Comparing first-generation and continuing-generation college students\u27 self-efficacy, campus involvement, and academic performance

In order to highlight potential differences between first-generation college students (FGS), defined as neither parent having completed a Bachelor’s degree, and continuing-generation students (CGS), this study compares FGS and CGS in terms of self-efficacy, campus involvement, and academic performance measured by grade point average (GPA) during their first year at a university. In order to investigate these relationships, this study utilizes University of Northern Iowa (UNI)’s 2015-2016 Mapworks data. Mapworks is a voluntary survey that first-year students, including freshmen and transfer students, complete during the fall and spring semesters. A total of 1549 first-year students participated in the 2015-16 survey, and 646 self-identified as FGS while 903 self-identified as CGS. This study used t-tests to compare FGS and CGS in terms of their responses to the self-efficacy and campus involvement Mapworks questions as well as their official GPAs in the fall and spring semesters. Results showed there is a statistically significant difference between FGS and CGS in terms of students’ expected GPA, intent to be involved in a student organization, fall GPA, and spring GPA