Silaw Framework: A Guide for Supporting Mother-Students in Finishing College Degrees

Abstract

While existing literature predominantly focuses on the barriers and high dropout rates of student-mothers, there is a critical shortage of research examining the specific developmental journey that leads to their academic and professional success. This study addresses the care-blind Universalist frameworks that often render the mechanisms of success for student-parents invisible. The study aimed to explore the lived experiences and success stories of mother-graduates to understand how they achieved academic completion. Specifically, it sought to identify the challenges encountered, examine the coping mechanisms utilized, and develop a unified framework that maps the transition from enrollment to graduation.
Utilizing a qualitative narrative inquiry design, the researcher purposively selected ten (10) mother-graduates from the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) program at ISPSC-Cervantes Campus who are currently elementary teachers in Quirino and Cervantes. Data were gathered through the Robot-Foto method and semi-structured interviews, subsequently analyzed through thematic analysis. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) served as the theoretical lens to categorize behavioral and psychological transitions.
The study culminated in the development of the SILAW Framework, an original conceptual model mapping a five-phase maternal-academic transformation: (S)uspended Aspirations, (I)nternal Decisional Balance, (L)atent Persistence, (A)ctive Role Integration, and (W)orth Realized. Results reveal that participants transitioned from social evaluation apprehension to a profound realization of self-worth. Their success was anchored in militant time management and the activation of a supportive scaffold rooted in relational mobilization and structural aid.
The educational achievements of these women resulted in a significant identity transformation, shifting their status from socially marginalized individuals to respected professionals. The study concludes that degree attainment is a transformative generational investment that secures a family's socioeconomic future. Recommendations include the institutionalization of family-sensitive academic policies and enhanced institutional coordination for maternal education support.