Date

9-2015

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Gary W. Kuhne

Keywords

Adult Basic Education, General Education Development, Transformation, Transformative Learning Theory

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Methods | Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to describe how young adults experience transformation through participation in a federally funded General Education Development (GED®) program located within a small urban area in the southeastern region of Georgia. Specifically, transformative learning theory and its overarching themes was applied to the perspective of the individuals who shared the experience of transformation. The queries of the study were to determine: (a) how the participants understood transformation, (b) how the participants described their experience of transformation in a federally funded GED program, (c) what transformation(s) were described and perceived from the GED program, and (d) what circumstances were involved with the experience of transformation. After seaming together the participants’ lived experiences of transformation through the GED program, the following textural and structural themes emerged: (a) transformation in confidence, (b) transformation into autonomous individuals, (c) perspective of the GED, (d) the GED program was the best option, (e) compared the GED school as more positive than high school, and (f) influence of others to transform.

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