Formative assessments (FAs), such as muddiest point activities can capture students' areas of confusion or struggle on given content that may otherwise be overlooked with the common FAs, such as quizzes, homework, and clickers. The few reported studies indicate mixed results on the effects of implementing the muddiest point in undergraduate STEM…

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the rhetoric that low-income, first-generation college students in the United States use to describe and understand their social class and class-based experiences. We focused on the rhetoric associated with these descriptions given the complexity in naming and situating class-based experiences…

Community College student-parents shared their personal, academic, and career experiences in association with conducting and presenting psychological science (STEM) research. Raelynn began, "I never would have imagined myself being into research … I would think that it would be kinda like my old self before school … Would have thought, oh…

The purpose of this mixed-methods program evaluation was to assess how first-generation students related their participation in the Success Program at LU with their sense of belonging. I used the CIPP model to conduct the mixed-methods program evaluation. The evaluation questions were: (1) To what degree do first-generation students who…

First-generation college students make up one-third of the undergraduate population of college students in the United States. It is essential to understand all aspects of a first-generation student, their desire to persist in college, and their experiences while in college. Once they are enrolled in college, first-generation students will need…

As emergent new traditional student groups, such as first-generation and single mother students, increase on college campuses, this study attempts to highlight the voices of single-mother first-generation transfer students. To identify how their motherhood identity has influenced how they navigate the four-year institutional environment. Also, to…

In April 2022, HB22-1255, "Concerning Measures to Improve Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities" was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis. This is the second statewide report to include data on students with disabilities (SWDs). This year would have been the first year for which additional student outcomes…

The purpose of this autoethnographic multiple case study is to examine the perceptions of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) doctoral students, who are also first-generation college (FGC) students. This research seeks to navigate their experiences in a doctoral program focused on special education for culturally and linguistically diverse…

Working-class young men are often pathologised for their perceived lack of white-collar career aspirations. Historically, and in our present context, only a select minority of working-class males pursue higher education. Of those who attend, few choose to study STEM, which is often associated with academic rigour, competition and prestige. As a…

First-generation college students (FGCSs) are known to experience more difficulty in the college education environment compared to continuing-generation college students. The current study used a person-centered approach to investigate subgroups of FGCSs that have had similar experiences of social, financial, academic, and cultural barriers in…

The aim of the "First in Family" pilot podcast project was for students and staff to work together to produce a podcast which would support the student experience and recruitment of first-generation students (FGSs). This case study reports on the project, which used funds from the University of Reading's Partnerships in Learning and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between first-generation status and the value of career readiness competencies of first-generation undecided students (n = 106) and their parents (n = 178), explored through social cognitive career theory and Bourdieu's theory of habitus and social and cultural capital. A…

This qualitative study investigates the pathways that first-generation, low-income, ethnoracially minoritized college students create and navigate to access and sustain their presence in study abroad. Using a counter-storytelling approach and semi-structured interviews, the study reveals the significant role of campus TRIO Student Support Services…

This brief explores the financial, academic, and well-being challenges faced by first-generation college students in the 2024 Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS), highlighting disparities in support, mental health, and basic needs insecurity, and offering evidence-based strategies for institutions to foster equitable student success.

First generation college students, or students whose parents have not completed a four-year degree, face many obstacles in their academic careers (Banks-Santilli, 2014). Research on this group has found that these students face many obstacles to their academic success (Jean, 2010). These obstacles lead to high attrition rates for first generation…