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

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

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Consider the reality that the traditional college curriculum works against community college students -- think of the implications. It is no secret that community college students are the most disadvantaged in higher education, and their chances of succeeding in college are slim. Scholars have pondered this situation for years. Alas, consider if the problem is the structure of the curriculum itself. Specifically, research indicates that community college students tend to be field dependent and the traditional curriculum works against this type of student because it does not provide the type of community support these students require. One way the needs of these students could be met is through learning communities, which are conscious curricular structures that link two or more courses. This curricular tactic offers a way to fulfill the cognitive needs of community college students and enables them to succeed. To determine whether learning communities are an appropriate curricular tactic, the methodology of Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) was used to understand the experiences of field-dependent students. Through focus groups and individual interviews, this method helped to crystallize these common experiences and provide a voice for them. The results substantiated that learning communities provide the peer support, faculty interaction, academic involvement and collaborative learning environment field-dependent students need to succeed. Curricular tactics like learning communities can be utilized to meet the needs of community college students. Rather than employing the traditional curriculum, which works against community college students, curriculum needs to be tailored into applied models like learning communities, which work for them. / text

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The purpose of this study is to identify how low-SES women who are providing primary childcare for children ages 0-10 experience higher education. In-depth phenomenological interviewing combined with document analysis were the methods utilized. This exploration used a purposive/ snowball sample of low-SES mothers who were making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Participants were screened using the following inclusion criteria: enrolled at least half-time, degree-seeking, minimum 2.5 G.P.A., Pell eligible and first-generation, had one or more children ages 0-10 living in the home. There were seven total participants in the study. Five themes emerged from the participant data: support systems, lack of college preparation, family as a priority, education as self-fulfillment, and balance. The themes were consistent with the findings in the literature. Each of the participants had full and busy lives with multiple responsibilities necessitating, for the most part, a part-time schedule as a student. None of them had entered community college directly out of high school and if they had attempted higher education immediately following high school at another institution, they were unsuccessful. Independent students are most clearly different from their dependent counterparts in their family and work responsibilities and this was found to be absolutely true for the participants in this study whose primary responsibility was to their family and that their pursuit of higher education was something they were doing to further their family’s future. While participants indicated that education was partially for self-fulfillment, they viewed this as an almost unexpected positive side effect of the path to a better job, higher income and benefits to themselves and their children. The “good mother—bad mother” dualism that is a part of our cultural script was evident in the self-sacrificing long-term goals and daily routines of the participants. / Department of Educational Studies

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2008. / Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 181 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-138). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Baylor University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-199).