CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

Many stakeholders in the United States higher education systems may wonder why seeking academic help is an issue for the first-generation college students (FGCS). Higher education has been a priority of the United States global policy in recent decades, mainly if the US is to maintain and elevate its competitive status in the global economy (McFarland et al., 2018). Of the 11.6 million jobs created since 2010, up to 95% required some training, especially at the post secondary level of education (Carnevale, Jayasundera, & Gulish, 2016). However, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that only 58.3% of the fall 2012 cohort obtained education credentials within six years of starting college (Shapiro et al., 2018). The percentages are substantially lower for underrepresented minority students, with only 47.6% completion rate for Black students and 57.4% for Hispanic students.

The US Census Bureau predicted that the minority population of the US would have outnumbered the White population by 12.8% by the year 2060 (Colby & Ortman, 2015). The demographics change indicates that there will be more minority students attending post secondary institutions. Many minority students lead their families in having education beyond high school. Regarding to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), over one-third of all incoming freshman each year are first-generation college students (FGCS) (Cataldi, EBennett, & Chen, 2018). While FGCS enhance the diversity of thought and improve opportunities for learning to higher education, they bring an equally diverse set of needs. Approximately 89% of low-income FGCS leave college within six years without a degree (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2018a). Over one-quarter of these students leave after their first year. Only about 11% of low-income FGCS are awarded with college or university degrees within six academic years.

First-Generation College Students (FGCS)

FGCS are a unique demographic group because they are the first in their extended facilities to study in universities or colleges, which translates to people of a high social-class (Stephens, Hamedani, & Destin, 2014). One of the prime aspects of concern is the lack of a unified definition of what constitutes FGCS (Toutkoushian, Stollberg, & Slaton, 2018).  As such, this research defines FGCS as students whose parents or guardians do not attend college or successfully earn a college degree (Ward, Siegel, & Davenport, 2012). For example, should a student be categorized as first-generation based on their parents’ enrollment in college/university or the attainment of the university qualifications? Toutkoushian et al. (2018) argue that the different definitions adopted by the policymakers and other stakeholders have impacted the investigation on FGCS.

Beyond the pioneer effect, it is of note that the first generation students face multiple challenges which impede their academic performance. The challenges include limited awareness of support services, limited cognitive resources, family burdens, failure of college entrance exams, and stigma (Frizell, 2014; Toutkoushian et al., 2018). The arguments advanced by Frizell (2014) are consistent with Randunzel (2018) assertions concerning the barriers to learning faced by FGCS. In contrast, Afeli, Houchins, Jackson, & Montoya (2018) conducted a similar study to establish the challenges faced by the by FGCS enrolled in pharmacy studies. The challenges would provide insights to understanding factors that influence help-seeking among FGCS. The outcomes revealed that FGCS had to contend with financial difficulties – a factor which impaired their ability to concentrate on their studies. The economic worldview is supposed by empirical and anecdotal evidence. For example, a survey of pharmacy students noted that 16 per cent of the FGCS originated from families whose incomes were lower than the federal poverty line. Besides, FGCS had a nearly threefold higher chance of being poor compared to their continuing student counterparts (Afeli et al., 2018).

A majority of the students who enrolled on a part-time basis in US colleges were facing financial challenges. According to Cataldi and co-researchers, the FGCS segment had a significant number of students enrolled in a part-basis compared to children whose parents had some form of college education (Cataldi, Bennett, & Chen, 2018), Moreover, monetary problems were the prime source of psychological trauma and a drop out cause of students out of college (Patel & Assaf, 2014; Adams, Meyers, & Beidas, 2016).

It is of note that students in the FGCS category have limited access to cultural capital (Longwell-Grice, Adsitt, & Mullins, 2016; Wilbur & Roscigno, 2016). Cataldi, Bennett, & Chen (2018) supports the arguments concerning the essence of social and cultural capital. In particular, Cataldi and co-researchers argue that cultural capital is a necessary resource that enables university students to navigate through campus life. Students whose parents had gone through college were able to appreciate the significance of the course syllabus, proper citations when handling assignments and basic protocols such as the office work hours.

