Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Parents Whose Child Has A Disability And Attends An Online School, M.K. Shires

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of parents whose child has a disability and attends an online K-12 school. The theory that guided this study is Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory. This theory posits three universal psychological needs that promote or erode individual growth and well-being. The satisfaction or frustration of parents’ psychological needs and their impact on their parenting have guided this study’s research questions, interview questions, and data analysis. In-depth interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups were conducted with 12 parents whose child has a disability and attends a full-time online …

The Perceived Influence Of Mathematics Anxiety On Self-Efficacy Among Adult Learners At A Technical College In Georgia: A Phenomenological Study, George Asare Ofosu-Anim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the perceived influence of mathematics anxiety on self-efficacy among adult learners at a technical college in Georgia. The theory of self-efficacy introduced by Albert Bandura which explains how learners develop their self-efficacy beliefs by executing a series of actions while dealing with diverse situations, guided this research study. The central question, “What is the perceived influence of math anxiety on adult learners at a technical college in Georgia?” was answered through this study. Data collection followed a systematic criterion with 10 interviews conducted from a purposeful consideration of the diverse …

A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of English As A Second Language Adjuncts, Dawn Annette Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of adjunct English as a second language (ESL) teachers in a collegiate setting in the Southwestern United States. The central research question was: What are the experiences of adjunct ESL instructors in higher education settings? The sub-questions explored the adjuncts’ experiences with students, colleagues, and the institution. Purposeful criterion sampling was used to secure 14 participants. The setting was a community college in the Southwestern United States. The theory guiding this study was the social exchange theory (SET) since the study described teacher experiences related to students, colleagues, …

Special Education Teacher Perspective On Implementation Of Assistive Technology Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Olga Volkov

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of implementing assistive technology with students who have high-incidence disabilities for special education teachers at a large school district. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is one’s belief in one’s capabilities to organize a course of action to achieve a desired outcome. Self-efficacy determines how individuals think, behave, and self-motivate. Previous studies that investigated technology utilization in schools found that teachers’ self-efficacy is one of the key factors in determining and predicting technology integration. The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology as its research methodology. A …

Tales From The Classroom: A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Experiences With Covid-19, Stephen B. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to discover insights into how the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has caused residual effects on students’ academic, social, and emotional health two years removed from the pandemic. COVID-19 has impacted education from the lockdown that the leaders in the United States mandated. This lockdown removed students from school’s traditional routines, causing them to learn new ways to participate in their education. The method guiding this study is a qualitative phenomenology to focus on the lived experiences of teachers. Using a transcendental approach, the researcher will focus on the depiction of the …

Exploring Time Management Decisions On Persistence Among Non-Traditional Learners: A Phenomenological Study In Online Learning, James Dale Lawrence

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to understand the time management decisions of persistent non-traditional online learners over 30 at large institutions offering online programs in the United States. The central research question is: What are the shared time management experiences of persistent non-traditional online students over 30 enrolled in large institutions in the United States? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups. The sample comprised 12 participants. Saturation began to visualize after the ninth interview. Data collection continued until all 12 participants were interviewed and their journal prompts were completed. The study was conducted in a …

Queer Perspectives On Mentorship In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study, Anthony T. Fucci

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study explored the way in which LGBTQ+ college students experienced mentorship. Despite improvements in LGBTQ+ rights over the last 50+ years, recent scholarship has shown that queer students still face unique challenges, including discrimination and harassment based on their queer identity. Mentorship has been found to be an effective resource for assisting marginalized student populations transition successfully into college. The purpose of this study was to investigate how LGBTQ+ students experienced mentorship in order to better understand how these relationships may (or may not) contribute to their experience on college campuses. A phenomenological research design and queer theory …

“We Live In Two Worlds”: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of Foreign-Born U.S. College And University Presidents, Kristie S. Johnson Ph.D., Cfre, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D., Jakia Marie Ph.D.

