This letter now confirms that your research project entitled: Challenges and barriers faced by mothers of female students of Nazarbayev University during graduate studies has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education. The number of mothers re-enrolling in higher education is on the rise worldwide. This approach helped to understand the challenges student mothers face and their responses to difficulties in a range of life roles and experiences.
The consequences of not meeting the demands of student mothers can affect their academic performance.
Introduction
Some studies examined the relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression in student mothers with the increase in their roles, lack of time, demand, and support (Backels & Meashey, 1997). Despite the negative side of having multiple roles, some researchers believed that when mother students faced difficulties in multiple roles, it conversely creates more opportunities to meet success (Johnson & Robson, 1999). Another factor is low income; many mother students face financial difficulties to go and get new knowledge.
These supports empower student mothers and help delegate some of the responsibilities to family members (Jacobs & King, 2002).
Motivation for the study
Statement of the problem
There are significant benefits to educating mother students (Miller, Gault & . Thorman 2011; Attewell & Lavin 2007). For example, when student mothers gain access to a graduate education, they face many obstacles involving marriage, work, and raising dependents. According to Goldrick-Rab and Sorenson (2010), a low level of self-confidence due to lack of time for preparation, lack of social and family support and high level of demand in multiple roles serve to make degree completion very difficult for some mother students . challenging.
Moreover, a mother student who has many responsibilities is vulnerable and tends to drop out of school.
Purpose of the study
Trying to get a higher education at an institution for a student mother is a unique challenge.
Significance of the study
For me, doing this research has helped me gain a deeper understanding of what other mother students face, how they overcome all the barriers and what support they receive.
Introduction
Multiple roles
Situational barriers
The combination of studying and taking care of a child is a big challenge for student mothers. Most of the time, mother students hire a babysitter to take care of their children, a housekeeper to take care of homework, or ask parents or relatives. Balancing family finances for mother students is very important, especially when it comes to study.
The basic need to study for most mother students is to advance their education as a way to improve their economic status.
Dispositional barriers
In addition, mother students are always looking for alternative ways to meet the overloading demands of their role. According to Home's (1998) experience, the role of overload for mother students usually occurs when they are in education. Compared to men, mother students are more involved in multiple roles and experience more stress (Nordenmark, 2002).
According to Bilyalov, Ambusaidi, and Burfoot-Rockford (2015), the situation occurs outside the classroom with students' mothers.
Institutional barriers
They need to recognize the situation mother students face and create useful strategies or tools to provide support (Barrell, 2013). The transition to a new environment for mother students is therefore primarily related to the perception of the system. When the system does not accept mother students' needs, obstacles to overcome often affect them negatively.
These students are often disappointed with their performance because they cannot meet academic standards (Fallah, 2016). The signs of psychological barriers emerge when institutions are unwilling or unable to provide support. For mother students, it is essential that the program is designed to meet their needs.
However, most educational programs are not designed with student mothers in mind (Hui & Leckie, 2011). Despite the fact that student mothers have positive interactions with other students and are willing to get involved, the approach of providing additional support should be different (Rabourn, Shoup, & Brcka-Lorenz, 2015). According to Kinghorn and Womack-Smith (2013), institutions need to develop specific curricula, create an environment suitable for student mothers, and provide assistance according to their needs, since student mothers are different from ordinary students.
For example, some educational institutions do not even attempt to support mother students. This example shows that institutional policies do not specifically target mother students and do not provide support services that are essential for these students.
Level of Self – Confidence
Most people think, especially mother students, that they could not obtain a college degree when they get older. In addition, due to age differences, mother students feel vulnerable and doubt their abilities. In addition, another study shows that mother students often do not believe they can keep up with mainstream students and feel worried about their ability to do the college work (Coker, 2003).
Student mothers who are able to combine work and family roles are at a higher level of self-confidence. Conversely, mothers of students with low levels of self-esteem may procrastinate or avoid taking any action. The self-esteem level of student mothers may be affected by the increasing demand for other roles (Beauregard, 2006).
