Other factors that contributed to positive persistence decisions were scale of the environment and structure of course content. Further, the results highlighted the importance of a one-to-one relationship with the instructor and student expectations about this relationship. The results of this case study demonstrated the complexity of community membership for Indigenous students. Data collection took place over one academic year and consisted of interviews with student and faculty participants, as well as observation of online activities within two required biology courses. Scholarly literature on persistence and community models such as Tinto’s (1975) Student Integration Model and Wenger’s (1998) Community of Practice were evaluated for their applicability to non-traditional students. The case was positioned within the first year of an Indigenous Pre-Nursing Transitions (PNT) program in a western Canadian university.
The goal of this exploratory case study was to determine what attributes of the design and structure of a hybrid learning environment encouraged positive persistence decisions. Despite investment in these programs, more than thirty years later there still exists a considerable gap between Indigenous students’ graduation rates and those of their non-Indigenous counterparts, with significant numbers of students dropping out of university programs within the first year (Statistics Canada, 2011). Scholarly research in the success of such programs is frequently presented in terms of institutional directives such as retention and attrition and success is is typically measured by graduation rates. Transitions programs to support non-traditional students have been in existence in Canada since the educational reform movement of the 1970s (Malatest & Associates, 2004). Findings of this study suggest that experiential/cultural knowledge of WOC is valuable, and important for further research in higher education and that academic supervisors and administrators should consider using cultural knowledge as a guide and tool for practical mentorship, academic development, and supervision to ensure successful outcomes for current and future diverse students, especially for WOC in doctoral programs. The majority of the participants interviewed acquired grants, publishing and funding opportunities, possessed all six components. These elements were: 1) Mother's Influence, 2) Age Capital, 3) Survival Strategies, 4) Navigating Academic culture or " Know-How " 5) Mentorship, and 6) Spirituality. An analysis of the data revealed six categories of cultural wealth that were significant and instrumental in graduate student achievement. The aim of the survey was to assess how these diverse students cultivated unique forms of CW through the telling of their stories. A six-item structured instrument was utilized to examine the educational experiences of 10 WOC doctoral students who were attending an elite Canadian university. To thoroughly analyze this assessment, a theoretical framework that included: critical race theory, cultural capital theory, and Womanist theory was implemented. Yet, even without this prior familial knowledge, WOC still succeed because they depend on their developed cultural wealth (CW) to navigate through their doctoral studies. Graduate students who come from a background where neither parent has pursued higher education or specifically, who are Women of Colour (WOC), lack important cultural capital that could otherwise threaten or derail their pursuit of a doctoral degree.
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