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

Within this phenomenological study, we explored the lived experiences of 15 foreign-born U.S. college and university presidents (USCUP) to determine how their cultural background and traditions may have influenced their leadership and prepared them to lead. We also examined the strategies foreign-born USCUPs, who also self-identified as people of color, utilized to navigate to and through the presidential pipeline. We used asset-based community development to theoretically frame the study. The following research questions shaped this study: 1) What are the experiences of foreign-born USCUPs in their journey to the college presidency, and how do foreign-born USCUPs perceive the influence of …

The Experiences Of Teachers Providing Feedback Using One-To-One Technology On Teacher-Student Relationships: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Christopher Magee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe teacher perceptions of teacher-student relationships while using one-to-one technology to provide feedback. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s theory of learning as it describes learning as a social process. A transcendental phenomenological design was used for this study with a social constructivist worldview as the study sought to understand the perceptions of teachers within the one-to-one learning environment and their relationships with students when providing feedback using one-to-one technology. The central question for this study was: How do teachers describe relationships with students while using one-to-one technology to provide …

Peeling Away The Taken-For-Grantedness Of Research Subjectivities: Orienting To The Phenomenological, Melissa Freeman, E. Anthony Muhammad

Department of Curriculum, Foundations, & Reading Faculty Publications

Qualitative research is a multidisciplinary field of practice that acknowledges and values the situatedness and subjectivities of the researcher. Therefore, reflexively accounting for one’s subjectivities is a crucial part of a research report. Less discussed is how subjective understandings are historically, culturally, and socially mediated, often challenging researchers’ abilities to orient themselves critically to this self-reflective undertaking. Phenomenology is a philosophical approach investigating how phenomena such as subjectivity are constituted in experience. This makes phenomenology an essential resource for understanding how complex subjective responses manifest differently depending on one’s orientation to the situation. This paper aims to familiarize qualitative research …

Students’ Online Engagement And Usage Of Discussion Boards On Blackboard: A Study From The Uae, Laila Mohebi

All Works

Academic institutions need to enhance online and virtual learning strategies to ensure student engage-ment, satisfaction, and feedback in online classrooms. Providing online education has become the need of the hour because it enhances learning without regard for distance or the need to travel to school. The present study conducted a qualitative research design to explore students’ online engagement in Blackboard’s discussion forums. The study aimed to investigate students’ perceived benefits of discussion forums and their views on improving their engagements in the discussion boards. In the current study17 students at a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reflected …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Responsibility Experiences Of Secondary Co-Teachers, Stuart Brady

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe co-teachers’ experiences regarding shared instructional responsibility in North Georgia secondary schools. Shared responsibility is generally defined as both teachers perceiving each other as co-equals in instructional responsibility and that neither teacher perceives the other as the subordinate or primary teacher in the co-taught classroom. The frameworks that guided this study is sociocultural theoretical framework, as developed by Vygotsky extended in recent co-teaching literature and Howlett and Nguyen, and teacher belief theory, developed by Parajes and adapted for co-teaching research by Kim and Pratt, which is supported by Bandura’s social cognitive theory. …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Teachers Who Teach Students With Dyslexia How To Read: A Transcendental Phenomenology, Erin Lynn Bower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenology sought to understand the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read. The central question guiding this study was: “What are the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read?” Three sub-questions looked more deeply into the phenomenon. The first sub-question asked: “What internal influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” The second sub-question asked: “What external influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” Finally, the third sub-question asked: “How do internal and external influences …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of High School Students Who Were Socially Promoted, Janis Marie Fulgham-Faulk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of social promotion for high school students in the southeastern region of Virginia. The theories guiding this study are Ryan and Deci’s (2000) self-determination theory and Bandura’s (1989) social cognitive theory. The self-determination theory was used to examine the motivation of high school students after being socially promoted, and the social cognitive theory was used to examine self-efficacy as it relates to academic performance and long-term goals. These theories are relevant to this study because they identify components that students require in order to be academically successful …

Reviving The Roots: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Black Women In Agriculture And The Influence Of Post-Secondary Education, Alvianna Woodard-Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of twenty Black women in the southern United States and the influence of post-secondary education on agricultural science. Two theories guided this study, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory. When considering the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy, coupled with Black women's marginality as identified by the intersectionality theory, the research helped better define the relationship between Black women in agriculture and the referenced theories. Criterion sampling was used to identify ten experienced Black female producers and ten agriculture students to determine the trend. …

