Desafíos y Resiliencias:  Motivaciones, Guía y Persistencia Académica de Estudiantes Indígenas de Primera Generación en el Contexto Universitario Ecuatoriano

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63122/egd1nq95

Abstract

Resumen

A pesar de las barreras sistémicas, financieras y académicas que enfrentan, los estudiantes Indígenas de primera generación demuestran una resiliencia que convierte su trayectoria educativa en una jornada de reivindicación personal, familiar y comunitaria. Este estudio explora las motivaciones, la guía vocacional y las razones que impulsan a 16 estudiantes a persistir en una universidad pública ecuatoriana. A través de entrevistas y análisis temático, la Teoría de la Práctica de Bourdieu sirve para examinar las interacciones entre el habitus, el campo y el capital que caracterizan la formación universitaria de este grupo estudiantil. Las narrativas demuestran que, incluso frente a la falta de guía vocacional y las restricciones del sistema educativo, los estudiantes encuentran en la familia su fuente de motivación para movilizar sus capitales, que son los anclajes fundamentales para su permanencia. Las conclusiones urgen la creación de políticas institucionales que promuevan una universidad más equitativa y transformadora.

Palabras clave: Estudiantes de Primera Generación, Motivación, Habitus, Campo, Capital.

 

 

Abstract

Despite multiple systemic, financial, academic and institutional hardships, Indigenous first-generation students demonstrate a resilience that transforms their educational journey into an act of personal, familial, and community emancipation. This study explores the motivation, vocational guidance, and the reasons that empower 16 students to persist in a public Ecuadorian university. Through interviews and thematic analysis, Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice analyses how the interactions between habitus, field and the forms of capital that shape students’ academic trajectories. The narratives suggest that, regardless of the lack of vocational guidance and restrictive admission systems that limit their aspirations, first generation students find in their family, the motivation to mobilize their capitals as powerful pillars for their permanence. The findings highlight the need for institutions to promote equitable policies towards a more equitable and transformative education.

Key words: First-generation students,  Motivation, Habitus, Field, Capital

Author Biographies

  • Adriana Cundar Ruano, Chimborazo National University

    Dr. Cundar holds a graduate-level degree in Teaching and Learning, with an emphasis on Language, Literature, Culture, and Literacy, granted by Florida International University, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship for university faculty. She also has academic degrees in University Teaching and Applied Linguistics.  As a university faculty with over twenty years of experience, Dr. Cundar’s work has always been committed to educational equity, especially for students with Indigenous ancestral backgrounds  who have been systematically and systemically oppressed by a system that renders their academic paths invisible. Grounded in this commitment, Dr. Cundar has contributed through research aimed at analyzing ongoing challenges in higher education.

  • Tania Guffante-Naranjo, Chimborazo National University

    Tania Guffante-Naranjo is a lecturer and researcher with over 18 years of experience at the National University of Chimborazo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences with a specialization in Philosophy and Socio‑Economic Sciences, a Doctorate in Educational Management, and a Master’s in Distance Education. She has held key positions at the university, including General Academic Director, Coordinator of the Institutional Academic Planning Unit, and Member of the General Academic Council. She has also contributed to significant projects in the field of higher education .

  • Martha Romero-Flores, Chimborazo National University

    Martha Romero-Flores is a faculty member at  Chimborazo National Univesity. She holds a degree in Commercial Engineering, a Master’s in Business Management, and serves as a full professor in the Commercial Engineering and Business Administration program at UNACH . She combines academic leadership, teaching, and research with a strong focus on university outreach and local development. She has served as program director in the College of Political and Administrative Sciences, where she led curricular redesign, entrepreneurship initiatives, and innovation projects. Her work blends university teaching with training in business management, reinforcing her commitment to bridging academic excellence and practical community impact.

  • Susana Padilla-Buñay, Chimborazo National University

    Susana Padilla Buñay is a well-rounded professional with a strong background in nursing, academic management, and public health. She stands out for her role as an educator, administrative leader, and her commitment to applied research and community development—particularly within the context of the National University of Chimborazo. She holds a Master’s degree in University Academic Management, which has enabled her to participate in a wide range of projects related to administration, outreach, and research.

References

Alvarado, A., Spatariu, A., Woodbury, Ch. (2017). Resilience & emotional intelligence between first-generation college students and non-first-generation college students. Focus on colleges, universities and schools, 11(1), 1-10.

Bevan, M. (2014). A method for Phenomenological Interviewing. Qualitative Health Research, 24(1), 136-144. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732313519710

Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice. Cambridge University Press. https://ecourse.auca.kg/pluginfile.php/159809/mod_resource/content/1/%28Cambridge%20Studies%20in%20Social%20and%20Cultural%20Anthropology%2016%29%20Pierre%20Bourdieu-Outline%20of%20a%20Theory%20of%20Practice-Cambridge%20University%20Press%20%282013%29.pdf

Brookover, D., Hanley, E., Boulden, R., & Johnson, K. (2021). “I want to be a first”: Student, family, and school factors influencing first-generation student college readiness. School Community Journal, 31(1), 41-64. http://www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/SCJ.aspx

Bruni, R., Catalano, G., Daraio, C., Gregori, M., & Moed, H. (2020). Studying the heterogeneity of European higher education institutions. Scientometrics, 125(2), 1117-1144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03717-w

