Journal article
The Relationship Between Low-Income College Students’ Time Use and Well-Being: A Mixed Methods Exploration
Research in higher education, Vol.65(8), pp.1934-1964
12/2024
DOI: 10.1007/s11162-024-09812-8
Abstract
Recent reports show that low-income students make up a significant share of those participating in higher education, and their well-being constitutes a key factor that influences their college success. This mixed-methods study examined first-year, low-income students’ time use and its relationship to well-being framed by an equity-oriented lens that recognizes the time constraints low-income students navigate. Our mixed methods findings identified the link between time use and well-being and—critically—empirical explanations for these links. First, leveraging a unique experience sampling survey design and multilevel analyses, we found that attending class, studying or doing homework, and working for pay were consistently and adversely related to low-income students’ well-being. Low-income students who were also first-generation in college fared worse than continuing-generation students when engaging in these experiences. On the other hand, socializing was positively related to low-income students’ well-being. Second, an exploration of longitudinal data from hundreds of student interviews illuminated two primary factors that shaped the relationship between low-income students’ time use and well-being: (a) structuring time and developing a routine, and (b) the power of reflection and meaning-making. These findings provide important novel insights about low-income students’ college experiences and the relationship between their time use and well-being, and offer crucial guidance for educators on how to support low-income students’ well-being as they navigate college.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Relationship Between Low-Income College Students’ Time Use and Well-Being: A Mixed Methods Exploration
- Creators
- Joseph A. Kitchen - University of Southern CaliforniaNicholas A. Bowman - University of IowaRalitsa Todorova - University of Southern CaliforniaLauren N. Irwin - University of Tennessee at KnoxvilleZoë B. Corwin - University of Southern California
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Research in higher education, Vol.65(8), pp.1934-1964
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11162-024-09812-8
- ISSN
- 0361-0365
- eISSN
- 1573-188X
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 08/03/2024
- Date published
- 12/2024
- Academic Unit
- Educational Policy and Leadership Studies; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984695660002771
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