{"id":{"repo_id":"texas-state","oai_identifier":"oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/22476"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/texas-state/oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/22476","repository":{"repo_id":"texas-state","name":"Texas State University","base_url":"https://digital.library.txst.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Reading, Writing, and Belonging: A Qualitative Study Exploring Academic Self-Efficacy Among First-Year, First-Generation Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution","abstract":"This qualitative multicase study explores how first-year, first-generation college students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) perceive their academic self-efficacy for reading and writing. The study focuses on students who were concurrently enrolled in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course and a developmental literacy course. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986, 1998) social cognitive theory, specifically the model of triadic reciprocal determinism (TRD), this study examines how personal, behavioral, and environmental sources of efficacy information shape students’ confidence in academic literacy practices. Drawing on Lea and Street’s (1998, 2006) Academic Literacies Model, the study also considers how students’ identities, institutional power dynamics, and literacy practices interact in postsecondary contexts. Data were collected through focus groups, individual interviews, and participant-provided documents, and analyzed using thematic analysis within and across cases. Findings indicate that students’ perceived academic self-efficacy is constructed through mastery experiences, support from peers and instructors, and development of academic identity. Participation in FYS and developmental literacy provided opportunities for feedback, modeling, and emotional regulation, which are key sources of self-efficacy. However, institutional barriers and inconsistent instructional practices sometimes hindered participants’ confidence and literacy development. This study contributes to the limited body of qualitative research on self-efficacy among first-year, first-generation students in developmental education. The findings offer implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers on how to design and implement FYS and developmental literacy curricula that meaningfully support the academic confidence and success of first-year, first-generation college students.","abstract_html":"This qualitative multicase study explores how first-year, first-generation college students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) perceive their academic self-efficacy for reading and writing. The study focuses on students who were concurrently enrolled in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course and a developmental literacy course. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986, 1998) social cognitive theory, specifically the model of triadic reciprocal determinism (TRD), this study examines how personal, behavioral, and environmental sources of efficacy information shape students’ confidence in academic literacy practices. Drawing on Lea and Street’s (1998, 2006) Academic Literacies Model, the study also considers how students’ identities, institutional power dynamics, and literacy practices interact in postsecondary contexts. Data were collected through focus groups, individual interviews, and participant-provided documents, and analyzed using thematic analysis within and across cases. Findings indicate that students’ perceived academic self-efficacy is constructed through mastery experiences, support from peers and instructors, and development of academic identity. Participation in FYS and developmental literacy provided opportunities for feedback, modeling, and emotional regulation, which are key sources of self-efficacy. However, institutional barriers and inconsistent instructional practices sometimes hindered participants’ confidence and literacy development. This study contributes to the limited body of qualitative research on self-efficacy among first-year, first-generation students in developmental education. The findings offer implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers on how to design and implement FYS and developmental literacy curricula that meaningfully support the academic confidence and success of first-year, first-generation college students.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Reynolds, Jessica S."],"institution":"Texas State University","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Developmental Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Paulson, Eric J."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Acee, Taylor W.","Summers, Emily J.","Sperry, Rita"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-08","date_published":"2025-08","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:22:47Z","subjects":["self-efficacy","first-generation students","first-year students","Hispanic Serving Institutions"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10877/22476","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Paulson, Eric J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Acee, Taylor W.","Summers, Emily J.","Sperry, Rita"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Reynolds, Jessica S."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-25T20:14:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Developmental Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Texas State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["self-efficacy","first-generation students","first-year students","Hispanic Serving Institutions"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10877/22476"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative multicase study explores how first-year, first-generation college students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) perceive their academic self-efficacy for reading and writing. The study focuses on students who were concurrently enrolled in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course and a developmental literacy course. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986, 1998) social cognitive theory, specifically the model of triadic reciprocal determinism (TRD), this study examines how personal, behavioral, and environmental sources of efficacy information shape students’ confidence in academic literacy practices. Drawing on Lea and Street’s (1998, 2006) Academic Literacies Model, the study also considers how students’ identities, institutional power dynamics, and literacy practices interact in postsecondary contexts. Data were collected through focus groups, individual interviews, and participant-provided documents, and analyzed using thematic analysis within and across cases. Findings indicate that students’ perceived academic self-efficacy is constructed through mastery experiences, support from peers and instructors, and development of academic identity. Participation in FYS and developmental literacy provided opportunities for feedback, modeling, and emotional regulation, which are key sources of self-efficacy. However, institutional barriers and inconsistent instructional practices sometimes hindered participants’ confidence and literacy development. This study contributes to the limited body of qualitative research on self-efficacy among first-year, first-generation students in developmental education. The findings offer implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers on how to design and implement FYS and developmental literacy curricula that meaningfully support the academic confidence and success of first-year, first-generation college students."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["1 file (.pdf)"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Reading, Writing, and Belonging: A Qualitative Study Exploring Academic Self-Efficacy Among First-Year, First-Generation Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Paulson, Eric J."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Acee, Taylor W.","Summers, Emily J.","Sperry, Rita"],"dc:creator":["Reynolds, Jessica S."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-25T20:14:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative multicase study explores how first-year, first-generation college students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) perceive their academic self-efficacy for reading and writing. The study focuses on students who were concurrently enrolled in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course and a developmental literacy course. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986, 1998) social cognitive theory, specifically the model of triadic reciprocal determinism (TRD), this study examines how personal, behavioral, and environmental sources of efficacy information shape students’ confidence in academic literacy practices. Drawing on Lea and Street’s (1998, 2006) Academic Literacies Model, the study also considers how students’ identities, institutional power dynamics, and literacy practices interact in postsecondary contexts. Data were collected through focus groups, individual interviews, and participant-provided documents, and analyzed using thematic analysis within and across cases. Findings indicate that students’ perceived academic self-efficacy is constructed through mastery experiences, support from peers and instructors, and development of academic identity. Participation in FYS and developmental literacy provided opportunities for feedback, modeling, and emotional regulation, which are key sources of self-efficacy. However, institutional barriers and inconsistent instructional practices sometimes hindered participants’ confidence and literacy development. This study contributes to the limited body of qualitative research on self-efficacy among first-year, first-generation students in developmental education. 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