“[I AM THE] FIRST PERSON…IN MY ENTIRE
BLOODLINE TO SET FOOT IN A
UNIVERSITY!” FIRST-IN-FAMILY LEARNERS
AND HIGHER EDUCATION PARTICIPATION.
Dr Sarah O’Shea
Australian Learning and Teaching Fellow
University of Wollongong
Support for this activity has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and
Teaching. The views expressed in this publication/activity do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching
1
Today’s Session
• Setting the scene
• Expectations of higher education for first-in-family
students
• Family and higher education participation
• Strategies used to navigate the university environment
• Questions and Close
2
Who are first in family students?
1. The ‘slippery nature’ of definitions
1. This student cohort reported as not achieving to
the same level academically compared to peers
1. Within Australia, 26% of first in family students
are reported as considering leaving university in
the first year of university study, a figure that
increases to 34% for later year students
(Coates & Ransom, 2011).
3
Who are first in family students?
4. Deficit thinking - a ‘group at risk’ (Spiegler &
Bednarek, 2013, p329)
5. Approximately 51% of university students in
Australia can be defined as first-in-family
backgrounds (based on parental educational
levels) which is close to the OECD mean
average of 53% (OECD, 2012)
4
Summary Literature review
• We live in the era of the neo-liberal learner where
everyone is ‘unencumbered by domestic responsibilities,
poverty or self doubt’ (Leathwood, 2006, p615).
• Literature tends to portray this student cohort in deficit
terms using words such as ‘challenges’, ‘difficulties’ and
‘help’ (Thayer, 2000; Brachman, 2012; Gardner, 1996).
• The ‘lack’ of access to an ‘educational memory’ within
the family, the role played by ‘transgenerational family
scripts or “inheritance codes”’ in educational choices.
(Ball, Davies, David & Reay, 2002, p57)
5
Summary Literature review
• The OECD (2013) reports that amongst member
countries, students from a more educated family
are ‘almost twice (1.9)’ as likely to attend
university (p.3) than peers.
• Similarly, within the UK, Croll (2004) points out
there are ‘considerable patterns of continuity
between the socio-economic situation of parents
and their adult children’ (p. 391).
6
Research Focus
• An Australian Office of Learning and Teaching Grant that
built upon an institutional educational grant in 2012-2013
(Stage 1)
• For the purposes of this research, first in family status
was defined as:
no-one in the immediate family of origin including
siblings, children, partners or parents having
previously attended a higher education institution or
having completed a university degree.
• Inclusion of family members – looking at this return from
the perspective of the student and their family members
7
Stage One : Research Study
(UOW)*
• In-depth interviews with 25 undergraduate
students
• Focus on the cultural wealth of participants
rather than deficits
• While small scale the data was very rich and
generated a number of outputs (O’ Shea, 2014;
2015a, 2015b, 2015c).
O’Shea, S. (2013). Exploring the participation of first in family students in university with particular
reference to how this impacts upon intergenerational choices around, and perceptions of, higher
education. Educational Strategies Development Fund, University of Wollongong.
8
Research Study (OLT)
• Survey and interview methodology
• Three cohort groups – online learners (Open
Universities Australia ), Access program participants
(University of Newcastle) and domestic on-campus
undergrads (University of Wollongong)
• Family and student survey / interviews with family
members where possible
O’Shea, S., May, J., Stone, C., & Delahunty, J. (2015). Breaking the Barriers: supporting and engaging
first-in-family university learners and their families. Final Report. Retrieved from
http://firstinfamily.com.au/report.php
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OLT Grant Research team
• Dr Sarah O’ Shea (UOW)
• Dr Cathy Stone (OUA)
• A/Professor Josephine May (UON)
• Dr Janine Delahunty (UOW)
10
Research Focus– what is different?
• Tendency to focus on the obstacles
faced by this cohort
• Gaps in understanding about how
this group enact success in this
environment
• A focus on the strengths of
students rather than perception of
lack may assist in this understanding
• Expanding the lens of analysis to
include those close to the students
as well is useful
11
Student Data
Total Interviews
101
• Total females interviewed
• Total males interviewed
70
33
*Two interviews could not be transcribed
Total Surveys (2 incomplete)
• Total respondents
• Total females surveyed
• Total males surveyed
171
169
138
33
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Family Data
Of the 274 respondents, 109 had children (40%).
