The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of first-generation Hispanic students who have obtained a doctorate degree (EdD or PhD). The Hispanic population continues to increase in the United States, particularly in the state of Texas. However, the level of Hispanics' educational attainment lags behind that of the U.S. and Texas populations in general. The overall economic impact of low Hispanic educational attainment, coupled with continuing growth of this group, presents a pressing issue for future workforce educators and human resource development professionals. It is critical to understand educational experiences of first-generation Hispanic students to address the lack of educational achievement among this group of people. Within the naturalistic inquiry research paradigm, I adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to collect rich and thick data that could shed light on the "lived experiences" of six doctoral recipients who are first-generation Hispanic students. Through multiple rounds of in-depth interviews, supplemented by personal observations and multiple email exchanges with participants, I generated extensive personal stories, developed a meaningful relationship with the participants, and discovered the essence of the participants' experiences. Four themes emerged from an in-depth analysis of interview, pictorial, and observational data: (a) support systems, (b) personal attributes, (c) identity struggles, and (d) socialization struggles. These themes led to discovery of three components that shaped participants' experiences: a journey of support, a journey of self-discovery and self-development, and a journey of identity development. The findings not only have implications for Hispanic students who aspire to higher educational goals; they point to areas for improvement for educators, human resource development practitioners, and policy makers. Directions for future research were proposed to encourage further research on the topic and issues related to first-generation Hispanic students.

This study was designed to investigate the experiences of first-generation women from South-Central Appalachia who completed a doctorate degree in educational leadership (EdD). Research indicates that nearly one third of doctoral recipients reported being first-generation, and the majority of these students concentrated in certain academic areas such as education. Furthermore, the literature suggests that there is a strong correlation between educational achievement levels and family background as well as cultural and geographic factors. While the amount of literature on minority groups has increased over the past 20 years, literature on the people and culture of Appalachia is limited. When first-generation status is paired with the challenges faced by females from Appalachia, such students could face particular issues that may impede their success. A qualitative, grounded theory approach was used for data collection and analysis. Ten face-to-face intensive interviews with women who met the criteria for this study were conducted. The purpose of these interviews was to enter into these women’s perspective, find out what was in and on their minds, and hear their stories. From the raw data 15 themes emerged which were 1) Support, 2) Parental Support), 3) Precollege Support, 4) Support from Precollege Orientation Experiences, 5) Support from Mentors, 6) Support from Cohorts, 7) Socioeconomic Status, 8) Intrinsic Motivation, 9) Transformation, 10) Self-Efficacy, 11) Persistence, 12) On Being Appalachian, 13) Kinship, 14) Dialect, and 15) Bicultural Identity. This research was significant because it was the first that looked specifically at the lived experiences of first-generation women from South-Central Appalachia who competed a doctorate of education EdD focusing on educational leadership and will contribute to the small body of research regarding first-generation, doctoral students.

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The primary aim of this study was to explore the relevance that serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree attach to such a degree in the SAPS occupational environment. From a qualitative standpoint, data was collected through phenomenological in-depth individual interviews with serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree. In addition, a comprehensive review of the relevant national and international literature was conducted to obtain a better understanding of this phenomenon. A thematic data analysis process was followed to analyse the collected data. Various objectives were fulfilled in the completion of this study:  The relevance of an academic doctorate degree, as experienced by serving and former SAPS members, in their occupational environment was explored, identified and described.  The value that SAPS doctorate graduates add to the SAPS was explored, identified and described.  Recommendations were made regarding the optimal, efficient and effective utilisation of doctorate SAPS graduates in the occupational environment of the SAPS. The findings of this study indicate that holding a doctorate degree in the SAPS generally adds value to the various aspects of policing. However, it was found that not all doctorate graduates in the SAPS are appropriately placed and placement is not necessarily influenced by graduates’ academic qualifications. Based on the findings of this study, a framework for the appropriate placement of doctorate graduates in the SAPS was developed. This framework could serve as a management tool to sensitise SAPS management to the relevance of an academic doctorate degree. In addition, this framework could act as a management tool guiding the SAPS management regarding the correct placement of academic doctorate graduates in the organisation. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the relevance of a doctorate degree in the SAPS, thereby contributing to new knowledge related to this phenomenon. / Police Practice / Ph. D. (Police Science)