(First-gen) students thrive with social connections: positive outcomes from building networks.

Abstract

The social capital theory argues that students benefit from building social networks, such as obtaining institutional resources, information, and support to achieve success in higher education (Goddard, 2003). This study seeks to gain insight into the social capital, among other things, that students build during their studies, specifically for first-gen students. In doing so, we try to gain a better understanding of what social networks they automatically build, the barriers they face (in the personal, relational, academic, and learning environments), and in what ways they can best be supported in this. An exploratory, mixed-methods study was conducted, combining an online survey and focus groups of students from three higher education institutions in Belgium and the Netherlands. The results were consistent with the social capital theory, in which greater social capital was related to more positive outcomes (such as study success, reduced stress, and a higher sense of belonging). The results also revealed that first-gen students generally had less social capital, experienced less support, and perceived their studies as more stressful compared with other students. The findings suggest that active efforts relating to both social and academic integration that enable students to create a social network during their studies are necessary.