A persistent challenge for Australian higher education policymakers and researchers has been to understand why policies and practices have met with limited success in widening the participation and attainment of non-traditional students. This paper explores theorising Narrative Identity as a constructive methodological framework for understanding…

The purpose of this research study was to explore self-authorship theory through the insights and experiences of first-generation Latinx undergraduate students who completed a summer bridge program. This qualitative critical single case study focused on participants' unique experiences during a state-funded summer bridge program at a public 4-year…

Preparation for university studies is key to enabling adult refugees and asylum seekers to reestablish their educational and professional careers in the host country. While refugees' transition to higher education (HE) is embedded in multiple transitions regarding social position, educational career, and migration, related identities may compete.…

This article challenges the "remedial" and "developmental" framing of summer bridge programs. The study used semi-structured interviews and focus groups to assess 63 students of Color who participated in a 5-week summer bridge program. Through the theoretical concept of counterspace, findings showed that the intentional…

Chicana/Latina undergraduate students represent a significant and growing proportion of student enrollment in higher education institutions in the United States, particularly in states like California that have critical masses of Chicanx/Latinx communities. Despite their increasing enrollment rates, Chicana/Latina college students continue to…

This phenomenological research study investigated how participation in the Educational Opportunity Fund summer bridge program shaped first generation low-income students' learner identity as they entered college. Learner identity is generally defined as a learner's personally and socially constructed roles that influence his or her capacity,…

This qualitative descriptive design study aimed to understand how males of color in a mentoring program described how natural mentoring relationships support their social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development during the transition from high school to college in a southern state. The researcher used Hagler's (2018) Process Model of Natural…

This paper reflects on the recounts of a group of 'old boys' about their transition from elite schools to university. Analysis of semi-structured interview data reveals that this transition was not always straightforward. Although educational background has traditionally determined access to, and progress through, university, this paper details…

The researchers explored how the migrant students characterized their experiences in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) program at a predominately White institution in Georgia and how they developed identity in this qualitative study. Interviews with seven migrant students were transcribed and coded for themes using Baxter Magolda's…

The purpose of this capstone project was to study the student-athlete experience, including post-sport life. Participants were invited to engage in the research study so long as they met the following requirements: must be between ages 21-31, male or female, played a NCAA Division I sport for all four years of college and no longer have athletic…

The development of a student identity as it relates to the transition of commencing students to higher education has long been identified in the literature as essential to success. As importantly, the existence of a sense of belonging has been considered key to transition and success and the formation of a student identity. Less prominent in the…

This research examined the experiences of Filipinx California community college alumni involved in a Filipinx learning community within the last 5 years. This research explored the influencing factors leading Filipinx students to join Filipinx learning communities and how Filipinx culture and the concept of family was incorporated within the…

This study explored the journeys of Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men (FILM) who are turning to higher education as a reentry support for their lives after being released from prison. Offering programs like higher education during reentry is not just about creating new paths and opportunities, something higher education already does for many. The…

One of the central issues in ecology is the underrepresentation of individuals from diverse backgrounds. This underrepresentation starts at the undergraduate level and continues into graduate programs, contributing to a need for more diversity in the discipline. We hypothesize that the interplay of students' identities and contextual factors…

The authors argue that successful "transitions" are inseparable from both "learning" and "becoming." Furthermore, for students to experience successful transitions (and the learning inherent in navigating those transitions) individual educators and institutions more generally need to attend to the issues of…