First Generation College Students: Motivation, Integration, and Academic Achievement

The study reported in this article investigated motivation and integration dimensions that influence college academic achievement of first-generation students compared to nonfirst-generation students. Participants consisted of 277 ethnically diverse students who were attending a community college. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed that motivation and integration dimensions contributed significantly to academic achievement for first-generation students, but not for nonfirst-generation students. Specifically, among first-generation students, academic integration contributed to higher grade point averages while extrinsic motivation and amotivation contributed significantly to lower grades. Implications of these finding and recommendations are discussed.