Theses and Dissertations from UMD
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item Negotiating Values: A Narrative Study of Career Indecision for First-Generation College Students of Color(2022) Cho, Jeffrey; Turner Kelly, Bridget; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The prevailing narrative surrounding higher education in the United States is that completion of a bachelor’s degree leads to socioeconomic mobility through the attainment of a well-paying job. First-generation college (FGC) students of color are particularly attuned to this “promise of higher education,” but little is known about how they make career decisions during college and how they navigate challenges in career decision-making. This study sought to understand how FGC students of color experienced the phenomenon of career indecision under the broader scheme of their career development. Using a tripartite conceptual framework composed of social cognitive career theory, the four-factor model of career indecision, and community cultural wealth, this study was guided by the following research questions: (1) how, if at all, do undergraduate FGC students of color navigate career indecision? (2) In what ways, if any, do racial cultural values these students hold shape how they make meaning of their career indecision? Using narrative inquiry, this study adopted an asset-based lens to portray the stories of six undergraduate FGC students of color from a variety of racial and career backgrounds and their experiences with career indecision. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis revealed the racialized nature of occupational decision-making for participants. Furthermore, they needed to balance familial expectations for socioeconomic mobility through career success with their own personal occupational interests. This study’s findings provide implications for future interdisciplinary research that further investigates the roles intrapersonal and environmental factors play in the career indecision of FGC students of color during college and as they transition into the workforce. The findings also suggest ways in which colleges and universities can better support these students during their career development in ways that align with the latter’s cultural values.Item Mexican American First-Generation Students' Perceptions of Siblings and Additional Factors Influencing their College Choice Process(2012) Elias McAllister, Dora; Fries-Britt, Sharon L.; Cabrera, Alberto F.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to understand the factors influencing the college choice process of Mexican American first-generation students who had an older sibling with college experience. While a considerable amount of research exists on factors influencing the college choice process of first-generation college students, and a few studies report on the process for Mexican American first-generation college students specifically, far less attention has been devoted to the college choice process of first-generation college students who come from families where an older sibling has already experienced the college choice process. The major research question and sub-question guiding this study were: How do Mexican American first-generation students who have an older sibling with college experience describe their college choice process? What are some of the familial, social, and academic factors that Mexican American students identify as influences on their college choice process? This study was based on a qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study design. The cases were 17 Mexican American first-generation students attending Arizona State University (ASU). Participants completed a questionnaire and participated in two individual interviews. Participants were first-time freshmen, Arizona residents, spring 2010 high school graduates, and enrolled at ASU in fall 2010 with continued enrollment in spring 2011. In addition, five participants had an older sibling with a bachelor's degree; three participants had an older sibling with an associate degree; eight participants had an older sibling enrolled at a university; and one participant had an older sibling who had completed some coursework at ASU but left before obtaining a degree. The most important conclusions from this study were: (1) Parents and older siblings have the greatest influence on the predisposition stage; (2) during the search stage, students sought information and assistance from teachers, followed by older siblings and counselors; (3) the institutions that students considered for application and attendance were heavily influenced by older siblings; (4) an institution's distance from home had a great influence on where students applied and enrolled; (5) institutional type had a great influence on where students applied; and (6) cost and financial aid had a great impact on students' choice of college.Item Pathways to the Baccalaureate: A Longitudinal Study of Sequence Differences by Parents' Education Level(2007-11-19) Thomas, Rebecca E; Croninger, Robert G.; Fries-Britt, Sharon L.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study identified and examined 12 postsecondary pathways that students with bachelor's degree aspirations followed based on the type of first institution enrolled (four-year, two-year, and for-profit), actions while in college (no movement, transfer, stop out, and transfer and stop out), and bachelor's degree attainment (1=yes) to determine whether pathways and attainment rates differed by parents' level of education. Movement along the 12 pathways was examined for first-generation (neither parent had any college experience), some-college (at least one parent had college experience, but no bachelor's degree), and continuing-generation (at least one parent earned a bachelor's degree) students. This study utilized data from the baseline and first two follow up surveys of the Beginning Postsecondary Survey 1996/2001 (BPS:96/01). Descriptive analyses were used to identify the pathways and to describe the similarities and differences among groups. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether attainment differences existed among groups at four-year and two-year institutions once control variables were considered. At least three conclusions may be drawn from the findings of this research study. First, in accordance with the findings of previous research (Adelman, 1999; 2006; Cabrera, Burkum, & La Nasa, 2005; Carroll, 1989), the results of this study suggest that the type of institution where a student initially enrolls matters. Students who begin their college careers at four-year institutions are more likely to earn a bachelor's degree. Second, the actions that students exhibit after enrolling also affect their likelihood of bachelor's degree attainment. Different actions matter more at certain types of institutions. Third, differential consequences existed for students who followed the most successful paths. Even when students followed the routes most closely associated with bachelor's degree attainment, continuing-generation students earned degrees at significantly higher rates than first-generation students. Path selection does not fully explain differences in bachelor's degree attainment among groups. These conclusions have implications for future research, policy, and practice.