Psychosocial Readiness for College and Higher Education Orientations Among First- and Non-First-Generation Arab Ethnic Minority Students in Israel: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined two factors relating to students' successful integration into higher education: psychosocial readiness for college (PRC; academic self-efficacy, educational commitment, social comfort, campus engagement, self-discipline, resilience, and institutional commitment) and higher education orientations (profession, knowledge, social, prestige, and external). Their impact on academic success-measured by satisfaction with the major in the first year and grade point average (GPA) and academic satisfaction in the second year-was tested among ethnic minority Arab college students in Israel (N = 1,055; 67% first-generation students). These students were followed from the beginning of their first year (T1) to the start of their second year (T2). At T1, two PRC dimensions (academic self-efficacy and institutional commitment) and four higher education orientations (excluding social orientation) predicted satisfaction with the major. At T2, three PRC dimensions (resilience, self-discipline, and institutional commitment) and profession orientation predicted academic satisfaction, while two PRC dimensions (self-discipline and educational commitment) and social orientation predicted GPA. For first-generation students, profession orientation was associated with higher academic satisfaction, whereas for non-first-generation students, it was associated with lower academic satisfaction. Similarly, social comfort predicted higher GPA for first-generation students but lower GPA for non-first-generation students. The findings highlight the role of psychosocial resources and higher education orientations in supporting academic success among first- and non-first-generation students, emphasizing the need for tailored support to address their unique challenges.