Cataldi, E., Bennett, C., & Chen, X. (2018). First-Generation students: College Access, Persistence, and Postbachelor’s Outcomes. U.S. Department of Education. Institue of Education Sciences. National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018421.pdf

Chan, T.J. (2020). Snowball sampling and sample selection in a social network. In The Econometrics of Networks Advances in Econometrics. Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0731-9sec05320200000042008

Charles, L. H. (2023). Insights on first-generations students’ development of social capital for the rigours of college-level research. Journal of Information Literacy, 17(2), 85-107. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/17.2.9

Chetty, R., & Pather, S. (2016). A conceptual framework for understanding pre-entry factors influencing first-year university experience. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.20853/30-1-548

Choy, S. (2001). Students whose parents did not go to college: Postsecondary access, persistence, and attainment. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2001/2001126.pdf

Coombs, H. (2022). First-in-family-students. Higher Education Policy Institute. Oxford, UK.https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/First-in-Family-Students.pdf

Creswell, J. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. (4th ed.). Sage Publications.

Creswell, J., Poth, C. (2014). Qualitative inquiry & Research design: choosing among five approaches. (4th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA.

Devas, A. (2011). Widening participation and the media student experience. Higher Education, 62(6), 815-828. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-011-9421-3

Giorgi, A. (1997). The theory, practice, and evaluation of phenomenological method as a qualitative research practice procedure. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 28(2), 235–260.

Hicks, T., & Wood, J. (2016). A meta-synthesis of academic and social characteristic studies: First-generation college students in STEM disciplines at HBCUs. Journal of Multicultural Education, 10(2), 107-123. https://1108/JME-01-2016-0018

Hoffding, S., & Moltke, K. (2015). Framing a phenomenological interview: what, why and how. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 15(4). https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s11097-015-9433-z

Inman, W. E., & Mayes, L. (1999). The Importance of Being First: Unique Characteristics of First Generation Community College Students. Community College Review, 26(4), 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/009155219902600402

Irlbeck, E., Adams, S., Akers, C., Burris, S., & Jones, S. (2014). First generation college students: Motivations and support systems. Journal of Agricultural Education. 55(22), 154-166. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2014.02154

Keppens, G., Boone, S., Consuegra, E., Kaurijssen, I., Spruyt, B. Van Droogenbroeck, F. (2023). First.generation college students’ motives to start university education: An investment in self-development, one’s economic prospects or to become a role model? YOUNG, 31(2), 142-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/11033088221139393

Jones, L. (2001). Retaining African Americans in higher education: Challenging paradigms for retaining students, faculty, and administrators. Sterling, Va.: Stylus Publishing.

Lane, L., & Taber, N. Experiences with cultural capital in education: Exploring the educational life stories of First-Generation postsecondary students. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 24(2). https://10.56105/cjsae.v24i2.343

Martínez, C., & de la Torre, C. (2010). Racial discrimination and citizenship in Ecuador educational system. Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, 5(1), 357-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/17442220903506875

McConnell, P. (2000). What community colleges should do to assist First-Generation students. Community College Review, 28(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/009155210002800305

Mentzer, M. S. (1993). Minority Representation in Higher Education: The Impact of Population Heterogeneity. The Journal of Higher Education, 64(4), 417–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.1993.11778437

Mullen, A. (2014). Gender, social background, and the choice of college major in a liberal arts context. Gender & Society, 28(2), 289-312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891243213512721

Murphy, C., & Hicks, T. (2006). Academic characteristics among first-generation and non-first-generation college students. College Quarterly, 9(2), 1-20. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ835403

Opoong, J., & Ikbal, Y. (2024). What drives first-geeration college students to be resilient in pursuing higher education in Africa? Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 9.

Rawlings, B. (2020). Motivational factors amog first-generation college students. [Master’s Thesis, California State University, Fullerton]. ScholarWorks.

Reátegui, L.(2024). La elección universitaria de jóvenes que son primera generación de universitarios en Lima-Perú. Revista Peruana de Investigación Educativa, 15(19), 122-143. https://doi.org/10.34236/rpie.v15i19.484

Secretería de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. (2021). Sistema ecuatoriano de acceso a la educación superior-Octubre 2021. https://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PROYECTO_SEAES.pdf

Secretería de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. (2020). Proyecto sistema nacional de nivelación y admisión-Diciembre 2020. https://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PROYECTO_SNNA.pdf

Toutkoushian, R., May-Trifiletti, J., & Clayton, A. (2021). From ‘first in family’ to ‘first to finish’: Does college graduation vary by how first-generation college status is defined? Educational Policy, 35(3), 481–521.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2022). Higher education: Figures at glance. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000389069

Walker, I. (2020). Heterogeneity in the returns to higher education. In Bradley, S. & Green, C. (Eds.), The economics of education. (2nd ed., pp. 75-90). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815391-8.00006-9

Willmott, K., Leigh Sands, T., Raucci, M., & Waterman, S. (2016). Native American college students: A group forgotten. Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs, 2(1). https://ecommons.luc.edu/jcshesa/vol2/iss1/

Downloads

Published

2025-12-22

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Investigación

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Revista de Educación Inclusiva

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Los autores/as que publiquen en esta revista aceptan las siguientes condiciones: 

Los autores/as conservan los derechos de autor y ceden a la revista el derecho de la primera publicación, con el trabajo registrado con la licencia de atribución de Creative Commons, que permite a terceros utilizar lo publicado siempre que mencionen la autoría del trabajo y a la primera publicación en esta revista.