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Full-Text Articles in Education
The Experiences Of Low-Income Students Focusing On An Online Learning Environment In Southwest Georgia: A Hermeneutical Phenomenology, Jayda M. Williams
The Experiences Of Low-Income Students Focusing On An Online Learning Environment In Southwest Georgia: A Hermeneutical Phenomenology, Jayda M. Williams
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of low-income students in an online learning environment and how they are socially and academically integrated at an institution in southwest Georgia. Tinto’s 1997 revised student integration model and theory on how institutions must socially and academically integrate students to improve students’ persistence is to guide this research. The participants for this study are ten low-income students who participated in the data collection tools, which are surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. The participants expressed their experiences, barriers, social and academic integration, and persistence in an online learning …
Motivation In Student Retention: A Phenomenology Of Non-Traditional Undergraduate Students In Online Learning, Jasmine Monique Reynolds
Motivation In Student Retention: A Phenomenology Of Non-Traditional Undergraduate Students In Online Learning, Jasmine Monique Reynolds
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology study was to understand the experiences of non-traditional undergraduate students taking online courses at a public or a private university in Virginia. The self-determination theory, which guided this study, explained the motivated behaviors of intrinsic and extrinsic needs that affect the determination in non-traditional students completing a task. Self-determination theory provided the theoretical framework to answer the central research question for this study as well as the sub-questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of non-traditional students while taking online courses at a public or private university in Virginia? (2) What influences non-traditional students …
A Case Study On Persistence Among Financially Stressed College Students From Low-Income Families, Steven E. Mcdaniel
A Case Study On Persistence Among Financially Stressed College Students From Low-Income Families, Steven E. Mcdaniel
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of low-income undergraduate students concerning the effects of financial stressors and the persistence to academically succeed at Anytown University. Anytown University is a large institution of higher education with over 100,000 total student enrolments, 46,438 undergraduate students and 154 programs of study. The theory supporting this study is Deci and Ryan’s theory of self-determination which is concerned with the motivation behind one’s choices and their goal to fill a psychological need. As applied to this study, the psychological need is the motivation to pursue the attainment of a …
Factors Related To Online Doctoral Program Retention And Completion Rates: A Phenomenological Study, Paula Rae Dietz
Factors Related To Online Doctoral Program Retention And Completion Rates: A Phenomenological Study, Paula Rae Dietz
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand doctoral students’ experiences participating in an online doctoral program at a university. The study was conducted to answer the central research question: What are the experiences of online doctoral students who attended a program requiring a dissertation? Sub-questions included: (1) Among doctoral candidates in online degree programs, what are the perceived barriers to completing the dissertation? (2) In what ways do online doctoral candidates think the barriers to the dissertation component could be eliminated? The theories guiding this study are Tinto’s (1994), theory of student departure and Bandura’s (1997) theory …
Self-Determination And Student Persistence: A Case Study Of A Higher Education Institution Exclusive To Students With Disabilities, Nachole Marie Stewart
Self-Determination And Student Persistence: A Case Study Of A Higher Education Institution Exclusive To Students With Disabilities, Nachole Marie Stewart
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative embedded single case study was to understand how the unique experience of attending a post-secondary school exclusive to students diagnosed with LD and ADHD affects student success in developing and using self-determination skills to increase persistence to graduation. Guiding this study is the theory of self-determination while seeking to explain the reasoning for student persistence to degree completion and the execution of self-determination skills autonomously. This study uses a qualitative embedded single case study design to examine a post-secondary educational institution that exclusively services students with learning disabilities from different perspectives. The research setting is …
An Exploration Of The Role Persistence Plays For First-Generation, African American Males Enrolled At Four-Year, Primarily White Institutions: A Phenomenological Study, Daniel Michael Lee
An Exploration Of The Role Persistence Plays For First-Generation, African American Males Enrolled At Four-Year, Primarily White Institutions: A Phenomenological Study, Daniel Michael Lee
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Many first-generation, African American male students who enroll in primarily White institutions do not persist. This phenomenological study aimed to understand academic persistence in first-generation African American male students enrolled at a four-year, primarily White institution. The theory guiding this study is the theory of human motivation developed by Abraham Maslow. Maslow's theory of motivation provided the necessary framework that assisted in understanding the basic needs required first-generation, African American male students to persist academically. A qualitative research methodology was appropriate as it is designed to increase understanding of first-generation African American male students' lived experiences as they endeavor to …
