Date of Award
Spring 5-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Kris De Pedro, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Michael Hass, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
John Hernandez, Ph.D.
Fourth Advisor
Carlos Lopez, Ph.D.
Abstract
Latinx student enrollment in higher education institutions has increased over the years. Despite their increased number of enrollments, there is also an increase of Latinx first-generation students dropping out of higher education. Not only are they not earning a degree, but they are leaving these institutions with debt. This is a concern because students dropping out affects the institution's overall graduation rates. This qualitative study examined factors that contributed to ten first-generation Latinx students’ persistence and success at a predominantly White, private institution. The study used grounded theory methodology and methods to develop an initial exploratory theory. The dissertation study was part of a larger study examining the experiences of first-generation students at a predominantly White private institution in southern California. For the dissertation, the experiences of ten first-generation Latinx students were examined. The study found that the participants developed and transformed through personal growth, critical awareness, and resistance. The transformation and growth that occurred in their academic journey informed the participant's practice that leads to service for other first-generation Latinx students at the institution.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Aparicio, J. (2021). Understanding first-generation Latinx students' experiences in a predominantly white private institution: A grounded theory study [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000262