Educational Aspirations Research Articles

BioCheM-ID: measuring undergraduate STEM identity across biology, chemistry, and mathematics and understanding the impacts of informal STEM experiences

ABSTRACT Background STEM identity, a disciplinary identity that reflects an individual’s self-understanding in connection with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), impacts students’ integration, retention, and success within STEM fields. Purpose This study aimed to develop a STEM identity instrument via structural equation modeling, the BioCheM-ID, to measure STEM identity across biology, chemistry, and mathematics among undergraduates enrolled in an introductory-level biology course. Design and methods As the first model in the literature to measure STEM identity across these three domains, the BioCheM-ID comprised five latent factors: biology perceived competence and interest, chemistry perceived competence and interest, mathematics perceived competence and interest, biology and chemistry beliefs, and mathematics beliefs. Content validity, internal structure validity, and internal consistency of data generated via the BioCheM-ID were investigated. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses was conducted to explore how student-centered factors, such as gender, race/ethnicity, major of study, and pre-college informal STEM learning experiences influence undergraduate STEM identity. Results Students’ major and participation in pre-college informal STEM learning experiences emerged as significant predictors of STEM identity, where STEM majors and students with mentoring and tutoring experiences reported a significantly higher STEM identity compared to their counterparts. The relationships between students’ educational aspirations, expectations, and STEM identity were explored, and positive correlations were observed. Students reported aspiring and expecting at least to earn a master’s or doctoral degree on average, highlighting the higher educational aspirations and expectations of the freshman students. Conclusions This study contributes to ongoing discussions on how to effectively support student populations in STEM, advocating for increased opportunities for early and meaningful STEM engagements.

Rural Youth Aspirations in the Face of Environmental, Economic and Social Pressures: Transformation in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract Farming communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) face a range of socio-economic and environmental pressures. With out-migration and changing career opportunities, many young people are unwilling to remain in agriculture and prefer careers elsewhere due to poor perceptions of farming as a career. To better understand the educational choices and career aspirations of rural youth in the VMD and the contextual factors affecting these choices, we used an online survey and several focus group discussions to consult university students about their selection of university major, their career aspirations, the role of climate change and other pressures, and opportunities available to alleviate these pressures. Farming itself was an unattractive career pathway, though agricultural services, research and extension were relatively popular. Climate change may reduce agricultural employment prospects, requiring some respondents to pursue other, less impacted careers. Other pressures reported included a lack of certain workplace skills; gendered differences in career prospects and sectors; inadequate personal networks; and COVID-19 economic impacts. Government and private sector initiatives may help alleviate these pressures via educational, financial and entrepreneurial support, valourising diverse career pathways, and ensuring improved inclusivity for youth in rural communities.

Between gendered selfhood and patriarchal family: young women’s non-metropolitan education mobilities in urban north India

ABSTRACT The expansion and massification of higher education in India have enabled an increasingly diverse group of students to access these institutions. Tier-2 cities in urban north India have become major centres for young people’s including large number of young women’s educational aspirations and localised mobilities. The study found that families are deeply implicated in these women’s educational and aspirational desires. It also challenges existing studies that propose non-professional college degrees principally as improving women’s prospects in the marriage market. I show that for women students, non-professional undergraduate degrees are oriented toward government employment, not only the marriage market. This article shows the ambivalent nature of family in the lives of young women students in a tier-2 city of north India, which is enabling as well as restrictive. I show that women’s educational mobilities enable gendered autonomy to an extent, but at the same time keep them under the authority of the patriarchal family. I argue that in a context where the patriarchal family was instrumental in enabling mobility, young women students were negotiating with their families and patriarchal power structures to obtain some small measure of freedom in their futures. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with undergraduate women students in Prayagraj city, Uttar Pradesh, this article analyses the complex and contradictory social structures and the young women’s bargains with patriarchal family that shape their lives and educational aspirations.

