ERIC Number: EJ1321855
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Feb
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0251
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Available Date: N/A
Supporting Rita: A Social Cognitive Approach to (First-Generation) Students' Retention
Wittner, Britta; Powazny, Stefanie; Kauffeld, Simone
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, v23 n4 p965-988 Feb 2022
Students who are the first in their family to go to university (first-generation students [FGS]) are still underrepresented at universities. One of the considered reasons for this is their lack of social support. Our study followed a group of German students at two time points: after their first educational choice and at the end of their first semester. According to social cognitive career theory, we tested for the effect of self-efficacy beliefs on intention to drop out, mediated by confidence in vocational choice. Following a social network perspective, we analyzed the moderating effect of support network size and support network quality. The findings reveal a complete mediation and add to the empirical evidence on social cognitive career theory. They demonstrate the special importance of social support for FGS. High-quality support networks help FGS struggling with confidence in their vocational choice to follow their university goals instead of dropping out but have no effect for other students.
Descriptors: First Generation College Students, Career Choice, Self Efficacy, Academic Persistence, Social Cognition, Foreign Countries, Social Support Groups, Social Networks, Goal Orientation, Dropouts, Student Attitudes, Self Concept Measures
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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Identifiers - Location: Germany
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Self Efficacy Scale
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Author Affiliations: N/A