Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Sense of Obligation in First Generation College Students
Location
Guzman Lecture Hall
Start Date
4-19-2018 6:30 PM
End Date
4-19-2018 7:30 PM
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Veronica Fruiht, Ph.D.
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Sense of Obligation in First Generation College Students
Because most first generation college students share marginalized demographics, it has been demonstrated that they face greater challenges than non-first generation students (Stebleton et al., 2014; Tate, et al., 2015.) Studying self-efficacy and coping efficacy is necessary for underrepresented first generation college (FGC) students to help them surpass the challenges they face. It was found that those who feel less capable don’t continue the pursuit of higher education. FGC students may feel like their demographics or the challenges they face are magnified by the salient stereotypes of their group identification (Wuot et al., 2008), which could then make them feel like they don’t belong. Also, FGC students, especially those of immigrant parents, may feel a high sense of obligation and high pressures to succeed academically because immigrant parents remain optimistic about the futures of their children and reinforce the importance of higher education for their children (Raleigh & Kao, 2010). The goal of the present study is to determine the differences between FGC students and non-FGC students, especially in their levels of self-efficacy, belongingness, and obligation to their families. This study included a sample of approximately 60 college students. Participants were recruited from classes at a private institution in northern California, as well as college students contacted via Facebook. The Academic Self Efficacy Measure (Byrne, Flood, & Griffin, 2014), the University Connectedness Scale (Stallman & Hurst, 2016), and the Respect for Family Measure (Fuligni, & Pedersen, 2002) were surveys used to measure and compare the experiences of FGC students to non-FGC students. In this culture where FGC students face more barriers than non-FGC students, results are expected to support the current trend that FGC students have poorer self-efficacy, poorer sense of belonging, and higher senses of obligation to their families than non-FGC students. This research gives insight to the differences in experiences between FGC students and non-FGC students. Our understanding of these differences could help foster a better experience for all students.
Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Sense of Obligation in First Generation College Students
Guzman Lecture Hall
Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Sense of Obligation in First Generation College Students
Because most first generation college students share marginalized demographics, it has been demonstrated that they face greater challenges than non-first generation students (Stebleton et al., 2014; Tate, et al., 2015.) Studying self-efficacy and coping efficacy is necessary for underrepresented first generation college (FGC) students to help them surpass the challenges they face. It was found that those who feel less capable don’t continue the pursuit of higher education. FGC students may feel like their demographics or the challenges they face are magnified by the salient stereotypes of their group identification (Wuot et al., 2008), which could then make them feel like they don’t belong. Also, FGC students, especially those of immigrant parents, may feel a high sense of obligation and high pressures to succeed academically because immigrant parents remain optimistic about the futures of their children and reinforce the importance of higher education for their children (Raleigh & Kao, 2010). The goal of the present study is to determine the differences between FGC students and non-FGC students, especially in their levels of self-efficacy, belongingness, and obligation to their families. This study included a sample of approximately 60 college students. Participants were recruited from classes at a private institution in northern California, as well as college students contacted via Facebook. The Academic Self Efficacy Measure (Byrne, Flood, & Griffin, 2014), the University Connectedness Scale (Stallman & Hurst, 2016), and the Respect for Family Measure (Fuligni, & Pedersen, 2002) were surveys used to measure and compare the experiences of FGC students to non-FGC students. In this culture where FGC students face more barriers than non-FGC students, results are expected to support the current trend that FGC students have poorer self-efficacy, poorer sense of belonging, and higher senses of obligation to their families than non-FGC students. This research gives insight to the differences in experiences between FGC students and non-FGC students. Our understanding of these differences could help foster a better experience for all students.