Coming to a new society in Europe is associated with complex processes of maintaining continuity and incorporating change into immigrant people’s lives. This involves becoming an accepted part of the new society and at the same time having the opportunity to retain what is important from one’s life history (cf. Ager & Strang, 2008). For many women with immigrant backgrounds, higher education (HE) is an important period of transition into a new society as well as into prospects of careers and life opportunities (cf. Harris, 2015). HE in Sweden has a general assignment to facilitate equality in education and future career paths (Regeringen, 2022). In addition, an improved focus on lifelong learning and readjustment of career paths for "new" groups of students, such as immigrants, has been added to the assignments of Swedish HE (Regeringen, 2022; SFS, 2023). In Sweden, the proportion of students with immigrant backgrounds entering HE has increased compared to students with Swedish-born parents. In the academic year of 2020/2021, 26% of the students entering HE in Sweden had immigrant backgrounds (UKÄ & SCB, 2021). In addition, more women than men with an immigrant background entered HE. Previous research shows that young immigrant women are at risk of discrimination and marginalization in society in general as well as in the context of HE (Bayati, 2014; Nakhaie & Wijesingha, 2014). However, as there are few studies focusing on individual, social, and contextual aspects of turning points that promote and facilitate pathways to graduation in HE (Pherali & Moghli, 2019), this is addressed in the current study. Since European countries have experienced immigrated students in HE including immigrated females students, this study focusing on the Swedish context, contribute with valuable knowledge relevant to a European context. This study focuses on aspects of turning points and their possible influence on female immigrant students’ pathways to completion of higher education. Against this background, the aim of the study is to explore immigrant women´s pathways through higher education and to highlight how aspects of different turning points can affect these pathways. The research questions is: How are individual, social, and contextual aspects of turning points shaping female immigrant students’ pathways to graduation in Higher education?

The theoretical framework consists of the theory of turning points, implying that female immigrant student’s pathways to graduation in higher education can be described as turning points, unforeseen events of different characters that might influence the student's life and possible career development (Hodkinson & Sparkes, 1997). The project follows an interpretive multiple case study design, which enables a close examination of the individual life stories of female immigrant students in HE and their pathways to graduation, by discovering their different and specific narratives. The study is based on 13 individual interviews with female higher education immigrant students in Sweden. The data collection has been conducted by using semi-structured interviews following the life history principle, together with a biographical mapping (Barker-Ruchti, et al., 2015) and the analysis has a thematic approach. More specifically, aspects of turning points are analyzed in line with the research question. 

The theoretical framework consists of the theory of turning points, implying that female immigrant student’s pathways to graduation in higher education can be described as turning points, unforeseen events of different characters that might influence the student's life and possible career development (Hodkinson & Sparkes, 1997). The study follows an interpretive multiple case study design, which enables a close examination of the individual life stories of female immigrant students in HE and their pathways to graduation, by discovering their different and specific narratives of turning points and critical events. The design of the study will enable images of the relationships between female immigrant students’ life stories. The study is based on individual interviews with a focus on turning points for female immigrant students. Participants have been recruited using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling. The sample consists of on 13 individual interviews with female higher education immigrant students in Sweden. The inclusion criteria for the study were (1) women who are first-generation immigrants and (2) have been enrolled in and newly graduated from an educational program (bachelor’s or master’s degree) in HE in Sweden. The definition in the study of newly graduated is within six months after graduation. Additional inclusion criteria are that the women (3) have migrated from non-Western European countries (not the USA or other Western countries), and (4) can make themselves understood in the Swedish language. The data collection has been conducted by semi-structured interviews following the life history principle together with a biographical mapping (Barker-Ruchti, et al., 2015). More specifically, aspects of turning points are analyzed related to the research question. The study has been approved by the Swedish National Ethics Committee.

Tentative findings from the ongoing analysis suggest that individual aspects of turning points shaping female immigrant students’ pathways to graduation in Higher Education include a personal driving force. Although they experience great challenges on this level, they do not consider giving up an option but strive to succeed at all costs. This is closely connected to an individual motivation of assisting others, where they express a strong wish to share their experiences and lessons learned, concerning how to manage higher education studies. Social aspects concern student peers, being described as crucial for female immigrant students’ shared learning. Another social aspect is teachers and the importance of being acknowledged and included by them in the classroom. Teachers and student peers as aspects of turning points were decisive for female immigrant students’ ability to complete their education. On a contextual level, the family is described as paramount in creating necessary preconditions for studies in HE for these students. The findings will be further elaborated in the conference presentation. In conclusion, as earlier international studies show that young immigrant women are at risk of discrimination and marginalization in in the context of HE, it is reasonable to suggest that the findings of this paper focusing on individual, social, and contextual aspects of turning points that promote and facilitate pathways to graduation HE, are highly relevant from a European perspective. Female immigrant students in higher education had different countries of origin. It is reasonable to assume that the contexts and cultures play a significant role in the participants’ life stories. Since Stenberg and Airas (2021) state that there is a significant challenge for creating improved conditions for continuous learning for immigrants in higher education, we recommend that higher education in European countries further addresses, invites, and pay attention to female immigrant students.

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