Family Interviews:
• We conducted four interviews with a family member
present, this included a parent, a grandparent and two
children
Family Surveys:
• Total respondents
40
• Children
9
(The student is my mother)
• Parents
18
(The student is my
son/daughter)
• Partners
7
(The student is my partner)
• Siblings
5
(The student is my sister /
brother)
• Grandparent
1 (The student is my grandchild)
13
Student Survey Demographics
Age range of all student survey participants
Range
%
No.
18 - 21
32.7%
56
21 - 25
16.3%
28
25 - 30
15.7%
27
30 - 40
14.6%
25
40 - 50
15.7%
27
14
50+
3.5%
6
Interviews …
Interviews:
• Students were encouraged to ‘story’ their perceptions,
expectations and motivations about university
• Informed by narrative inquiry: Polkinghorne (1995)
emphasises how ‘storied memories’ are able to ‘…retain
the complexity of the situation in which an action was
undertaken and the emotional and motivational meaning
connected with it’ (p11)
• 101 interviews were conducted – preliminary analysis has
been undertaken
• Recurrent themes in the interview data – echoes the survey
101 Interviews
Total interviewed
Female
Male
UOW
31
20
OUA
51
34
9
UON
43
5
2
7
15
Main Findings
• First in Family as a Supra Category that shares
salient narrative features about the HE journey,
among others such as
– Placing a high value on the opportunity to engage in
higher education
– The role of altruism in their stories
– The move into HE viewed as launching the self (and the
family) on a positive, albeit challenging, trajectory
– The hesitancies and apprehensions around doubting the
capacities of self or about how to navigate this new, highly
valued context
– The transformations of internal and external contexts 16
as they move through their education.
Expectations about university
Not having ready access to someone who had previously
attended university meant that learners variously relied
upon friends, work colleagues or popular culture.
‘it was a bit of a heavier workload than I thought because,
you know, you see movies and uni’s just like
partying....’(Ellen, 19, Single, B. Bio-Science, 1st year)
‘I thought it was going to be like what you see on the
movies like frat parties every night and just like party
central…’ ((Nicole, 21, Partnered, B. Commerce, Final
Year)
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Expectations about university
Expectations were sometimes based on myths
‘I was really scared because a few people, like some of my old
babysitters and a few people that I live around, they all said that, you
know, “You think the HSC [High School Certificate] is hard; wait till you
get to uni. You’d have to do that whole two years in 12 weeks” ‘
(Nicole, 21, single, B. Commerce, Final Year)
• Feeling out of place (fraud or imposter)
• Lacking confidence in abilities (need for validation / evidence or
proof of belonging (often provided by assessment grades)
‘I was like “Maybe I shouldn’t be here, maybe I’m just a fraud”. I was
like “Oh my God”…My second assignment. When I got my marks back
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I think that’s when I was like “Okay, I deserve to be here just like
anyone else” and I finally just went “Okay, you can do this. It’s all
good”’*.
(Rose, 28, partnered with 2 children, B.Arts, First Year)
Giving up…
19
Hurdles and Obstacles
20
At moments of crisis – who / what helps?
(Survey n=171)
21
Who is “doing the supporting” ?
(external to the university)
Who?
Aunt
Children
Father
Friends
Grandfather
Grandmother
Mother
Partner
Siblings
Uncle
Work colleagues
References in the interviews
6
17
69
66
11
24
110
76
24
5
13
22
Reactions from family…mixed
and sometimes unsupportive
• Mixed responses – largely perceived as
positive by family members but also concern
(“Proud but worried”)
‘My parents felt general unease towards University. As they
have no prior knowledge of it, they felt that I was setting myself
up for failure (financially). They were apprehensive about me
leaving our town for something they had no real knowledge of’.
(Female Survey Respondent, 18-21, Single, on-campus u/g)
• A smaller number were not supportive (as
reported by the students themselves)
‘Unsupportive, criticizing, joking especially from my husband.
Others doubted if it was the right decision’. (Female survey
respondent, 40-50, partnered, on-campus u/g)
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Reactions: unsupportive
• Even those who are less supportive can provide motivation,
providing a necessary catalyst for individuals to prove
them wrong or providing a basis for the resilience needed to
continue:
‘…people … said a few years ago: “You’ll never go to university”.
Same when they’d turn around and say “You’ll never own a
house”. Sorry, I’m at uni and I own a house.”’
