Going the distance: benefits and challenges of a long-term study of working-class, first-in-family university students

ABSTRACT

This paper draws on experiences gained in a 16-year qualitative study of the experiences of working-class students who were the first in their family to attend university. Although the study suffered from attrition and analysis was complicated because it became increasingly difficult to understand the data through any one theoretical or conceptual framework, this complexity also offered the opportunity for a more nuanced approach, to become reassured in earlier interpretations, and to correct past misinterpretations. Their long-term commitment to the research project led many of the participants to articulate benefits they gained from being in the study for 16 years. The opportunity to tell their stories and have their experiences as first-in-family students validated was something they identified as especially important and valuable to them. QLR thus offers unique benefits that are not possible in cross-sectional research.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative longitudinal research
• chronological triangulation
• representation
• first-in-family university students
• social class

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was granted by the Western University (Project ID:118369). Informed consent was obtained from all study participants.All data were de-identified and pseudonyms are used.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Faculty Research Development Fund (Faculty of Social Science, Western University).

Notes on contributors

Wolfgang Lehmann

Wolfgang Lehmann is Professor in the Department of Sociology at Western University. His main research focus is on social class and higher education, as well as school-work transitions. His work has appeared in Sociology of Education, British Journal of Sociology of Education, British Educational Research Journal, Journal of Education and Work, and Work, Employment and Society. He edited Education and Society: Canadian Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 2016).