Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2023
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ded)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Karen Card
Abstract
The importance of post-traditional women’s persistence in earning credentials at community college cannot be understated. The literature addressed the issue of non-completion within the community college; however, it did not address why or how some students completed, particularly, post-traditional women. Gaps existed in the literature, as it primarily concerned why students did not finish. Therefore, the research conducted for this study was critical for higher education to understand why some post-traditional complete credentials.. Throughout this phenomenological study, five themes emerged: resiliency, respect, economics, support, and integration, as well as subthemes as the women shared stories of how they persisted in earning a credential at a community college. The essence of the phenomenon of why post-traditional women persisted in earning credentials included challenges within their lives that brought them to and through their educational endeavors and earning respect from others and self-respect. The women wanted to work for a better life for their families and earn more money through higher paying jobs. However, they experienced many struggles in paying for their education at a community college. The support the women received inside and outside of the classroom led to their social and academic integration on campus and assisted the women in feeling a sense of belongingness which led to completion. Future research should include advising, orientations, and work experience credit tailored to this particular group of students. Thus, the post-traditional women might feel supported early on in their educational experiences and potentially integrate sooner, creating a clear, concise path to completion.
Subject Categories
Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership
Keywords
community college, credentials, non-traditional, persistence, post-traditional, women
Number of Pages
112
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Flanigan, Mellisa, "Late for Class But Still On the Bus: Women's Persistence at a Community College" (2023). Dissertations and Theses. 302.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/302