(Lena, 43, single with two children, BArts, First Year)*
‘[Dad is ] a man of few words but again, as much as I enjoy other
people’s praises or their support and good luck and good luck to
your endeavours and whatnot else, you know, it’s what I want to
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do and I don't need their appraisal to get me through it sort of
thing’ . (Nick, 39, partnered with 4 children, B Education, First
Year)
Reactions by person
(Interviews)
Mixed reactions
Negative Reactions
Positive reactions
1 : Children
8
1
15
2 : Father
25
11
54
3 : Grandfather
2
4
12
4 : Grandmother
1
4
18
5 : Mother
36
7
65
6 : Partner
5
1
15
7 : Siblings
15
7
32
25
Reactions: What the family members
reported…
Positive:
I felt fine when
mum decided to
start university
(14 year old –
survey)
Mixed reactions:
I thought it was good … I
thought that she was going
to be very busy (15 year old
- survey
Oh very proud of
her, very proud and
give her all the
support she needs
and yes, just very
proud of her.
(Mum - interview)
A little sad to have
her move away ...
but happy that she
was doing
something she
wanted to do (sister
- survey)
I am proud that she is trying to
further her education, however I
do worry about her supporting
herself (Mum – survey)
Influential:
it made me want
to follow in her
footsteps (sister survey)
it made me
consider
furthering my
education
(sister -survey)
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• We know that strong social
network within the university are
needed for success (Tinto, 1995,
2002; Wilcox, Winn & Fyvie-Gauld,
2005) but how do the social and
familial networks that exist outside
the higher education environment
assist first in family students?
27
Family and university
Family members may provide key elements of
support
BUT
There exists a disconnect between the home and
the university
• Conversations
• Understandings
• Reciprocity
28
Conversations in the home
Often inhibited – selecting topics that family
members could easily understand.
Some self-censorship
BUT
Varied and Diverse
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Conversations in the home
Inhibited or self-censored
‘I don't discuss uni much with my family because they do not
understand what I say. Sometimes we will be watching the
news and I will comment on the state of health policy for
example and often they just stare at me’. (Female survey
respondent, 30-40, partnered, on campus u/g)
‘Not a lot because they [family] don't have the same
understanding. You know, like they’re not into university so
it gets difficult to talk about it. They just say “Oh yes, you
know, you’re just going to be above us” sort of thing and it’s
30
not like that at all; I’m trying to achieve a goal’. (Sharnie, 57,
widowed, B Behavioural Science, online u/g)
Conversations in the home
Inhibited or self-censored
‘I think just general talk about my day and their day – that’s
how we talk. We don't really talk in-depth about it. I tell
them certain things that they may not know about uni like “I
can have a beer at lunch down here” and they’re like “Oh, I
wish I could have a beer during my day” but I think it’s just
general everyday conversation. It’s not too in-depth
about what I’m doing. We talk about what I’m doing at
university and my day but it doesn’t really go beyond that
just like I ask how their day has gone. I think that’s the
level of what it’s at’.
(Alison, 22, Single, B Environmental Science, Final Year) 31
Conversations as learning
Conversations as learning: a means to teach ‘others in the family’
‘It's exciting to have conversations about my study with my family - because I'm
learning things that they really don't understand, I have to go straight to the
basics and talk to them from the ground up. This is exciting because not only
are they learning something new about my life and what I do, I'm also learning
more about what I'm doing as talking to other people about it helps reinforce it
in my mind’. (Female Survey, 21-25, on campus u/g)
‘I talk to my family about the things I'm learning mostly, I'm really interested so I
try and teach them, doesn't usually work but they seem to enjoy it…My
granddad asks me for some course content because he likes to do maths and
things like that which I'm learning, I teach him stuff sometimes’. (Male survey
respondent, 18-21, on-campus u/g)
Also reflected in the interviews
‘Yes, because it was never spoken about before, was it? It was never, ever
spoken about before and now, you know, “Oh what are you going to do? Are
you going to leave school, are you going to go to uni? What are you going to
do?’
(Elle, 33, Single Parent w 3 children, B Management, First year–interviewed
with Mum)
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Reciprocal relationships: home
and university
‘Actually it’s been very interesting how it’s impacted on the kids. After
I’d only done one or two units, my daughter, Naomi she told me how
pleased she was that I was studying because I was actually
understanding her school work better’.
