A comparison of the academic attitudes, behaviours and attainments of three groups of first-generation students at an Ontario college
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This quantitative study focused on first generation students (FGS) entering diploma programs at a large urban college in Toronto, Canada. The FGS were divided into three groups based on their birthplaces and/or parental birthplaces: those born in Canada to at least one Canadian-born parent ("domestic" FGS), those born in Canada to foreign-born parents ("established immigrant" FGS), and those born outside of Canada ("recent immigrant" FGS). The intent of the study was to identify any significant differences among the groups in their academic attitudes, behaviours, and attainments. The choice of dependent variables was informed by Bourdieu's social reproduction theory, especially the concept of habitus, and by prior American and Canadian FGS research. The data was obtained from a 2008 survey of all entering students, and from academic transcripts in May 2012, the four-year graduation time limit. Of the 549 students included in the study, 259 were "domestic," 203 were "established immigrant," and 87 were "recent immigrant." No significant differences were found in high school GPAs or academic behaviours, levels of academic confidence, value placed on PSE, retention and graduation rates, time needed to complete programs, status at the time of withdrawing, or college GPAs. However, significance differences did occur among the three groups in the time spent studying in high school, time spent exploring vocational outcomes, intent to persist, and intent to pursue degree-level studies, with small to medium effect sizes. Many of these findings are consistent with prior research; however, others may indicate traditional models used to predict student retention and graduation rates, such as incoming GPAs, levels of academic confidence, and intent to persist, do not appear to have the same predictive power for FGS entering diploma programs that they may have for those entering degree programs; in other words, for FGS, these variables may be more relevant in predicting who accesses PSE, and not persistence. In addition, the established and recent immigrant FGS in this study appear to be using the college system as a gateway to degree-level studies, which has implications for the types of programming, services and supports the colleges provide for FGS.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Linda Anne Smithies
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2603239154