A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation Of Perceived Spirituality And Persistence Of Jamaican Women Who Have Received A Tertiary Degree, Ashleigh Jacqueline Yearde
A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation Of Perceived Spirituality And Persistence Of Jamaican Women Who Have Received A Tertiary Degree, Ashleigh Jacqueline Yearde
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the perceived spirituality and persistence for Jamaican women who had received a tertiary degree at schools in Jamaica. At this stage in the research, a tertiary degree was generally defined as all formal post-secondary education, including public and private universities, colleges, technical training institutes, and vocational schools. The theory guiding this research was Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory. Constructivists believe that knowledge was informed by perspective and shaped by values. The theoretical framework for the study was based on the positive foundation of social support in the learning process. Moustakas’s …
The Lived Experiences Of First-Generation Black Male Graduates Who Participated In A Black Male Initiative Program, Rah'shad Ra'hyim Bryant
The Lived Experiences Of First-Generation Black Male Graduates Who Participated In A Black Male Initiative Program, Rah'shad Ra'hyim Bryant
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of first-generation Black male graduates who participated in a Black male initiative in the Southeast region of the United States. The theory guiding this study is Astin’s theory of student involvement. In support of the theory guiding this study, the central research question for the study is What are the lived experiences of first-generation Black male college graduates who participated in Black male initiatives? This research study will utilize the phenomenological design, which will consist of 10-12 first-generation Black male graduates who were involved in a Black …
The Unvoiced Barriers Of African American Females Who Did Not Persist To Graduation From A Predominantly White Technical College: A Phenomenological Study, Alisa F. Kinnebrew
The Unvoiced Barriers Of African American Females Who Did Not Persist To Graduation From A Predominantly White Technical College: A Phenomenological Study, Alisa F. Kinnebrew
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American female past students, regarding unvoiced barriers, at Seven Hills Technical College. The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s theory on student integration. Tinto believed that a student’s academic and social interactions are indicators of whether a student will be successful. The interpretive framework utilized in this study was critical race theory. The central research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of African American female past students who did not persist to graduation from a predominantly White technical college? The …
Examining The Experiences That Promoted Completion: A Phenomenological Study Of Single-Parent Community College Students In Noncredit Programs, Esther Campbell
Examining The Experiences That Promoted Completion: A Phenomenological Study Of Single-Parent Community College Students In Noncredit Programs, Esther Campbell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences that promoted completion among single-parent students who completed a noncredit program at a community college in East Texas named Pine Tree College (PTC). The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s (1975) theory of student departure as it explains experiences that lead a student to dropout of higher education and not persist to completion. The student departure theory (Tinto, 1975) provided the theoretical framework for the study to answer the central research question and sub-questions: (a) What are the experiences that support noncredit program completion among single-parents in the …
Nudge Communication: A Causal-Comparative Study Of Interventions That Impact Persistence Of Higher Education Students, Helene Vance
Nudge Communication: A Causal-Comparative Study Of Interventions That Impact Persistence Of Higher Education Students, Helene Vance
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This quantitative causal-comparative study focuses on nudge communication and its impact within online higher education. Due to prior studies confirming the relationship between motivation and persistence, this study focuses on whether or not nudge communication, or intentional interventions that include reminders, encouragement, and other motivational factors, helps students persist toward successful completion of courses within a semester. This study included over 10,000 undergraduate students at a private institution that offers online education. The students were enrolled in over 98,600 general education courses, which were included in the analysis of the test and control populations. Successful course completion was defined as …
A Phenomenological Study Examining The Challenges And Strategies Of Students Who Are Parents In The Higher Education Setting, Amy Joelle Dewitt
A Phenomenological Study Examining The Challenges And Strategies Of Students Who Are Parents In The Higher Education Setting, Amy Joelle Dewitt
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the challenges of student-parents, or those students who are also parents, in higher education and discover the strategies that this student population has found to overcome such challenges. Participants included student-parents who attended residential classes, online, and/or in hybrid formats at a public institution. Tinto’s (2012) theory of student persistence guided this study with the abundance of trials student-parents encounter through their student career. Knowles’ (1990) theory of adult learning and views on self-directed learning also contributed to this study examining how students learn as adults who take accountability for …
Professor-Student Relationships And The Perceived Influence On Motivation To Persist In Undergraduate Students: A Phenomenological Study, Tammy S. Hogan
