you learned about what you could expect in college?
a. Who or what informed you?
b. Which format was most beneficial?
c. Which was least beneficial?
5. Which format made you feel most motivated and least motivated to attend college?
a. Why?
6. Has your motivation changed or stayed the same after starting your freshmen year of
college?
a. Why or why not?
7. What are some other possible or innovated ways in which you think other firstgeneration students can be reached and informed about college and what to expect in
college?
8. What ways do you think they can be better motivated to attend college?

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