Date
9-17-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Patricia Ferrin
Keywords
social-emotional learning, secondary students, special education, rural area, mental health, academics
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Simpkins, Natasha Lynette, "A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Exploring the Perceptions of Secondary Students Receiving Special Education Services in a Rural Area on Social-Emotional Learning" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8961.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8961
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand and describe the lived experiences of social-emotional learning for secondary students who received special education services at a rural high school in Southwest Virginia. The theory that guided this study was Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological/ecological theory of human development, as it provided information needed to understand this group of students by examining how they perceived social-emotional learning instruction and how it impacted their development. The research design was a transcendental phenomenological study. The study’s central research question was, “What are the lived experiences of rural secondary special education students regarding social-emotional learning?” The sample for the study was selected through purposeful sampling, specifically, homogeneous sampling, to include secondary students who received special education services in grades nine through twelve. The setting of the study was a rural southwest Virginia high school. A pseudonym was used in place of the actual site name to protect the participants' privacy. The site of the study was Bulldog High School. The data collection methods for the analysis were individual interviews, observations, and focus groups. The data were synthesized and analyzed through horizontalization and clusters of meaning. This study found that students believed social-emotional learning helped them to make thoughtful decisions, manage stress, articulate emotions, and approach conflict more calmly, while it also benefited academic-related tasks. Students also voiced the difficulties they encountered by living in a rural area with limited resources, social pressures, and few mental health supports.