An Evaluation of the Attainment Gaps in State Schools in England: Evidence from Next Steps’ Age 25 Sweep Dataset

This paper evaluates the higher education (HE) admissions policy by examining the educational attainment gaps in state schools of young people from different socio-economic backgrounds in England. We analysed data for a cohort of 5192 state-educated young people from the large-scale nationally representative longitudinal Next Steps dataset from 2004 to 2015, linked to the robust administrative National Pupil Database (NPD) for England. The analytical methods used include effect sizes and correlations. The results show a clear pattern of the socio-economic stratification of young people’s educational attainment. Pupil deprivation is a key indicator which is consistently associated with lower educational attainment. While this is not surprising, our study also suggests that there are other factors besides the family backgrounds which are associated with young people’s educational outcomes. Pupils’ enjoyment of school, their educational aspirations, and their parent’s aspirations for their children are found to have a positive correlation with attainment at school, suggesting that educational aspirations and positive school experiences might contribute to a narrowing of deprivation-related gaps. As the analyses also suggest that young people who went to university and those in professional occupations consistently achieved higher academic performance than their peers, the findings have policy implications for improving social mobility. While it is not possible to alter parents’ socioeconomic backgrounds, raising children’s aspirations and making school enjoyable are amenable to policies and interventions. The common practice of using academic attainment as a selection criterion for admission to HE is likely to disadvantage children from low socioeconomic families, with implications for social mobility. The contextualised admission (CA) policy should lead to fairer approaches, which could be used for admissions to HE.

Peer effects among friends on students' cognitive abilities: An analysis based on emotional distance.

In contemporary society, students' cognitive abilities are crucial for the accumulation of human capital. Consequently, significant concern has been expressed regarding the impact of peer effects among friends on students' cognitive abilities. Based on the "China Education Tracking Survey" data, we discuss peer effects among friends on students' cognitive abilities from the perspective of Emotional Distance Analysis. Our study shows that: (1) Students' average scores could be actively affected by the increase in the number of friends with good grades. (2) Peer effects among friends are in accord with different students. Such effects are more easily exerted among female students and those with better average grades or local household registration. (3) The mechanism study found that the conduction effect of peer effects among friends mainly relies on two paths. One is manifested as the "compliance effect". In other words, to align with their friends, students increase their study time, raise their educational aspirations, and minimize instances of skipping classes and absenteeism. The other channel is the "anchoring effect," which involves raising parents' reference standards, leading them to devote more time and energy to their children's learning. Therefore, the rational use of social interaction with friends is a vital approach to enhancing students' cognitive abilities.

Differential outcomes: early marriage, marital identity and mental health of displaced female youth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

ABSTRACT Little is known about the mental health and well-being outcomesfor females that marry under-age in conflict and displacement settings. Even less is known about how such outcomes differ based on marital experience and marital identity. To explore these gaps and relationships empirically, a cohort of 63 female youth between the ages of 14 and 24 was followed for 27 months using predominantly qualitative and participatory methods. The sample was comprised of Syrian refugees, internally displaced Yazidis, and conflict-affected Iraqi Arabs in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Results indicate that regardless of marital status, female youth experienced a high number of traumatic events stemming from the conflict, family, and community, which significantly impacted their mental health and well-being. This was further impacted by the on-going stressors of living with gender inequality, deprivation and in displacement. Marital identities led to differential mental health and well-being outcomes. Females that married early had poor outcomes if they experienced abuse or if they had been forcibly married. Divorced and widowed female youth had uniformly very high levels of psychological distress, as did those who were unmarried and living with disabilities. Female youth who showed the most positive mental health and well-being outcomes were unmarried, and actively pursuing their educational and career aspirations with the support of their families. At the same time, married youth that had expanded their opportunities (economic, social, movement, educational, legal status) through their marriages also reported positive mental health. Findings indicate that Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) are urgently needed for female youth in conflict and displacement, and that these services should take into account marital identity. Findings also indicate that the relationship between conflict, early marriage, and mental health is not unidimensional and requires a more subtle and nuanced analysis by key stakeholders in order to design appropriate and effective interventions.

