College access for first-generation highlander college students of northern Thailand

Saenghong, Nannaphat

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78764 Copy

Description

Title

College access for first-generation highlander college students of northern Thailand

Author(s)

Saenghong, Nannaphat

Issue Date

2015-04-22

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Anderson, James D.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Anderson, James D.

Committee Member(s)

• Trent, William
• Baber, Lorenzo
• Hill , Jacquetta

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educational Policy Studies

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• college access
• higher education
• hill tribes
• highland ethnic minority

Abstract

This study focuses on first-generation college students of highland ethnic minorities, formally known as “hill tribes,” who have languages and cultures very different from mainstream Thais. Little is known about college attendance among these students, and the Thai government collects no statistical data on these populations. This study asked the following questions. What are the key determinants that support college access for first-generation highlander college students? How do students perceive the role of ethnicity in relation to their college access? What significance does higher education have for highlander students, families, and ethnic communities? Among the relatively few first-generation highlander college students, I chose to study young people of Hmong, Karen, Lahu, Akha, and Mien ethnic backgrounds attending a public university in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Using a qualitative inquiry and life history approach, I conducted interviews, participant observation, focus group interview, and document analysis. The analysis indicated five key determinants contributed to the students’ successful college access: parental support, significant others, students’ resilience, student loans, and a college admission quota for highland ethnic minorities. Next, the findings indicated that highland students viewed that ethnicity provided them with both advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, the findings indicated that higher education was perceived to provide benefits in three different ways. The study also spelled out the implications for educational policies and practices that could create more equitable opportunities in college access and could address the issue of ethnic harassment experienced by highlander students.

Graduation Semester

2015-5

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78764

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Nannaphat Saenghong

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