Research

Highlights of the Research on First Generations Students

Introduction

First generation students (FGSs) are defined in many ways, but for our purposes, we are discussing students who are among the first in their families to attend university (possibly along with their siblings and cousins).  It is also important to recognize that a large proportion of our university students are first-generation Canadian meaning that they and/or their parents were born and educated outside Canada.  Challenges of language and cultural differences can heighten obstacles to full participation. Whether or not their parents attended university in their home countries, it is common for the children of immigrants encounter similar challenges experienced by FGSs.

Students whose parents have not attended postsecondary education (PSE) are less likely to attend PSE than non-FGSs, with approximately 30% of FGSs enrolling compared with approximately 70% of non-FGSs. In general terms, FGSs have fewer financial resources to support them during university than non-FGSs, and yet, most of the barriers to attending university are attitudinal rather than financial.

For those students who overcome financial and attitudinal barriers and enroll at university, the research shows that FGSs are as likely as non- FGSs to persist towards graduation and show strong work ethic, resilience, and love of learning.

While First Generation students have been studied extensively in the United States, there are few Canadian studies. Nevertheless, on both sides of the border, researchers have found that some outdated assumptions regarding these students are disproven by empirical evidence. While it was long perceived that first generation students were less prepared for university studies than their non-FGS peers, and less likely to persist towards graduation, both notions have been proven false. There are, however, some common obstacles encountered by FGSs that may limit the growth of social and cultural capital that can be realized through full participation in campus life.

Key Findings

Below are some key findings on first generations students which are important for universities to acknowledge and consider as student support policies, processes and practices are developed:

Choosing Post-Secondary Programs

  1. FGSs tend to enroll in practical, career-oriented programs, and less in pure sciences, fine arts or humanities than their non- FGS peers. This may be the result of financial and/or familial pressures to attain the credential perceived to have the highest potential for earnings in the future.

Available Resources

  1. FGSs arrive at university with less social and cultural capital to rely upon than non-FGSs and hence rely more heavily on advising and institutional supports to help navigate their educational journey.
  2. FGSs are less likely to have parents who have saved for their education, and hence rely more heavily on financial assistance and part-time work than their non-FGS peers. It is common for the parents of FGSs to be debt-adverse and this may affect the decisions made such as length and type of program chosen, part-time hours worked, purchase of books, and living on-campus.
  3. FGSs report that they feel their parents show pride in their accomplishments and provide encouragement as often as their non-FGS peers. However, this support and encouragement may be general rather than specific, and encountered as undue pressure to succeed or to follow a specific path chosen by the parents. Parental support may not result in useful advice or personal understanding, because it is difficult for FGSs’ parents to identify with the experiences and challenges of university life.

The University Experience

  1. FGSs are more likely than non FGSs to live off-campus, either at home with parents or in shared accommodations.
  2. There is evidence that FGSs generally spend less time studying outside of class, doing extra reading, or participating in enriched academic activities such as guest lectures, or academic clubs. The tendency to live off-campus and to work part-time are probably responsible for the their lower levels of extracurricular involvement and interaction with peers in non-course contexts. This may place them a disadvantage in terms of the intellectual, social, cultural and personal benefits to be derived from extended postsecondary experiences.
  3. Ironically, FGSs who do participate in campus life activities, derive greater advantages and benefit more substantially in terms of building social and cultural capital than non-FGSs, allowing them to gain social comfort and feelings of belonging in higher education circles.

Changing Relationships

  1. One of the most acute challenges for FGSs is the changing relationship with families that can occur during their educational journey. For example, parents may have communicated disdain for university-educated people, seeing them as elitist or unapproachable, and their child may begin to feel their status at home marginalized as a result. As students’ critical thinking skills and vocabularies grow, they may become less willing to accept family norms, causing tensions and misunderstandings.
  2. Imposter syndrome is a common challenge for FGSs. Without the insider knowledge of unspoken expectations, specific languages and hidden rules, that students with university-educated parents can leverage, and feelings of marginalization at home, FGSs may feel a sense of living in two worlds, but not fully belonging in either. Imposter syndrome often discourages FGSs from seeking help, initiating peer connections or engaging with campus life in general.

References

Finnie, Ross, Stephen Childs and Andrew Wismer. (2010). First Generation Post-Secondary Education Students (Version 02-24-10) A MESA Project L-SLIS Research Brief. Toronto, ON: Canadian Education Project.

Grayson, J. P. (2018) The ‘First Generation’ in Historical Perspective: Canadian Students in the 1960s,  Journal of Higher Education 31 July 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/johs.12203

Kamanzi, P.P.,  Bonin S. , Doray P. , Groleau, A. , Murdoch, J. , Mercier, P. , Blanchard, C. , Gallien, M. , Auclair, R.  (2010). Academic Persistence among Canadian FirstGeneration University Students (Projet Transitions, Research Paper 9). Montreal, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie (CIRST).

Longwell-Grice, Rob; Adsitt, Nicole Zervas; Mullins, Kathleen; Serrata, William (2016) The First Ones: Three Studies on First-Generation College Students, NACADA Journal, v36 n2 p34-46 2016

Maxwell, Judith (2018)Bridging the Access gap: it starts with first-generation studentshttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bridging-the-access-gap-it-starts-with-first-generation-students/article17986281/

Pascarella, Ernest T. Pierson Christopher T., Wolniak Gregory C. & Terenzini Patrick T. (2004) First-Generation College Students, The Journal of Higher Education, 75:3, 249-284, DOI: 10.1080/00221546.2004.11772256

Pike, G.R., & Kuh, G.D. (2005). First- and Second-Generation College Students: A Comparison of Their Engagement and Intellectual Development. The Journal of Higher Education, 76, 276 - 300.

Smith, Ashley A (2018 ) First-Generation College Students More Engaged Than Peers https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/26/re-evaluating-perceptions-about-first-generation-college-students-and-their-academic