Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Women's Studies. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39025

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-164).

Sixty-six African American seniors at Martin University, graduating in 2002, described the activities, programs and procedures experienced at Martin University that they judged contributed to their persistence to graduation. Often the reported experiences of the graduates were similar to those of students who dropped out of college, yet these66 persisted to completion of their degree. Also, the graduating seniors suggested policies and procedures to support persistence of current and future students.As a commuter university, many important learning experiences that supported students to graduation occurred in Martin University classrooms. Well-prepared, empathetic, and competent instructors were very important in causing graduating students to realize that the university respected them as serious and worthy students and valued them as competent and determined individuals. Graduating students valued prompt, just communications with administrators concerning instructors and computer equipment.Students stated that the faculty members, other students, administrators, and Martin University as an organization had provided them with life changing experiences, differing from their off campus lives, yet shaping and adding opportunities to their off-campus lives.Responses indicated that Martin University should follow classroom and administrative procedures that cause students to earn a sense of ownership in the university. Also, the university should provide a constant flow of communications about university convocations, policies, procedures, and about changes to academic programs.Martin University must maintain and build on the policies and practices graduating seniors have found valuable. / Department of Educational Leadership

The critical shortage of nurses has resulted in the recruitment of an increased number of nontraditional students who frequently fill multiple roles in addition to their student role. Minimal research has been conducted with this population enrolled in a college environment designed for traditional students.The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience and margin-in-life of re-entry women enrolled in two traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in central Indiana. The theoretical framework for the study was McClusky's Power Load Margin Theory and the population consisted of ten re-entry nursing students who volunteered for participation. Demographic data was collected using a researcher designed tool and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant. Participants completed Stevenson's Margin-in-Life Scale and demonstrated an average margin of 0.60492.All interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and subjected to systematic phenomenological analysis inspired by the work of Max van Marten resulting in the identification of five main themes entitled success, support, transitions, challenges, and relationships. Success was comprised of three sub-themes including motivation for returning to school, persistence or determination to complete the nursing program, and time management strategies. Support included two sub-themes of support from family and friends of the participants and support from self-care strategies.The transitions theme included feelings of anxiety upon returning to college and academic difficulties encountered. The challenges theme was comprised of financial challenges and challenges encountered balancing multiple responsibilities. The fifth theme, relationships, included relationships with university faculty and staff and relationships with fellow students.Simultaneous triangulation was employed applying quantitative and qualitative methods at the same time in order to enhance the understanding of the lived experience of the participants. In an attempt to present a visual image of the interaction between the five themes and the margin-in-life, the researcher conceptualized a model entitled the Margin-in-Life Model.The five themes identified and margin-in-life scores provided rich information about the lived experience of this group of re-entry women. Further research is needed to gain a more complete understanding of this population and implications for nursing education. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to question a selected group of 28 adult undergraduate students to gain an understanding of the thoughts and experiences that led to their full time enrollment (12 semester hours or more) in a public, four-year postsecondary educational institution. Students targeted were age 25 or older and enrolled as full-time freshmen.Telephone interviews were conducted with 28 students. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were then analyzed to look for emerging themes. The interviews were semi-structured and based upon an interview guide that was designed containing a section of open-ended questions and a set of demographic questions. Questions were developed largely using the findings of previous studies found in adult education and higher education literature. The Chain-of-Response Model (Cross, 1981) was used as a conceptual framework for the study.Findings indicate that the underlying reasoning behind adult participation was the realization of what a college degree would bring in terms of career opportunities. However, it was life transition that brought the participation at this particular time. Many of the adults have had a positive attitude about what education could do for them ever since high school. However, especially for the women, family responsibilities were what had deterred them to this point in their lives. Changes in those responsibilities, primarily the children getting older, provided the opportunity for them to participate. For others indicating life transition the change occurred largely due to health reasons. Many of these participants were forced to explore other work opportunities due to a current disability or the realization that they could not always perform the physical nature of the work they were doing. Beyond those deterred by life transition, respondents reported a realization over time that college could bring career opportunities that were not available without a degree. Many were simply shortsighted earlier in life and now have come to realize it is not too late. For these students, attitude changes coupled with increased goal expectations were key. / Department of Educational Leadership

Australia has a long history of accepting unmatriculated, return-to-study and equity group mature age learners into undergraduate courses. Universities enrol mature age students on the basis of, for example, their equity background, prior learning, work experiences, scores on a mature age entrance test, or results in an alternative entry program. This study examined the nature and outcomes of four alternative entry programs (AEPs) to higher education for mature age learners (21 years plus). Alternative entry programs provide mature age students with a way to explore their academic aptitude for, and confidence to, study. Prior to this research there was a lack of knowledge regarding the characteristics and outcomes of AEPs for mature age students. In addition, there was no study that examined a series of AEPs to show the relationship between AEP characteristics and learner outcomes. The inquiry addresses this shortfall. The project takes a qualitative case study approach. It provides a way of understanding the uniqueness, particularities and complexities of four AEPs for Australian resident mature age learners. The inquiry indicates implications of current policy and practices. Also it considers ways to advance program characteristics and outcomes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-172).

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-57).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-140).

Counsellors are advised to include developmental knowledge of each adult student client into their practice and, in particular, to differentiate between those who are experiencing intrapersonal transformation and those who are not. The research, however, lacks guidance on specific ways counsellors might pragmatically accomplish this. Using an interpretative qualitative research approach, this study considered whether it was possible to discern a group of adult students' developmental distinctions by locating developmentally unique points of view they had towards experiences adjusting to school. Participants were eleven female and four male adult students attending a British Columbia college; ages ranged in ages from early thirties to late fifties. Each participated in one audiotaped interview. Open-ended questions focused on gaining an understanding of their perceptions of their experiences adjusting to school. Issues salient to a participant were probed to determine meaning-making. Four dimensions of analysis were conducted on the data, transcripts of interviews. The first two dimensions located participants within the context of research literature on adult students. Consistent with other studies, though participants' life circumstances differed, they shared similar experiences. They had returned to school in response to a life transition, held common attitudes towards their schooling and faced similar challenges adjusting to school. The third dimension of data analysis assessed each participant's epistemological structure according to Robert Kegan's (1982, 1994) Constructive-Developmental theory. These findings revealed that, as a group, they were developmentally diverse. When interviewed, they had described their experiences from seven qualitatively different developmental perspectives. Nine participants had constructed meaning from varying phases of developmental transformation. The fourth dimension of data analysis synthesized previous findings. Differences in the meanings participants attached to some experiences they shared in common, their unique points of view, were concluded to be sufficiently reflective of specific epistemological structures to be considered a useful heuristic for recognizing clients' developmental distinctions. Developmentally distinctive points of view were reported, within the context of relevant adjustment issues, as Developmental Indicators—conclusive examples of how participants demonstrated developmental structures and phases of transformation, and also as Developmental Clues—inconclusive probabilities of developmental distinctions. / Graduate