Professional development of Latina graduate students: A phenomenological photographic study.

摘要

This phenomenological study describes, through photographs and unstructured interviews, the journey of four Latinas as they pursued their professional development. The information obtained identified the major themes through a recursive phenomenological reduction process and included: (1) the crucial nature of support, time, change and growth. (2) the importance of family, hope, religion and strength. The study captured the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of four graduate Latinas as they negotiated their way through the intricate personal connections among the different cultures, people, social environments, and academic demands. The use of photographs, collected by informants, functioned as a starting point for discussion of the experiences. We explored the powerful moving stories in a spontaneous and collaborative manner. Specifically, this study focused on the meaning each student gave to her experiences as she faced the challenge of attaining higher education and professional development. The stories gathered in the study further our understanding of the multiple dynamics associated with higher education and professional development challenges faced by aspiring Latinas. The study gained understandings primarily from an emic point of view that will assist academicians and institutions that seek to understand, recruit and retain minorities in higher education.