First-Generation African Students in STEM Disciplines in South African Universities

First-generation student (FGS) is a complex term, which has a wide diversity of individuals, this special group of students are the first in their families to attend universities and have unique struggles at universities. The research engaged in a qualitative way with FG African students and their experiences in pursuing their degrees in STEM disciplines. Underpinned by the theory of intersectionality, ten self-identified first-generation African students participated in semi-structured interviews. In which,five major themes were identified—motivation, resilience, toxicity, racism, and politics, and Black Tax. Furthermore, this study recommended structural programming, university policies, and increased faculty and staff diversity as strategies that will benefit all students and provide support for FG African student in STEM disciplines in South Africa.

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