| The study explored the oral communication apprehension (CA) levels of first-generation college students. Specifically, the CA levels of first-generation college students at a two- and four-year institution were compared with the intent of developing a profile of their apprehension levels. Overall and general-context CA were measured using the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24 (PRCA-24).; The electronic survey was sent to 2,040 first-generation community college students and 3,176 first-generation university students. There were 161 responses received from students at the two-year institution and 622 from students at the four-year institution. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, frequencies, and a thematic analysis.; First-generation students at the two-year college had a CA profile similar to reported levels for national norms. Students at the four-year institution had lower scores than those reported for national norms. The communication apprehension profiles of first-generation students differed by type of institution attended.; The data revealed a statistically significant difference between the communication-apprehension levels of the first-generation college students who were surveyed. Students at the two-year college were found to be more apprehensive with their oral communication than first-generation students at the four-year institution. Further, there was a significant difference between the public speaking apprehension levels of first-generation students based on institution type.; Findings from the research suggested that a large percentage of students were able to predict their own level of communication apprehension. Despite prediction accuracy by students, a number of students who said they had high communication apprehension actually fell within the median scoring of the PRCA-24. Further, students were shown to use a variety of ways to deal with their communication apprehension. Students used elements of communication-orientation motivation, intrapersonal communication, guided visualization, skills training, physical self-regulation, preparation, practice, humor, and a combination approach to managing their own apprehension. A large number of students were unsure about their strategy for managing CA.; Index words. Communication Apprehension, First-Generation College Student, Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24 (PRCA-24), Community College, University... |