Student Perceptions Of Learning Loss Following Traumatic Multi-Event School Closures: A Phenomenolgical Study, Robert Todd Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of students who suffered learning loss due to multiple school closures during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years while attending Bay District Schools (BDS) in Bay County, Florida. The theoretical framework utilized in this study was Weiner’s Attribution Theory (AT). Weiner (1974) posited that the pursuit of understanding the motivation of an individual’s behavior requires attributing one or more causes to the behavior. Using attribution, I engaged participants in their personal narratives in order to understand and interpret their experience, motivation, and dimension of behavior regarding the …

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Collaborative Community Experiences Of Veteran Special Educators, Jennifer Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to examine and describe the experiences of veteran special education (SPED) teachers in rural southwest Georgia school districts regarding their collaborative community network experiences within the field. Granovetter’s (1973) social network theory (SNT) encompasses critical concepts of belongingness and connection about job satisfaction over time and throughout educational contexts and guided this study. A phenomenological approach involving teacher interviews, a focus group, and journal prompts was used to examine the experiences of SPED teachers on their social networks. Eleven veteran SPED teachers were interviewed using open-ended interview scripts developed to target the central research question. Convenience …

Once More, With Feeling: Partnering With Learners To Re-See The College Experience Through Metaphor And Sensory Language, Taran Cardone

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study focuses on better understanding students and their internal worlds through conceptual metaphor theory and sensory language. Using a phenomenological and arts-based approach, I examined students’ metaphorical constructions of their college experiences and the sensory language and information informing those constructions. By engaging participants in a multimodal process to re-see their experience through connoisseurship and criticism, I explored the following research questions: How do students metaphorically structure their college experience? What sensory language do college students use to describe the metaphorical dimensions of their college experience? How does sensory information shape the metaphorical structuring of their college experience? Through …

Let Them Be Little: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Kindergarten Teachers During An Era Of Educational Reform, Rachel Denise Whites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of kindergarten teachers who taught through an era of federally mandated, standards-based educational reforms. This study was guided by two theories as each contributes to an explanation as to how educational reform has strayed far from the central purpose for kindergartens. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development sought to explain how a child constructs a mental model of the world and postulated that there are four distinct stages of human development from birth to adulthood. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory stated that children learn through play and the …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study: Perspectives On The Parental Engagement Strategies Of Rural African American Parents Of Middle School Students, Barbara Ragin Champagne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore and ascribe meaning to African American parents' lived experiences in the education of their middle school students in rural east-central South Carolina. Two theoretical frameworks guided this study as they related to the levels and the effect of parental self-efficacy on parental engagement: Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's revised model of parental involvement and Bandura's self-efficacy theory. The central research question for this study was "What are the perceptions and lived experiences of rural African American middle-school parents and their involvement in parental engagement activities?" Three subsequent sub-questions on parental self-efficacy, role …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Exploring The Perception Of Scholarship Requirements For Tenure And Promotion In Health Professions Programs, Harrynauth Persaud

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of scholarship requirements for faculty members teaching in Health Professions Programs (HPP) at a public institution of higher learning located in NYC. This research was guided by the self-determination theory (SDT), which examines how an individual's social interaction can influence different types of motivations. Guided by a central research question and two sub-questions, this study utilized a transcendental phenomenological approach to gain a better understanding of HPP faculty perceptions regarding the requirements for academic scholarship. Three different data collection approaches were used, including individual in-depth interviews, word association, and journal …

Using Artificial Intelligence To Circumvent The Teacher Shortage In Special Education: A Phenomenological Investigation, Kirt Elliot Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to understand district technology leaders’ receptivity to employing artificial co-teachers, based on their lived experiences with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Facing a problematic teacher shortage in special education, the Jade County School District was not readily employing available AI technologies such as IBM’s WATSON and MIT Media Lab’s TEGA, to aide in filling the instructional voids caused by special education teacher attrition. Veblen’s theory of technological determinism provided the necessary framework for this study, which focused on how district technology leaders described their willingness or apprehension to employ autonomous machines to independently …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Educators' Experiences Of Well-Being At Independent Private Schools, Kristi Breault Combs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand educators’ experiences of well-being at independent private schools. The theory guiding this study was Deci and Ryan’s theory on basic psychological needs. It identifies that the basic psychological needs of relatedness, competence, and autonomy are universal and underlay optimal well-being. I used a qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach to seek in-depth information from the participants about their lived experiences of well-being at independent private schools. The central research question was: How do independent private school educators describe their experiences concerning workplace well-being? Sub-questions addressed well-being related to basic psychological needs: …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Motivational Experiences Of United States Service Members Attending College While On Active Duty, Sean L. Mulvaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the motivation of attending college through the experiences of active-duty Navy service members stationed at Naval Air Station East (NAS East). Specifically, the study sought to better understand how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators impact the behavior or actions that compel that small percentage of Navy service members to pursue a college education while balancing their military service requirements. With self-determination theory as the theoretical framework, the central research question asked, “What are the determining motivators that influence United States Navy service members to attend college while on active duty?” Data …