The lack of cultural capital limits the student’s ability to persevere when faced with related academic challenge. The observation is reinforced by the fact that the FGCS constitute the largest segment of students who left without return. Moreover, the group also had the least proportion of students (48 per cent) who stayed on persistent track, as shown below.

Figure 1:Proportion of students who remained on persistent track vis-à-vis those that left without return among FGCS and those whose parents earned a college degree (Cataldi et al., 2018).

The persistent gaps in degree attainment across racial/ethnic and generational groups may be related to a large number of FGCS students entering college under prepared (Cataldi et al., 2018). Research indicates that a student’s educational preparation is often related to the amount of the parents’ education (Cataldi et al., 2018). Not all FGCS are the same, but many FGCS usually arrive at college with fewer resources and more academic needs than their continuing generation college students whose parent(s) has/have some college or more advanced education. For example, between the 2011-2012 academic years, an estimated 36% of FGCS were considered not ready for college and alternatively enrolled in developmental courses (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2018b). Ongoing efforts to increase degree completion have drawn new attention to support systems in institutions for highly underserved individuals, including FGCS in postsecondary institutions.

Therefore, various comparisons emerge while studying the academic help-seeking experiences between FGCS and other scholars whose parents have attended college in much earlier years. Lohfink & Paulsen (2005) highlights that the FGCS, compared to different groups of students under the same age group, need and receive less help in preparing for academic activities in post secondary environments. Research on observations by Woosley & Shepler (2011) points out that most of the FGCS feel less supported on academic matters while comparing themselves with their peers from other categories in the same study environments. Próspero & Vohra-Gupta (2007) also reveals that such factors contribute to lacking senses of belonging to universities and college systems. Hence, the rate of retention and recruitment for the FGCS students decline to lead to increasing challenges in every education transition levels of colleges and universities. Relationships established between students and members of the university faculties influence their retention. Barry et al. (2009) insist that faculty-student relationships improve the persistence odds for the FGCS. However, the outcomes of study establish that the male students in this group were reluctant in channeling efforts of cultivating healthy relationships between them and the administrators of the institution. The FGCS also revealed little interest in finding and maintaining interactions on efforts created by school administrators to incorporate and positively influence their well-being in academic work.

Payakachat et al. (2013) also explains that behaviors related to academic help-seeking procedures are complex situations dictated by the beliefs, social norms of ethnicity, perceptions, the structure of goals in classrooms, flexibility, openness, and the instructional approaches employed by teachers in learning environments. Furthermore, the behavior assists scholars in dealing with complex academic concepts that are beyond their capabilities of comprehending issues individually. Despite the urgent need of seeking help for ease in solving difficulties at college and university levels, FGCS fail to contact the relevant authorities because it may expose their inabilities to obtaining success without extra support from teachers and peers at school among other counterparts.

Padgett, Johnson, & Pascarella (2012) associate the help-seeking experiences of the FGCS with perceived academic competence. It can be defined as a positive reaction about an individual’s ability to attain successful academic standards.  Therefore, FGCS portray strong academic capability to accomplish tasks through challenging academic assignments as well as persevering difficult situations while achieving their high educational goals. As a result of being the first individuals to access post-secondary learning experiences, FGCS work hard to stand out and as well fulfill the expectations of their family members at home. The competence also emanates from pressure and anxieties of being the first individual to set foot in an institution of higher learning compared to the current-generation students. Mehta, Newbold, & O’Rourke (2011) also relate the origins of help-seeking experiences for FGCS ego orientation. The theory illustrates that students explicit the self-enhancing or self-defeating attitudes that exploit on goals leading to adverse motivation outcomes. Scholars neglect the feeling of feeling weak and less competent than others on similar education qualification levels. The help-seeking behaviors among FGCS are also characterized by ambivalence, which is a feeling of doubt in the selected education path and career that increase uncertainties compared to positive outcomes (Payakachat et al. 2013). As such, ambivalence trigger negative decision-making abilities about seeking necessary help that improve the academic life of first-generation scholars in college and universities. Correspondingly, Petty (2014) connects the originality of help-seeking perceptions to school and classroom structures of ranking students using their grades. This decision or process exterminated motivation among FGCS on academic matters; minimized student relationships, and triggered adverse attitudes towards better performances in the future. As such, Petty’s (2014) study advocates about the significance of strategic school programs that assist student in alienating weaknesses and challenges that hider academic success. The study insists that good and functional school programs provide social and academic pathways that help FGCS in overcoming insufficient preparations for higher education.

