Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Administration

First Advisor

Donahoo, Saran

Abstract

There is limited research available that focuses specifically on the lived experiences of African American, female, traditional first-generation college students (FGCS) who have attended rural Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Therefore, researchers need to conduct further studies to better understand the barriers faced by this population and how African American first-generation college students at PWIs navigate, experience, and cope with their college transition. A few barriers that African American first-generation college students that will be discussed throughout this research includes academic unpreparedness, campus climate, institution type, mental health, parental transition/education status, potential lack of guidance and knowledge of institutionally offered student services, racial/ethnic discrimination, sense of belonging and student engagement and socioeconomic status.

The first purpose of this study is to examine how these lived experiences on a college campus determine the transition, cognitive thinking, and overall success of African American, female, traditional, first-generation college students (FGCS) within postsecondary education who are enrolled at a rural Predominantly White Institution (PWI). It is imperative to gain knowledge on factors that motivate or inhibit them to continue through their education despite the uprising challenges.

The second purpose of this study is to acknowledge how African American, female, traditional FGCS interpret these potential barriers and their college experience as a FGCS at a rural PWI. This study aims to explore and gain insight into how these students navigate their college transition, internalize their experiences, and respond to them from their own perspective. This study also focuses on understanding the barriers endured during their time on a college campus and the motivating factors that assisted these students in carrying on achieving overall success within their rural PWI.

To achieve this, I conducted a qualitative collective instrumental study with eight African American, female, traditional, FGCS who have attended a PWI in rural Midwestern area and successfully completed at least one full year of their academic career in higher education. For the purpose of this study, the term “successful” illustrates African American first-generation college students who were in good academic standing within the institution during their undergraduate career, specifically with a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average (GPA). The researcher used purposeful sampling as the criteria when selecting participants. The selection criterion was based on specific characteristics, criteria, and experiences related to the research questions. Thematic coding was used to analyze the data. Data analysis results revealed three major themes: (1) Navigating barriers as first-generation students, including academic unpreparedness, limited familial guidance, and social isolation; (2) Internal and external motivators for persistence, such as personal goals, family encouragement, and campus involvement; and (3) Support systems that promote belonging and success, highlighting the importance of culturally responsive institutional resources. These findings emphasize the intersecting challenges and strengths of African American, female, traditional-aged (18-24) FGCS. Recommendations were provided to help prepare higher education professionals for this underrepresented population of students and increase their chances of academic success through practice, policy and future research. Furthermore, assisting higher education professionals in gaining knowledge on how they can better serve this population both professionally and personally throughout their college career to give them the tools and resources needed to begin a successful career.

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