“Middle” generation Hmong students' perceptions of their college experiences at the University of Montana: A phenomenological analysis
Author(s):
Thompson, Eloise Kehaulani
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ed.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of Montana, 2001.
Pages:
289
Language:
English
Abstract:
This study investigated the perceptions of six “middle” generation Hmong refugee students who were matriculating at The University of Montana during the late 1990s to shed some light on their perspectives of the college experience. The researcher selected a qualitative, phenomenological/psychological methodology developed by Amedeo Giorgi to access, analyze, and explicate the subjective and psychological dimensions of the phenomenon. The results of the analysis revealed that the subjects felt apprehensive, lonely, overwhelmed and frustrated in the college setting but were, nevertheless, highly motivated to persevere. The themes of hope, courage, resilience, and tenacity emerged as important strategies used by the students to counter the adversities they experienced. While their problems were situated in the college setting, their motivations to endure those situations appeared to come from outside campus—from their cultural traditions, their history of migration, and from the leadership role they have assumed for the perpetuation of their cultural group in the United States. The study hoped to benefit the subjects themselves, by providing a forum in which they could express, examine, and understand their own experiences. The study has implications for college retention program developers, educators, and school counselors interested in improving the quality of experience for students considered “at risk” for success in higher education.