(Susanna, 42, Partnered with 3 Children, B Arts, Unknown Year stage)
Interview with Elle (33) and Elle’s Mum (56) :
‘…so she’s (Elle) kind of started it off. I don't know whether Nick
(cousin) or Belinda (niece) were going to go to uni to start off with but,
you know, they…so she’s kind of started a… I don't know whether she’s
actually started a trend or what she has but, you know, it’s very
encouraging for the up and coming nieces and nephews that she’s got :
“Not only Elle can do it, you know, we can do it too” type thing’.
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The important role of Family
Capital
• Bourdieu refers to the fundamental role of social and
cultural capital in the enactment of educational
success, the interviews with students undertaken in
this study point to the important role of family
capital in this endeavour.
• The term family capital is being used to refer to the
networks of social capital that exist both within the
internal dynamics of the household and also, in
relation to family structure
34
Final thoughts
A need to recognise that:
• Family members can be a great source of both
emotional and also, embodied support - a rich source of
capital, often overlooked.
• First-in-family students are possible “cultural change
agents” within the household, actively creating the space
for alternative perspectives on educational participation.
BUT ALSO…
• Remain mindful of the invisible constraints and
structures that these individuals also operate within.
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INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE
ABOUT THE STUDY?
We have created a
website for students,
family members and
also practitioners in
the field:
http://www.firstinfamil
y.com.au/index.php
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RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS
37
RESOURCES FOR TEACHING
STAFF
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Discussion
• How do these preliminary findings reflect your institutional
context and the experiences of first-in-family students at your
institutions?
• What might it be like from the family’s perspective when noone has been to university before, and then a close family
member starts?
 What issues might this raise? What conversations might
take place? What impact might this have on family
relationships?
• How might institutions better engage with the families and
communities of this student cohort?
39
Thank you for your attention!
QUESTIONS
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REFERENCES
Ball, S., Davies, J., David, M., & Reay, D. (2002). 'Classification' and 'Judgement':
Social class and the 'cognitive structures' of choice of Higher Education. British
Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(1).
Brachman, C. (2012). Improving access and success for first-generation college
students. America's Promise Bulletin Retrieved from America's Promise Alliance
website: http://www.americaspromise.org
Coates, H., & Ransom, L. (June, 2011) 'Dropout DNA, and the genetics of effective
support'. AUSSE Research Briefings, Volume 11, (1-16). Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/ausse/1/
Croll, P. (2004). Families, social capital and educational outcomes. British Journal of
Educational Studies, 52(4), 390-416.
Gardner, J. N. (1996). Helping America's first-generation college students. About
Campus, 1, 31-32.
Leathwood, C. (2006). Gender, equity and the discourse of the independent learner
in higher education. Higher Education, 52(4), 611 - 633.
OECD, (2012). Education at a glance 2012. OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing
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http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school
O’Shea, S. (2014). Filling up silences –first in family students, capital and university 41
talk in the home. International Journal of Lifelong Education. (Advanced online
publication: doi: 10.1080/02601370.2014.980342.
REFERENCES -CONTD
O’Shea, S., (2015a) “I generally say I am a Mum first… but I’m studying at uni”: The
narratives of first in family, female caregivers moving into an Australian university.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Online First Publication, March 9, 2015.
O’Shea, S., (2015b). Avoiding the manufacture of “sameness”: First-in-family
students, cultural capital and the higher education environment. Higher Education.
Available from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10734-015-9938-y
O’Shea, S. (2015c). “It [university] wasn’t spoken about at home, it was just
assumed that we would start working….” First in family students, family capital and
higher education participation. In Hill, M., Hudson, T., McKendry, S., Raven, N.,
Saunders, D., Storan, J., & Ward, T., (eds.) Collaborate to Widen Participation: to,
through and beyond Higher Education. FACE Publications: London.
Spiegler, T., & Bednarek, A. (2013). First-generation students: what we ask, what
we know and what it means: an international review of the state of research.
International Studies in Sociology of Education, 23(4), 318-337.
Thayer, P. B. (2000). Retention of students from first generation and low income
backgrounds. Opportunity Outlook Council for Opportunity in Education (May), 2 - 8.
Tinto, V. (1995). Learning communities and the reconstruction of the first year
experience. Paper presented at the Inaugural Pacific Rim First Year Experience
Conference: Travelling Through Transition., Queensland University of Technology.
Wilcox, P., Winn, S., & Fyvie-Gauld, M. (2005). ‘It was nothing to do with the
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experience of higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(6), 707-722.
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