Latinx Students' Postsecondary Decision-making: Higher Education Aspirations Amidst Macroeconomic Realities

Latinx students, particularly those who are first-generation college students and/or from low-income backgrounds, are disproportionately underrepresented in higher education in the United States. This study explores factors affecting Latinx students’ postsecondary pathways and college decision-making, drawing from 22 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seniors and alumni from a majority-Latinx California high school. Amidst unprecedented student debt rates, higher education investments can pose financial risks. The students profiled aim to make choices that will lessen the financial burden of higher education, showing an awareness of larger macroeconomic contexts while simultaneously not compromising on fulfilling higher education aspirations.

EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF MARRIED FEMALE STUDENTS IN WOMEN DAY SECONDARY SCHOOL MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated the educational and vocational aspirations of married female Students in Women Day Secondary School Maiduguri. The objectives of the study are to determine the educational aspirations and vocational aspirations of married female students in women day secondary school in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey to investigate the aspirations, perceptions, and challenges faced by a specific group of individuals. The design facilitates data collection from a relatively large population to describe trends and patterns in their aspirations among married female secondary school students. The population of the study was 1,554 married female students. Through purposive sampling technique three hundred and seven (307) students were sampled. Self-Developed Questionnaire (SEQ) were used to collect data. The researcher pilot-tested the instrument on forty (40) married female students which yielded reliability coefficient of (r = 0.98) (r = 0.94) Cronbach Alpha. The result showed that Women in Women Day Secondary School Maiduguri, Borno State has higher educational and vocational aspirations. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; Borno State Government should open a functional Guidance and Counselling centers in every institution, workplaces and communities to meet up students’ problems on education, economic, social and vocational. Borno State Government should establish more secondary schools for married women who may desire to carry on with their schooling after marriage. Similarly, spouse who married young girls of school age should allow them to forge ahead to achieve their vocational and educational aspirations to make a better helpmate.

Educational Aspiration of Slum children with special reference to Sikandra area of Agra city

This research delves into the challenges faced by slum children in accessing quality education. It explores their awareness and aspirations toward learning, the resources and opportunities available to them, and the perspectives of their parents on the importance of education for their children's future.

Generational trends in education and marriage norms in rural India: evidence from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study.

Globally in 2024, 1 in 5 women aged 20-24 years worldwide had been married before the age of 18 years. One reason for this persistent prevalence of underage marriage may be the slow change in social norms relating to education levels and women's marriage age. However, we know little about how norms change, and whether they vary by socio-demographic characteristics. We aimed to investigate changes in social norms across generations in rural Maharashtra, India. To understand the status quo, we identified education levels and marriage ages typical of contemporary young adults in rural Maharashtra using the National Family Health Survey. To see if norms have shifted across generations, we analysed data on education and marriage age in 659 parent-adolescent dyads from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study (PMNS) in rural Maharashtra. To ascertain if norms might shift in the future, we investigated adolescents' aspirations for their future hypothetical children's education and marriage, and classified adolescents as wanting (a) their children to decide themselves, (b) more education and later marriage age, or (c) the status quo. We assessed whether these aspirations differed by socio-demographic characteristics. Compared to the status quo and PMNS adults, PMNS adolescents had substantially more education, and girls were marrying slightly later. About 70% of the adolescents wanted their children to themselves decide their schooling. The remainder of both sexes wanted their children to have the same education as them (15 years). Only 10% of adolescent girls and 14% of boys wanted their child to decide their own marriage age. Most adolescents wanted a later marriage age for their children than their own experience. Lower educated and early married girls aspired for greater education for their children. More educated boys aspired for later marriage for their children. Education norms have changed by a larger magnitude than marriage age norms. Adolescents are already attaining their education aspirations, but aspire for later marriage of their children, more so for their hypothetical sons than daughters. Since senior household members remain influential in marriage decisions, it may take time before adolescents' aspirations for their children become a new norm.

