Meaning of college choice for California community college Latina transfer students

Abstract

The meaning of college choice for Latina community college students who transferred to baccalaureate-granting institutions was explored in this dissertation. The methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology informed the process of data collection, which used focus group interviews, individual in-depth interviews, and a researcher reflective journal.

A total of 19 students participated in the study. All participants transferred from Fullerton College, located in southern California, to California State University, University of California, and private universities in southern California.

The study yielded six emergent themes to understand college choice for Latina community college students: (a) prior schooling and outlook on higher education, (b) family upbringing and responsibilities, (c) feelings of hopelessness, (d) feelings of hopefulness, (e) personal and academic experiences with the community college, and (f) personal and academic experiences with the university. A transfer Student College Choice Model is presented as a framework to understand the six emergent themes as well as a discussion of how these themes correspond to the three phases of the college choice: predisposition, search, and selection. Finally, the researcher provides recommendations for theory, practice, and research in regard to the transfer mission of community colleges, college choice theory, and understanding of Latina student success.