Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / The purpose of this study was to further develop an understanding of the nature of the adaptation process of adult first generation students to the undergraduate college experience. This study utilized the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) in conjunction with personal interviews to explore whether first generation adult college students adapt differently to college than do their continuing generation peers and if there is a commonality of experience, across demographic differences, for first generation, adult college students. Fifty-five adult college freshmen were surveyed using the SACQ. From this sample, sixteen first generation volunteers were interviewed regarding their college experience. T-test analysis of the SACQ scores showed that the first generation students were not adjusting to college as well as their continuing generation peers on the overall measure to adjustment and on three of the four subscales. The personal interviews indicated that while there was variation in the first generation students’ adaptation with seven of the sixteen volunteers classified as adjusting poorly to college, three with mixed adjustment, and five with good adjustment, there were also commonalities in the students’ experience, regardless how well they were adjusting to college. Eleven meta themes emerged from the interview data, and these themes correlated with characteristics of nonpersisters as compiled by Kasworm, Polson, and Fishback (2002). This research indicated that further investigation into adult first generation college students is appropriate especially with regard to how these adults view themselves as role models. In addition, this study indicates a need for future research into the links between adult students’ first generation status and persistence problems in their college experience.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / Steve J. Thien / This phenomenological study explored horticultural students’ intellectual development as defined by William Perry’s Scheme. Perry’s theory of intellectual development helps describe the progression in college student thinking from simple to complex. These patterns of development act as filters through which a student ascribes meaning to their world. The objectives of this study were to: 1) explore the reliability of using the Learning Environment Preference Inventory (LEP) instrument’s Cognitive Complexity Indicator (CCI) scores as a tool to recognize the positions of cognitive complexity of horticultural students, the nature of this complexity and if gender, age, class status, or previous horticultural experience would influence CCI scores; 2) determine if specific teaching methods designed to promote active involvement at a higher level of exchange than lecture might influence scores; 3) describe the effects of the collaborative interactions with classmates and instructor; 4) determine whether student journals would reveal changes in their cognitive complexity or perception of learning as a result of their learning environment and; 5) discover other significant issues that could produce advancement along the Perry scale. Students in this study began their experiences no lower than Perry position two and ranged as high as position four. The initial CCI scores affirmed that many upper-division horticultural students were still operating in Perry positions two and three. Analysis of the interviews revealed: 1) that instructor techniques may positively or negatively influence individual students ideal learning environment; 2) there are significant issues that influence student ideal learning environments; 3) learning is viewed as the responsibility of the instructor, and; 4) students prefer hands-on learning. The students CCI scores did not show upward movement as a direct result of collaborative learning, although the voices of several students expressed both benefits and drawbacks of this type of learning. Journal writing did not reveal any changes in students’ level of thinking or perception of learning but they did reveal other aspects of student learning and attitudes. An understanding of Perry’s Scheme helped the researcher to recognize that student perspective, behavior, and performance is conditioned more by the students’ cognitive complexity than by peer interaction or by teaching methodology.