Investigating A College-Going Culture During COVID-19 In North Carolina High Schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the creation and sustainability of a college-going culture in North Carolina public high schools. This study examined a college-going culture’s creation and sustainability using the nine principles of a college-going culture (MacDonald & Dorr, 2006; McClafferty et al., 2002) with habitus acting as a supportive theoretical framework. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design, data collection occurred in two phases. This study focused on North Carolina public high school counselors, teachers, and principals. Using the data from the survey and interview datasets, participant-created definitions for college-going, college, and college-going culture were established. A thematic analysis of the datasets revealed four major themes: lack of shared language, lack of actualization of the nine principles, lack of normalcy during COVID-19, and lack of shared responsibilities during COVID-19. While this study discerned that COVID-19 did negatively affect the creation of a college-going culture in North Carolina high schools, this study also revealed areas for improvement so high schools can work to advance their college-going culture.