Hope in the Lives of Low-Income Students of Color: A Qualitative Study of Experiences in a Work-Based Learning Program

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of low-income students of color who participated in a work-based learning (WBL) program while attending a Catholic high school. Historically, research on student outcomes in WBL programs has been mixed, and few studies have provided insights into how low-income youth of color can benefit. This study utilized a phenomenological methodology to capture hope among these youth and to delineate these students’ lived experiences within their relational, organizational, and sociocultural contexts. The results showed participants’ goal setting and motivation were fostered by a sense of connection to others at school and a collective belief that success was possible for all students despite whatever challenges they faced. The participants also discussed hopes for the future within the context of workplace support, religious faith, and past hopelessness. The results provide avenues to design WBL programs that consider students’ supports and barriers and further contextualize hope theory.

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a Means to Empower Secondary School Learners from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds

“…Work hope is one of the variables embedded in the domain-specific hope of Snyder's belief levels of abstraction. Medvide and Maureen (2020) stated that work hope is an extension of Snyder and colleagues' theory by describing the mutual relationship between pathways and agency in the vocational context. Work hope increases the effort that is put into the activities that lead to career achievement.…”

“…It is believed by the researchers that work hope could be very significant for the research participants whose hope for further education seems to be tainted by social and economic barriers. Medvide and Maureen (2020) considered work hope a viable interventional option that will help disenfranchised learners transcend whatever barrier that negatively impacts their career decision and pursuit. This said, work hope will resonate with the vulnerable and at-risk youth because it will enable them to work hard in their academic tasks, knowing full well the positive impact on their future career.…”

Motivation to Persist

“…Therefore, there is a need for more staff and faculty who are interested in building relationships to understand how to create environments that will lead towards persistence. The constructs of hope, academic self-efficacy, and sense of belonging can be seen as very individual constructs and perhaps more research is needed on the structural and systemic barriers (Medvide, 2014) and practices that promote persistence (Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Kinzie, 2009).…”

“…Another area of research that must be drawn into the equation is the support from family and friends while a student is experiencing their educational journey. There is a great deal of research that already suggests the importance of this support to academic achievement and the intent to persist for FGLCS (Cabrera, Nora, & Castaneda, 1993;Hurtado & Carter, 1997;Hurtado & Ponjuan, 2005;Medvide, 2014;Torres, 2006), but in what ways does family and friend encouragement interact with hope, academic selfefficacy, and sense of belonging? Perhaps by adding the community support aspect of education to the model, higher education administrators can create an environment that is more conducive to persistence.…”

“…In fact, this type of hoping could be a "demoralizing waste of time and energy" (Shade, 2006, p. 196). In addition to these challenges, one sees little information in Hope Theory about the context or how relationships are involved with determining hope (Medvide, 2014;te Riele, 2010). Even worse, research involving Hope Theory talks about high hope people and low hope people (Chang, 1998;Feldman, Davidson, & Margalit, 2015); this view could form a deficit based approach to working with students and may begin to label or stereotype certain individuals or groups of people (te Riele, 2010).…”