A Phenomenological Study On Teachers' Lived Experience With Self-Efficacy Teaching Face-To-Face Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, James Scott Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe teachers’ lived experiences with self-efficacy teaching face-to-face instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic in a public school district in South Georgia. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy which was used to answer the following central research question: What are teachers’ lived experience with self-efficacy teaching face-to face-instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic? Twelve teachers from two schools provided a description of their lived experiences teaching in-person instruction amid the pandemic. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, teacher journals, and a focus group. Data analysis followed Moustakas’ (1994) …

A Phenomenological Study: The Self-Efficacy Of Twice-Exceptional Students, Lisa Ann Glover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to describe the perceived self-efficacy of twice-exceptional students in a singular school district located in the southeastern United States. The theories which guided this study are Swain and French’s affirmative model of disability, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory because students who view their disabilities in a positive sense may have greater self-determination and thus increased self-efficacy. The guiding research question for the study examined the shared perceptions of self-efficacy among twice-exceptional students. Data to examine this question were collected from 10 high school students at East Lake School …

Physicians Among Us: The Lived Experience Of Unlicensed Foreign Born And Educated Physicians Present In The Us As They Retrain For Non-Physician Primary Care Roles., Dwight Nimblett

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are as many as 65,000 unlicensed foreign born and trained doctors across the United States who are credentialed in their home countries but unable to practice in the U.S. The primary goal of this study was to describe and understand an understudied human experience: the lived experience of unlicensed foreign educated physicians who are present in the U.S. as they retrain for non-physician primary care roles.

The theoretical frameworks undergirding the study are Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory (TL), also referred to as Perspective Transformation as well as the complimentary perspectives of Otherness and Liminality theories.

Seven FEPs were …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Lived Experiences Of Students With Disabilities In Inclusion Classrooms, Michelle Lynette Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of inclusion for students with disabilities regarding the practice of inclusion at a rural middle school in Southwest Virginia. The theories guiding this study were Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The central research question for the study was: What are the shared lived experiences of students with disabilities in an inclusion classroom? Other questions addressed social and academic experiences of students with disabilities in inclusion classrooms. The study took place in intermediate and middle schools in rural Southwest Virginia. Purposeful sampling …

Military Deployed Parent Perceptions Of Involvement In The Education Of Their Children: A Phenomenological Study, Bennett Eder Garrincha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of deployed military parents regarding active involvement in their child’s education. The research question was: What are the perceptions of deployed military parents regarding active participation in their child’s education? The methodology included using a qualitative phenomenological research design, applying Epstein's theory regarding the triangle relationship between parents, teachers, and the community to help explore and make sense of the stories and experiences of parents who have or are currently experiencing challenges associated with military deployment. Data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, artifact …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of A Three-Month Virtual Practicum Program On Youth With Visual Impairments And Their Coaches, Lauren J. Lieberman, Lindsay E. Ball, Pamela Beach, Melanie Perreault

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Research has shown that the practicum experience for professional preparation students in physical education teacher education programs related to teaching youth with disabilities can improve self-efficacy. It is not currently known if a virtual program can be effective for the professional preparation students or the participants. The objective of this study was to determine the experiences of the participants of a three-month virtual practicum program. In this phenomenological study, thirty youth with visual impairments and 1:1 professional preparation students (coaches) took part in a three-month virtual physical activity program. A total of 11 coaches took part in 2 focus groups, …