The Impact of Social Support on the College Enrollment Aspirations of Ethnic Minority Vocational Students: A Case Study of a Modern Industrial College in Xinjiang

In recent years, China has been striving to enhance the quality of the population in ethnic minority areas, promote local talent cultivation, and accelerate local economic development by increasing investment in basic education resources and expanding enrollment in higher education. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 ethnic minority students from a modern industrial college in Xinjiang to explore the influence of social support on academic aspirations. Employing qualitative research methods and drawing on the interview outline by Wang (2020), supported by Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior, the study concludes that national policies, schools, teachers, and parents influence the academic aspirations of ethnic minority students. Based on these findings, the study suggests the effective implementation of relevant national policies and calls for schools, teachers, and parents to pay attention to and encourage the academic aspirations of ethnic minority students. This study inspires future scholars to pay more attention to the academic aspirations of ethnic minority students, aiming to provide them with more assistance and improve the overall education level of ethnic minority students.