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Perceptions Of Social Support Impacting Persistence Of Online Doctoral Students, Eliza Gorham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attrition in doctoral programs has been a problem of practice for countless years. With the surge of online degree programs and the high attrition rates in online doctoral programs, factors that could reduce attrition and increase retention are rising in importance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine social support factors that influence persistence to completion rates in online doctoral studies. Furthermore, this study was focused on obtaining student perceptions of family, the academic community, and peer support influencing persistence during the dissertation stage. Data were collected from participants using survey questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The sample …