A Sociological Exploration of Institutional, Sociocultural, and Economic Barriers to Women's Higher Education Aspirations in Balochistan

A developing approach to economic and social empowerment is higher education. It enables people to acquire the knowledge and abilities they need to pursue their career goals and make significant contributions to society. The socio-cultural, economic, and institutional constraints pose a large number of issues for female students in Balochistan. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology by using purposive sampling to gather information from 73 female students and female teaching faculty across three major universities in Quetta. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and FGDs, which were then analyzed thematically. The study contextualizes the findings in broader social contexts through the application of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and Connell's Framework of Gender Relations. Five core themes were comprising sociocultural barriers, economic limitations, institutional deficiencies, academic pressures, and opportunities for empowerment, were discussed. Findings from the study suggest the issue of continued patriarchal thought domination, weak institutional setup, and economic hardship in the region; besides them, alternatives like women's universities, scholarships, and mentoring are highlighted. Proposed reform includes gender-inclusive reform, financial help, and community involvement toward making a conducive higher education environment all around Balochistan, that would turn out to be women-friendly, gender-equitable, and woman-inclusive.

Timing of Adolescent Alcohol Initiation and Unexplored Consequences: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

There is scarcity of research comparing two age groups on the consequences of adolescent alcohol initiation. Particularly, it remains unknown whether alcohol initiation in grade 9 or earlier or grade 10–12 predict different or similar consequences in adolescents’ friend network and educational aspiration. The current study focuses on whether initiating alcohol use in grade 9 or earlier or grade 10–12 is associated with adolescents’ frequency of getting drunk, number of drunk friends they have, and their intention to obtain higher education. We used the data from the Monitoring the Future - Public Use Cross Sectional Datasets (1976–2022). We used R to conduct the propensity score matching, multiple linear regression analyses and two-way ANOVA. After propensity score adjustment, only associations between initiating alcohol use in grade 10–12 and getting drunk and initiating alcohol use in grade 10–12 and drunk friends remained significant.

The Stepping Stone Clubhouse Evaluation: Exploring Members’ Experiences, Service Engagement, and Perceived Impact of the Clubhouse International Model

The Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation provides non-clinical social support for adults living with a diagnosed mental illness or self-reported mental ill-health (referred to as ‘members’). The Stepping Stone Clubhouse in Brisbane, Australia was evaluated between August 2022 and August 2023 using a participatory action research approach. Data was sourced from member surveys, member interviews, and an existing Clubhouse Member Database. Outcomes included members’ self-reported psychosocial recovery, social connectedness, quality of life, frequency of hospitalizations, and their attainment of employment and/or education aspirations. In this cross-sectional evaluation, it was hypothesized that existing members (membership: 11 months – 28 years) would report better outcomes than new members (membership: 0–14 days). In total, 161 existing members and 76 new members completed a survey. Twenty-three members also participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants were aged on average 47.1 years (± 13.5), 62% were male and 31% had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Existing members reported better scores than new members for: three of the four psychosocial recovery domains (Functional Recovery: 78.0% vs. 74.0%, p = 0.01; Symptom Management Recovery 69.5% vs. 65.2%, p = 0.03; Social Recovery 74.3% vs. 70.0%, p = 0.01); social connection with other members (38.1 vs. 32.2, p = 0.03) and staff (44.5 vs. 38.1, p = 0.02); quality-of-life summary scores (4.6 vs. 4.1, p = 0.01), and rates of mental health-related hospitalization (16% vs. 41%, p < 0.01). Existing members were also more likely to be in some form of employment, compared to new members (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between existing and new members for their educational goals, with 58% of each group wanting further formal education. Stepping Stone members have better outcomes than members who have recently joined the Clubhouse. This evaluation was successful because it intentionally built evaluative capacity and empowered member-centric processes.

'I am very sensitive on the subject of accent': Children, young people and attitudes to speech in inter-war Britain.

This article considers elite and popular attitudes to speech and accent in inter-war Britain, specifically with regard to children and young people. It begins by showing that speech was a consistent preoccupation of educationalists, for whom classed prejudices complemented more progressive concerns about citizenship and employment. It continues by considering everyday school practices, charting the ways in which schools tried to influence their pupils' speech. Efforts were often variable-and Mass-Observation accounts show that teachers' attitudes were not always consistent either-but children might respond positively nonetheless. Finally, it considers influences external to school such as family attitudes, the wireless, and the cinema, showing that concerns with speech and language were not limited to an educational hierarchy but were often shared by working-class parents and sometimes children themselves. The article thus suggests that there was less of a difference between official attitudes and the (literal and metaphorical) vernacular than is and was often assumed. It argues that widespread attention to speech and language was one way in which social and educational aspirations were fostered amidst the new technologies, consumerism, and democracy of inter-war Britain.

