Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
5-2021
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Jill Channing
Committee Members
Jim Lampley, Hal Knight, Carla Warner
Abstract
This phenomenological study used qualitative research methods to explore the perceptions of support first-generation women students enrolled in college have. Eleven first-generation women students who were enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs across the United States completed one-on-one interviews with the researcher. The participants explained the support they felt from family, friends, and members of their college or university, as well as areas where further support could be given. In these interviews, key themes emerged, such as the roles of mentorship and emotional support, the need for financial assistance, the role of family in support and providing cultural capital, the roles of intersectional factors such as race and motherhood, and the offering of support during a crisis, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this study can be used to further institutional practice of guiding and supporting first-generation women students.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Messmer, Erin Blankenship, "First-Generation Women Students’ Perceptions of Support While Enrolled in Higher Education Institutions: A Phenomenological Study" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3877. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3877
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.