The Out-of-Classroom Engagement Experiences of First-Generation College Students that Impact Persistence

Abstract

This article is the result of research conducted with first-generation upper-class college students enrolled at a comprehensive university in Georgia. The researcher sought to answer the following research question: How do first-generation college students perceive the impact of out-of-classroom engagement experiences on persistence? The study focused on out-of-classroom engagement experiences that included work, residence, athletics, clubs and organizations, and volunteer work. The researcher utilized a qualitative interpretive approach and collected data via individual interviews and a focus group. Participants were selected based on a purposeful sampling technique. The researcher was able to organize the rich data into themes. Findings of this study indicate that the participants perceive that out-of-classroom experiences impacted their persistence by connecting them with the university and faculty, by becoming or being a part of a community, and because of the relationships that they had established by being engaged in an out-of-classroom experience. The article concludes with implications for student affairs professionals and future research on first-generation college students.