Mastering the Albanian Language as a Developed Language Skill and Capacity in Universities Abroad

This paper will present several ideas regarding the strategies that should be followed during the professional and scientific research teaching of the Albanian language in universities outside of Albania. Language education in such a context should focus on developing the communicative competence of the language of origin. The subject of this study is Albanian students in foreign universities, including those of Albanian descent (primarily those born in host countries), students who have left Albania to fulfill their educational ambitions, and students who have emigrated, different times. This perspective also includes foreign students who show interest in the Albanian language. In addition to mastering contemporary knowledge of the Albanian language, special attention will be given to knowledge of the history of the Albanian language, the culture of the Albanian people, and the Albanians' vision of the surrounding world. The study also aims to unveil models that would serve to stimulate research in the field of Albanology, particularly in the study of the Albanian language in these universities. Received: 26 October 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025

A Bildung theoretical framework for Models-based Practice in physical education

ABSTRACT Background: Models-based Practice (MbP) has gained popularity in the literature on physical education. It offers a comprehensive approach to teaching and programme planning. However, MbP lacks a solid theoretical foundation to guide reflections on educational purposes, teaching methods and learning aspirations. Purpose: This paper proposes a framework to address this shortcoming by drawing on Wolfgang Klafki's theory of general Bildung. The goal is to provide a theoretical foundation for MbP and contribute to its further development. By exploring the potential of a Bildung theoretical framework for MbP, this paper also seeks to bridge the gap between the Anglo-American tradition that MbP adheres to and the Continental tradition of Bildung. Relevance and Implications: The analysis demonstrates how Bildung theory can complement and challenge elements in MbP. First, it can contribute with an overarching educational purpose, which is to develop the capacity for self-determination, co-determination, and solidarity. Second, the principle of exemplarity can secure alignment between the main themes of models and epochal key problems. Third, the principles of non-affirmativity and versatility can inform learning aspirations for students, and the principle of multidimensionality can inform a multi-model approach where students engage with different body-cultural practices. Fourth, the principles of autonomy and interdependency can inform the pedagogical work of teachers. Conclusion: We conclude that, on the one hand, MbP can serve as a framework for integrating the educational principles of Bildung in schools, enriching the pedagogical landscape of physical education. On the other hand, Bildung theory can provide a solid theoretical framework for MbP, as it underpins several strengths of the approach and can guide its future development. Thus, MbP can provide a practical framework for working with general Bildung in physical education, while Bildung theory can provide a theoretical framework with criteria for the development and use of pedagogical models in MbP that align with democratic and educational objectives.

“I Wanted a Better Life”: Higher Education Aspirations and Agency of Kazakhstani Youth from Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds

Although a large body of literature explored the mechanisms that shape social mobility of youth, it remains unclear how youth, in general, especially from marginalized backgrounds, exercise agency in pursuing aspirations. Drawing on life history narratives of prestigious university graduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in Kazakhstan, this study examines challenges that the graduates faced in pursuing aspirations for higher education and how they exercised agency within these constraining conditions. This research makes significant contributions to the literature on youth aspirations, agency, and Bourdieu’s theory of field while highlighting circumstances that improve higher education access of youth from marginalized backgrounds.

“Africans Do Not Fail”: Examining the Model Minority Stereotype and Anti-Blackness at a New York City Public School