For example, mother students with low levels of self-confidence after failing a task may experience stress, which directly or indirectly affects other roles. On the other hand, mother students with high self-confidence may get a shake after making mistakes in the assignment. Another factor that affects the self-confidence of mother students is a person's positive or negative attitude towards any task.
The result of a positive approach to solving challenges can help mother students achieve their academic goals. In contrast, mother students with negative views and approaches always feel insecure, anxious, and disbelieving (Elliott et al., 1995).
Family and Social Support
Thus, mother students are motivated by their family members and expect their support. Another author described the situation about what mother students feel when there are age differences. Additionally, when it comes to instructors, mother students must manage time in their academic experiences (Coker, 2003).
However, mother students learn through their life experience and this experience helps them in studying. The support can help mother students overcome academic challenges and instill positive beliefs about their abilities. Additionally, if mother students learn to balance their roles, it will impact their academic satisfaction.
Mothers of students who had support reported experiencing lower levels of role conflict (Menks & Tupper, 1987; Dyk, 1987). According to Houstonbourg and Strange (1986), college mothers received more support from other people than from their spouse. When friends and family understand the challenges student mothers face and help them, it will be a great support.
A student mother needs the emotional, psychological and spiritual support of all people related to her. According to Gudmondsson (2014), access to support helps student mothers manage role conflict.
Introduction
Research design
Data collection methods
Sample
Data Collection Tool
Data collection procedures
Data analysis
Ethical Issues
Introduction
What obstacles did participants face?
- Multiple roles
- Situational barriers
- Dispositional barriers
- Institutional barriers
- Level of self-confidence
- Family and Social Support
One of the participants, #9, said that: "I spend most of my time studying because there are tight deadlines for homework and a large amount of resources for self-study." Three of the participants mentioned the situation when they were pregnant and gave birth during the academic lesson. One of the participants, #8, said that: “I can sit for 10 or 20 minutes to remember a phrase that I wanted to put into my work.
Seven of the participants felt overwhelmed because they had to manage work, homework and family responsibilities. In addition, five of the participants responded that they felt a preoccupation with one role while performing another role. One of the participants, #7, said that: “Sometimes I feel very stressed when I have to do all my assignments and follow all the deadlines, at the same time, I have to do my own.
Six of the participants answered that they had difficulty not having a particularly comfortable room for children and mothers. Only one of the participants, #3, said: “My oldest daughter is 12 years old and only she could go to the store, make a purchase, do her homework, she is independent. Neglected attitudes on the part of the faculty send a message of not accepting the needs of mother students and the challenges they face.
One of the participants had financial difficulties and was responsible for supporting the needs of her family. Most participants do not engage in extracurricular activities because they have so many responsibilities.
Conclusion
Recommendations
In addition, the recovery support should also include benefits for student mothers who adopt children. If the leave is not possible, universities must allow mother students to maintain their student status. The policies for mother students must cover all the circumstances and extend the deadlines if necessary.
In this case, it will be proposed that student mothers receive half the scholarship because they are unable to return to school full-time. Most student mothers do not receive high salaries and cannot afford to hire a nanny. So, if the university creates a policy that partially financially supports the cost of the center or fully covers childcare, then student mothers could get more time for student responsibilities with less stress.
It means that universities, depending on the situation, cover mother students' financial costs for childcare (Springer, Parker, & Leviten-Reid, 2009). I have seen mother students who took care of their children during the semester and left them with someone while they were in class. The success or failure of mother students depends on the support and understanding they receive from the university.
During the training, the faculty member was able to clearly provide information to parent students about the university's policies. This short faculty training can be organized at any time for newcomers and can increase support for mother students. Some mother students may lose their fears during these sessions and understand that departments appreciate them.
Please explain what academic support you would offer to mother students if you were a policy maker or senior administrator of the university.