Professor-Student Relationships And The Perceived Influence On Motivation To Persist In Undergraduate Students: A Phenomenological Study, Tammy S. Hogan
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Undergraduate students leaving their chosen field of study due to a lack of positive relationships between faculty and students is increasing at an alarming rate. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe how undergraduate college students experience professor–student relationships and the influence of relationships on their motivation to persist in higher education. There is a significant amount of research examining the influence of relationships in the K–12 setting; however, research is lacking regarding the perceptions of college students and motivation to persist based on academic and social integration at the collegiate level. The theory guiding this study …
A Phenomenology Examining The Lived Experiences Of Student Mothers At Community College, Christine Renee Simon
A Phenomenology Examining The Lived Experiences Of Student Mothers At Community College, Christine Renee Simon
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of student mothers in the community college learning environment. Nationally, there are almost five million college students who are parenting a child under age 18, and in Texas, the number is one in four (Galasso, Harris & Sasser-Bray, 2018; Institute for Women’s Policy Research [IWPR], 2017; Noll, Reichlin, & Gault, 2017). Self-determination theory (SDT) by Deci and Ryan (2000, 2008) guided this inquiry by providing the lens to examine the lived experiences of student mothers. The central research question was: What is the lived experience of student …
A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Professional, Working Mothers Who Persisted To Doctoral Degree Completion, Brianne Kay Bruscino
A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Professional, Working Mothers Who Persisted To Doctoral Degree Completion, Brianne Kay Bruscino
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of professional, full-time working mothers who successfully persisted to complete a doctorate degree in an education field through any program type: online, blended, or traditional. Clark’s work/family border theory and Tinto’s student retention theory guided this study, as they connect to the full-time working mothers’ persistence to complete their doctoral degree while holding multiple roles in their lives. Data collection comprised questionnaires, a life map, a Division of Household Roles Survey, and a semi-structured interview to provide rich individual and composite descriptions. The researcher used Moustakas’ modification of …
A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Experiences Of Former Developmental-Math Students Who Have Successfully Completed A College-Level Math Course, Karen Park Herman
A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Experiences Of Former Developmental-Math Students Who Have Successfully Completed A College-Level Math Course, Karen Park Herman
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the shared experiences of former developmental-math students who have successfully completed a college-level math course at a college in the U.S. The theory guiding this study is Schlossberg’s transition theory as it explains the transitions the students make when entering college-level math, taking the college-level math course, and successfully completing the college-level math course (Schlossberg, 1981). The data was drawn from interviews, an online discussion group, focus groups, and questionnaires. The modified Moustakas method was applied to analyzing the data. The data was examined first by horizonalizing the data, giving …
A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of First Generation, Low Income, And Students Of Color In A First Year Experience College Course, Related To Student Persistence And Retention, Joanna White
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the experiences of underrepresented student populations (first generation students, students receiving federal financial aid and students of color) enrolled in First Year Experience (FYE) courses who then persisted to the following semester and remained enrolled at the college. The study examined students at a large, urban community college in central Connecticut and included 8 students as participants. The theories that guided this study were Astin’s Theory of Involvement (Astin, 1999) and Tinto’s Theory of Departure (Tinto, 1993). The central question for this study was: how do students describe their experiences …
A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips
A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of advanced age individuals 62 years and older who chose to return to academia and pursue doctoral studies in accredited doctoral programs in the United States. The theories that guided this study are the self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan and Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, specifically stage eight, Integrity versus Despair. These two theories framed this study investigating the central research question: What are the experiences of advanced age individuals pursuing a doctoral degree? These advanced age individuals pursued, experienced, and completed doctoral degrees or are in the …
The Voice Of Latinas Persisting In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Meulemans
The Voice Of Latinas Persisting In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Meulemans
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of Latinas who persist in a STEM degree in the United States. The central question guiding this research is, what is the essence of the lived experiences of Latinas persisting in STEM education? The sample was composed of 10 Latinas who persisted in a bachelor’s degree in STEM. The lived experiences of Latinas who persisted with a degree in STEM was defined as Hispanic females who graduated from a four-year university with a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The theory guiding this study is Tinto’s …
