Wrestling With Contradiction: Korean American Students' Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Community Colleges

• In Event: 63.084 - MTCC Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-8 - Asian American and Pacific Islander Experiences Across Educational Contexts

Abstract

This qualitative interview study explored how Korean American students’ perceptions and experiences at community colleges influence the way they construct their possible selves. 29 Korean American community college students were recruited, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The findings showed that before Korean American students attended community colleges, they negatively perceived community colleges as a place for those who did not get into four-year colleges. However, once they attended community colleges, many of them had positive experiences through various academic and career services that colleges offered and interactions with faculty and peers. Although the majority of them had positive experiences that changed their negative perceptions of community colleges, they consistently encountered negative perceptions from others that conflicted with their positive experiences.

Author

• Hye Jung Choi