Inquiry Into the Independent Reading Development of First-Generation College Graduates With Advanced Degrees

Abstract

Studies suggest that individuals with a parent who attended college or a university are more likely to attend themselves. Scholars have also argued that academic success at the highest levels requires the acquisition of a large vocabulary and fluency in multiple discourses, and that forming habits of reading various kinds of texts outside of school may be necessary. Using interviews with 40 individuals who completed advanced degrees and whose parents did not attend college, this study examined factors that may have influenced their independent reading habits. We found that each of our participants developed strong habits of recreational reading and was motivated at least in part due to relationships with various sponsors of literacy, including parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbors, librarians, teachers, and church members. Social challenges to recreational reading were also noted by participants, including the challenge of learning to code switch with family members and others. Keywords motivation/engagement, family/home-school connections, interview, attitudes/beliefs Investigation into why some people attend and succeed in an institution of higher learning beyond high school, whereas others do not, has been a persistent topic in sociological and educational research. Research into variations in educational achievement began more than 50 years ago, such as with the work of Sewell and colleagues

Influence of siblings on out‐of‐school reading practices

“…The present study is part of a larger study based on interviews with 40 individuals with advanced degrees whose parents had not attended university (Knoester & Plikuhn, ). Our general interest in conducting this study was to discover more information about first‐generation university and graduate school graduates, particularly relating to their literacy development.…”

Caught in Limbo: Mapping Social Spaces for First-Generation Students in Graduate School

“…Within education, it matters whose voices are heard and whose viewpoints are respected and legitimized. Several FG students in this sample felt they must conceal their background to avoid being viewed as less than (hooks 2000; see also Knoester and Plikuhn 2016). Others admitted how their colleagues would be unaware of their status.…”