Military Veterans And Their Motivation To Persist In Distance Education Doctoral Programs, Paula Ann Ross
Military Veterans And Their Motivation To Persist In Distance Education Doctoral Programs, Paula Ann Ross
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This transcendental phenomenological study examined military veterans’ motivational experiences who persisted to complete distance education (DE) doctoral programs in the United States. The theory guiding the research was self-determination theory (SDT), a theory of human motivation, development, and wellness that frames how motivation influences behavior, in this case, persistence. Various data sources (demographics questionnaire, timeline, advice letter, and semi-structured interview) triangulated a snowball sample of nine participants’ (six males and three females) motivational experiences. The SDT framework guided the answer to and informed the analysis of the central research question providing three theoretical constructs: (a) autonomy, (b) competence, and c) …
A Phenomenological Study Exploring Factors That Contribute To Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Undergraduate African American Male Degree-Completers From Bible Colleges In The Southeast, Rodney Phillips
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand factors that contribute to college persistence for nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges in the southeastern United States. An ecological and adult resiliency theoretical framework guided the research. Three research questions framed this study: (a) How do nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges describe persistence? (b) What type of experiences do participants understand as having contributed to their persistence at Bible colleges? (c) What specific factors do participants identify as having contributed to their persistence at …
Academic Performance, Retention Rates, And Persistence Rates Of First-Year, First-Generation, Latino College Students, Jaime Duran
Academic Performance, Retention Rates, And Persistence Rates Of First-Year, First-Generation, Latino College Students, Jaime Duran
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to examine the relationships between the efficacy of a Summer Bridge Academy (SBA) and the impact on students by measuring the Grade Point Averages (GPAs), retention rates, and persistence rates of first-generation, first-year, Latino college students who participated in a SBA at Central Valley Community College against like students who did not participate in same program. The independent variable was participation in a 6 week long SBA, which took place during the summer of 2011. The dependent variables were GPAs, retention rates, and persistence rates, and the control and intervening variables, students …
Exploring Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Business Students At For-Profit Universities, Leroy Purdie
Exploring Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Business Students At For-Profit Universities, Leroy Purdie
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This phenomenological study explored academic persistence for 10 nontraditional students pursuing business degrees at for-profit universities in southern Georgia and northern Virginia. The literature review provides a theoretical framework based on Tinto’s (1975) theory of persistence and Bandura’s (1993) self-efficacy theory. Data was collected through a demographic survey, timeline of significant events, in- depth survey, and a letter of advice. Data analysis included identifying significant statements, utilizing participant feedback to create structural and textural descriptions and ultimately describing the participant essences of their experiences. The decision to pursue a degree themes that emerged were career progression, family security, transferability, and …
The Correlation Of Social, Financial, And Academic Supports To Military Benefit Recipients' Persistence In College, Bruce Mentzer
The Correlation Of Social, Financial, And Academic Supports To Military Benefit Recipients' Persistence In College, Bruce Mentzer
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study sought to determine the strength and nature of the relationships between social, academic, and financial support and the intent of military students to persist in higher education at a large private non-profit university. The study also collected data from nonmilitary students to note contrasting relationships and looked at overall results for the two groups combined. Multivariate stepwise models confirmed the emphasis on academic support for persistence towards degree completion with all groups. Financial aid effects varied by military, nonmilitary, and for the overall population; military students were negatively impacted by loans, nonmilitary by university scholarships, and the overall …
An Engineering Journey: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of African-American Engineers' Persistence, Kristy Somerville-Midgette
An Engineering Journey: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of African-American Engineers' Persistence, Kristy Somerville-Midgette
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This transcendental phenomenological research study examined the perspectives and lived experiences of African-American female engineers related to the factors that led to their persistence to enter, persist through, and remain in the field. The study was guided by four research questions: (a) How do K-12 experiences shape African-American female engineers' decisions to enter the STEM field? (b) What persistence factors motivated African-American female engineers to enter the engineering profession? (c) What are the factors that shape African-American female engineers' persistence to progress through postsecondary engineering programs? (d) How do professional experiences shape African-American female engineers' persistence in the field? Cognitive …