The majority of institutions not only have faculty, staff, peers, and mentors to provide help to students, but also house a variety of scholastic support programs and offer services to promote the academic success of students.  Academic help seeking is central to the learning process and have a profound impact on academic success.  Academic help seeking often involves behaviors such as approaching a teacher, peer, or other academic support with a question, demanding specific explanations about assignments, and understanding solutions.  College students are expected to utilize the available supports on campus to overcome academic challenges and also advance their learning and problem-solving skills and strategies.  Particularly, FGCS who cannot benefit from their parents’ college experience and cannot attain academic assistance from the family should actively seek help from available resources on campus to help them navigate and manage the academic challenges in college, in order to be able to persist to a degree.  Many students from underrepresented backgrounds are in most need of assistance.  Unfortunately, these students rarely find help because of various reasons (Schwartz, 2017; Winograd & Rust, 2014).

On the other hand, Swecker, Fifolt, & Searby (2013) sheds light that current education systems in universities and colleges of the US are dominated by first-generation scholars who highly depend on faculties as well as advisors for navigation and guidance on crucial education matters. Therefore, having a deep understanding of the experiences encountered by the FGCS is essential in meeting their academic needs as well as promoting their educational activities. Ishitani (2006) insists that higher education systems illuminate success associated with social statuses and occupations. Hence, the degree certificates and honors granted to the scholars upon completing the course work for at least four years are significantly attractive and valued by the FGCS. Still, the outcomes may propel the urge to advance learning to Masters or Doctorate levels. For years, such attributes go hand in hand with dislocations, excitements, and difficulties that are faced by university or college students.

Correspondingly, Soria & Stebleton (2012) insists that the decisions to seek help by students have been characterized by unique experiences in social, cultural, academic transitions, and relationships established within their families. For instance, a study by the National Center for Education Statistics (2019) illustrates that about 40% of first-year students in a particular college were first to seek higher education in their respective families. As such, the first degree was a very significant achievement considering that they were first in their families to meet such qualifications. Another study by Dennis, Phinney, & Chuateco (2005) emphasizes that despite the students accounting for large matriculate percentages; their graduation rate is different compared to other groups of students whose parents or guardians attended college or university.

The high rates of non-perseverance among FGCS raise fundamental questions concerning the sustainability of the FGCS. The main question is whether the FGCS would be the first or the last in their families to enroll in college and obtain a college degree (Randunzel, 2018). The latter rhetorical question is further reinforced by the impact of family mythologies about higher education. In contrast to continuing generation students, the FGCS families perceive the environment in higher education as complete detachment of the child from the family setting, which might in turn trigger separation anxiety (Reis, 2019) and impair help-seeking. However, leaving family behind for college is a non-issue in continuing generation students. Reis’s claims concerning the impact of family mythologies and separation anxiety are in agreement with a psychological study of separation anxiety disorder among new college students by Seligman & Wuyek (2009).

The object purpose of this research is to investigate FGCS perceptions and experience regarding academic help-seeking through social, family background, cultural, ethnic, cognitive, financial, and school environment factors. The correlations between students, peers, faculty, and their initiation to seek academic help are critical for students to realize their optimal potential. Current scholarly research suggests that students attribute their academic excellence (cognitive complexity) to out of class educational activities, and help from the faculty (McKay & Estrella, 2008; Reis, 2019; Standlee, 2019).

1.2 Problem Statement

Pressure and anxieties of becoming the most outstanding figure as the first graduates in their families affect their abilities to seek help form faculties, student tutors, and other groups of students in the same level of academic achievements. First-generation students contend with unique challenges such as financial hardships, low self-esteem, ethnic, and social-economic factors that elevate the risk of the students dropping out of college without acquiring college education (Cataldi et al., 2018; Randunzel, 2018; Stephens et al., 2014). Besides, the college environment in the US is defined by limited cultural and social integration and other disparate stressors that impair leaning among FGCS – a majority of whom are racial minorities (Wilbur & Roscigno, 2016; Saenz, Hurtado, Barrera, Wolf, & Yeung, 2009). Indeed, social, financial, cultural, ethnic, family backgrounds, and school environments affect the ability of FGCS to seek and accept help.

