Short Abstract:

This paper draws on the application of the Capabilities Approach in the field of higher education (HE) access. It explores the experiences of 9 first-generation students transitioning to HE in Chile. The study follows a mixed methods approach, collecting data from a questionnaire (N=164), semi-structured interviews to students and school staff (N=41), and documentary analysis over 8 months.

Long Abstract:

This paper draws on the application of the Capabilities Approach (CA) in the field of higher education (HE) access (Walker, 2006; Walker & Unterhalter, 2007) and the transition from secondary education to HE of first-generation students (i.e., first in family who aspire to access HE) in the context of Chile (Wilson-Strydom, 2016). Wilson-Strydom’s (2016) work is particularly relevant for this study because, first, it operationalizes theoretical capabilities concepts into actual foci of interventions, and second, it draws on the everyday experiences of students into the assessment of the capabilities that may enable them to better navigate HE challenges, thus providing analytical tools to better understand how first-generation students may experience their academic transition. Interest in students’ transition into HE has grown in importance in the last decades due to the rapid expansion of the sector worldwide and the increased participation of non-traditional students (Briggs et al., 2012; Gale & Parker, 2014; Webb, 2019; Amundsen, 2022). However, despite the growing body of literature, there has been limited interest in, firstly, the experiences of students before their first year in HE (Gale & Parker, 2014) and, secondly, the experiences of first-generation students transitioning to HE (Hope, 2017). In Chile, where the present study is situated, the study of first-generation students remains understudied (Santelices et al., 2020).

This paper builds on a recently completed doctoral fieldwork study (June 2023 – January 2024) that explores the experiences of 9 first-generation students transitioning to HE in Chile from a capabilities lens. The study also analyses existing –or lack of– school mechanisms to support these students during their transition. The study adopted a longitudinal approach, collecting data over a period of 8 months, which covered the time span between the students’ final academic semester in secondary school and the point in which they enrolled –or not– at a higher education institution (HEI). This has been identified as a critical period since students’ more active search of an HEI begins in their last school semester and a final decision is more likely to be reached once they receive their entry exam scores (Santelices et al., 2020). The study also followed a mixed methods approach, collecting data from a questionnaire (N=164 students), semi-structured interviews to students and school staff, and documentary analysis (including school documents and national policies). Each student was interviewed in three distinct points over a timeframe of eight months. In total, 41 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Participants were recruited from two different secondary schools, one public and one subsidised, with a high vulnerability index (official index used by the Chilean Ministry of Education to measure the risk of school dropout through an evaluation of the student's socioeconomic level) in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. The CA was operationalized at two stages of the study. First, multiple questions in the research instruments were linked to Wilson-Strydom's (2016) list of capabilities for equitable transitions to university (i.e., practical reason, knowledge and imagination; learning disposition; social relations and social networks; respect, dignity and recognition; emotional health; language competence and confidence). And second, Wilson-Strydom’s (2016) work was used as an analytical framework.

The preliminary findings of this study show that first-generation students experience the transition from secondary education to HE as an emotionally intense and demanding process. These students are more likely to experience emotional distress and uncertainty due to the lack of complete HE information (i.e., information about application deadlines, financial aid forms, HEI and subject choice, among the most significant aspects). The findings also demonstrate that certain sets of students’ attitudes may either ‘expand HE opportunities’ (i.e., self-awareness, willingness to learn, the ability to prioritise, and using family as a driving force, among others) or ‘hinder HE opportunities’ (i.e., self-doubt, experiencing mental strain, detaching themselves from the process and having a passive attitude, among others), which, in turn, directly impact students’ ability to navigate the transition. From a capabilities lens, the capabilities of practical reason (i.e., the ability to make well-reasoned, informed, critical, independent, and reflective choices about HE), emotional health (i.e., not being subject to anxiety or fear which diminishes learning and having confidence in one’s ability to learn), and learning disposition (i.e., the ability to have curiosity and a desire for learning as well as being an active inquirer) (Wilson-Strydom, 2016) are identified as capabilities that create meaningful educational opportunities, enabling first-generation students to experience a more equitable transition.

Considering the schools’ support mechanisms, the study shows that both schools provide either academic or career counselling to students during their academic transition. These mechanisms can take the form of providing HE information, developing career skills, and/or setting up academic interventions either organised by the schools or externally. However, these initiatives tend to be tardy in the transition, resulting in ‘missed opportunities’ for the schools. In this context, a ‘missed opportunity’ can be understood as not generating the conditions that enable students to experience a successful transition, or not enabling students to develop the ability to achieve the academic goals they value and have reason to value.