Background/Context: In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of the model minority label to reference the educational achievement of African immigrant students. Yet, despite the growing image of African immigrants as model minorities, there is little empirical research on K–12 African immigrant students’ academic achievement and the prevailing notion of this group as model minorities. Focusing on West African students and their teachers and counselors, this study examines the perceptions and realities of these students’ academic abilities, academic achievements, and the model minority stereotype at Wilson High School (pseudonym), a predominantly Black New York City public school. Research Question: The study explores the following questions: (1) How are West African immigrant students perceived and treated at Wilson High School by the adults whom they interact with the most, specifically teachers and counselors? (2) In what ways, if at all, do these perceptions and treatments align with the model minority stereotype and West African students academic achievement? Research Design: Wilson is a high school with about 500 students located in the Bronx, a NYC borough known to be the site of settlement for Western Africans, the largest group of Africans in the United States. For this critical ethnographic study, I spent 10 months at Wilson engaging in data collection, including in-school observations and in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews with ten West African students, nine of their teachers, and a school guidance counselor. Data analysis involved an inductive approach to analyzing emerging themes with a specific focus on Carspecken’s reconstructive horizon analysis. Conclusions/Recommendations: The first theme in this study reveals that the model minority stereotype best characterized adults’ perceptions of West African immigrant students (WAISs) at Wilson even though WAISs’ grade point averages contradicted these perceptions. Second, in this mostly Black school, teachers and counselors believed that African culture promoted high educational aspirations, whereas American culture, particularly African American culture, encouraged oppositional attitudes toward educational success. Third, perceptions of African youth as model students afforded them symbolic capital and beneficial treatment at Wilson. The themes found in this study highlight the complex ways in which the model minority stereotype influences adults’ perceptions and treatment of African students, which shapes African students’ school experiences. This article recommends that further exploration of the racialization of African immigrant students include an emphasis on their growing positioning as model minorities.

COVID-19, school closures and the retreat from educational aspirations.

As a shared external shock, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) impacted health and well-being around the world. Mitigation strategies employed in many locations included school closures and travel restrictions. These strategies directly impacted educational access and opportunities and created economic stressors for families. This study examines how these direct impacts also altered educational aspirations for children and adolescents, an important predictor of educational attainment. We estimate multilevel regression models using two waves of data, collected in 2017-18 and 2020-21, from 1294 children and adolescents (Mean age = 13.1, SD = 2.8; 50.3% female) in Jalisco, Mexico, and 2201 children and adolescents (Mean age = 14.7, SD = 2.6; 49.1% female) in Chitwan Nepal. We examine changes in educational aspirations between the two waves (pre- and post-COVID-19 onset). Initial aspirations are positively associated with household wealth, caregiver education, and prior commitment to education. Multilevel regression models predicting changes in educational aspirations demonstrate these resources are important for maintaining high educational aspirations. But children and adolescents in households that experienced more economic loss following the external shock of the pandemic had lowered aspirations over time. Disruptions to schooling and economic shocks to households curtailed educational aspirations among children and adolescents in a similar way in two disparate settings. These results raise concerns about the educational attainment of children in the face of external shocks and the possibility that educational progress will stall in low resourced environments among the most vulnerable youth.

Transgenders In India: A Study Of Educational Status And Legal Rights In Educational Institutes

Abstract In the present paper Transgenders in India: A study of Educational Status and Legal Rights in Educational Institutes done. In the study we selected 20 Educational institutes, 60 teachers and 17 trangenders. for data collecttion we use Questionnaire for the status of transgender Education in Educational Institute (QSTEEI) through Google Form. our OBJECTIVES is I. To study the educational accessibility of transgender in Educational Institutes. II. To analyze the legal safeguards and its implementation in educational institutes for the transgenders. III. To find out the problems faced by transgender to fulfil their educational aspirations. And HYPOTHESIS H 1. There is significant difference in accessibility of education between transgender and dominant genders. H 2. There is significant difference existence and implementation of legal rights for transgender community in improvising the educational accessibility in India. H 3. There is significant difference in the fulfillment of educational aspirations of transgender students. our conclusion of The studies revealed that the transgender community has a low educational level, transgender people felt excluded from the curriculum, and faces barriers to education. Major findings of the study showed that transgender students experienced discrimination, intolerance, and physical and mental harassment in school due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. Transgender and gender diverse students avoided their school because they can’t conform to the gender stereotypes dominant within the school. There is a lack of proper learning environment within school boundaries for the education of transgender children, because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and face stigma. It is recognised that there is a need for reform in the educational system including that in the curriculum, for better representation of the Transgender community. However, only education can empower the community from within to make each one of them self-sufficient and confident. key word : Transgenders, Educational Status, Legal Rights, Educational Institutes