The Beliefs That Parents of First Generation College-Bound Students Hold to Effectively Guide Their Child Who Seeks A Postsecondary Education

This qualitative phenomenological study examined parents of first generation college-bound student's beliefs about roles and responsibilities to guide their child who aspires to a postsecondary education. Interviews were conducted with 23 parents of high school tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students. In the sample, parents represented three ethnic groups, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Caucasian (non-Hispanic). Parents participated in an open-ended, qualitative interview to answer the following research questions: 1) How do parents of first generation college-bound students understand their role in supporting their child's goal of a postsecondary education, 2) What values, beliefs, and expectations influence how parents of first-generation college-bound students think about appropriate roles and responsibilities relative to their child's educational aspirations?;Grounded Theory was used as a method to code and categorize data. This study found that parents understand their role and responsibility to be one that provides moral support, and be informed of academic activities so as to set expectations for their child and provide focus for their son/daughter on the path to college. Parents were struggling advocates for their children through their active participation in events, and in obtaining information from the school. Parents had a positive and strong relationship with their child that led to frequent communication about college. When parent college knowledge was not sufficient to guide their child, parents relied on school staff and their child to provide communication. Parents had an intense focus on providing support for their child, and while they advocated for their child, often times struggled to obtain requisite information necessary for a child to matriculate into a postsecondary institution. This study will help K-12 schools better address the needs of parents of first generation college-bound students.