An interpretative phenomenological analysis of first-generation college students' involvement experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand how firstgeneration college students have experienced involvement in college during the pandemic at a New England University. Astin's (1999) theory of student involvement served as the theoretical framework for the study as it focuses on the interconnected relationship between students, the environment, and outputs. Three first-generation college students who were first-year students during the 2021 academic year were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Findings from the data include 1). COVID-19's broader impact on in-person interaction influenced how participants engaged with involvement experiences, 2). identifying intrinsic motivations for involvement increased participation, and 3). relationship development were key outcomes of participants' involvement experiences. This study illustrates how first-generation college students made sense of their involvement experiences during the COVID-19 era.Recommendations from this study include continued research on the effects of COVID-19 on first-generation student involvement, increasing opportunities for purposeful reflection on involvement motivation, research including how students re-engage socially after emergency remote education, and continued evaluation of public health interventions.