Motivational and Sociocultural Factors for Native Hawaiian Students Attaining a Post-Secondary Degree

There are currently more Native Hawaiian students entering post-secondary institutions; however, the number of Native Hawaiian college graduates does not mirror the spike in enrollment. Therefore, there is a need to identify the different motivational and sociocultural factors that currently assist Native Hawaiian college student retention. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the motivational and sociocultural factors that are utilized by Native Hawaiian college students. Fifty students from Windward Community College, Kaneohe, Hawaii, who identify themselves as being of Native Hawaiian descent, participated in a Q-Sort, as well as a personal interview. The ethnography uses both quantitative (Q-Sort) and qualitative (personal interviews) data to analyze the motivational and sociocultural factors for Native Hawaiian college students. By identifying select motivational and sociocultural factors that help the retention of Native Hawaiian college students, post-secondary learning institutions can better understand Native Hawaiian students and, therefore, can assist them in achieving their goal of graduating with a college degree.