1.3 Research Questions

What are the social reasons that prevent FGCS from seeking academic help in colleges?

How do ethnic and cultural aspects affect seeking academic help in colleges?

What are the school environment factors that influence the academic help-seeking attitude of students in the college?

How do family background relationships and financial status affect the academic help-seeking behavior of students?

1.4 Aims

The primary aim of this study is to understand the help-seeking experiences of FGCS through social, family background, cultural, ethnic, cognitive, financial, and school environment factors. Understanding the impacts of these factors will assist in identifying strategies of meeting their academic needs as well as promoting their educational activities. The investigation will analyze responses from semi-structured interviews to establish an understanding of factors influencing the help-seeking experiences and behaviors among FGCS.

1.5 Objectives

As presented in the study aims section, factors affecting the help-seeking decisions of FGCS are the fundamental elements of this research. Still, the responses of the study population are considered as potential attributes of filling the gap in the help-seeking experiences of FGCS. Therefore, the following objective will help in providing reliable outcomes to the research questions of this dissertation;

To establish an understanding of help-seeking experiences among FGCS through social, family background, cultural, ethnic, financial, and school environment factors

1.6 Significance of the Research

The implication of this research elicits from the availability of gaps in establishing factors influencing the help-seeking experiences among FGCS that include social, cultural, ethnic, financial, family backgrounds and school environment. As such, identifying and understanding the problems of this study through the evaluation of individual interview responses will provide insights that will answer the research questions and ways that can be employed by FGCS to enhance their academic performances in universities and colleges. Some of the enhancements include increasing the graduation rates of FGCS, mitigating the drop-out rates, minimizing self-esteem, and increasing the academic attainment levels of this group of scholars

1.7. Definition of Terms

• FGCS refer to a student whose parents have not attended a post secondary institution (Cataldi et al., 2018).
• Help seeking is defined as a social interactive self-regulatory behavior which takes place when an individual recognizes a need for assistance and actively refers to resources for information or strategies to achieve a task or resolve a challenge as well as become an autonomous learner (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991).
• Ambivalence refers to a feeling of doubt in the selected education path and career that increase uncertainties compared to positive outcomes (Mehta, Newbold, & O’Rourke, 2011).
• Ego-orientation refers to the definition of success while considering the superiority of close competitors (Payakachat et al., 2013).
• Self-defeating refers to plans or activities that act against an individual’s purpose or goals (Kopetz & Orehek, 2015).
• Self- enhancing refers to motivation that functions by making individuals feel good about their efforts or success, which enhance their self-esteem (Boud, 2013).

1.8 Structure of the Dissertation

Chapter one (introduction) presents a vivid description of FGCS, Historical background of help-seeking experiences, problem statement, aims, objectives, research questions, and the research significance. Chapter two (Literature review) entails the theoretical framework describing the help-seeking, self-regulated, achievable goal, and social capital theories as reviewed in other works related to the study. It is also characterized by the interwoven framework that describes the connections between the four approaches and their relationship to the flow of the research using a metric and Venn table and diagram, respectively. The justifications of the theoretical framework, as well as examples of methodologies used in other studies, are included in the second chapter. The Literature review will also discuss an understanding of help-seeking experiences among FGCS through social, family background, cultural, ethnic, cognitive, financial, and school environment factors.

The methodology part incorporates the study design, approach, sampling techniques, methods of collecting data, and the proposed method of analysis. This Chapter will also reflect on possible analysis of the research if it is fully conducted. The proposed discussion will demonstrate a thorough interpretation of proposed results in connection with other studies conducted by previous scholars as well as the literature review. The conclusion, recommendation, limitations, and delimitations of the research dominates chapter five that presents a brief description of concepts in the study, propositions for future research attempts. Still, a list of bibliographies used in developing the dissertation will be included in the reference section, and the data collection instruments will be categorized under the appendix part.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

References

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