Date
4-2020
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
James Eller
Keywords
Doctoral Persistence, Limited Residency, Education, Integration Theory
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Yourous, Kaitlin Elizabeth, "Examining the Role of On-Campus Experiences: A Phenomenological Study of Persistence for Limited-Residency Doctoral Graduates" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2412.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2412
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the residential experiences of individuals who completed a terminal degree in education within a limited-residency program from various institutions of higher education. Tinto’s theory of integration provided the theoretical framework for the study to answer the central and research subquestions: (a) How do individuals who completed a terminal degree in education in a limited-residency program describe their residential experiences? (b) How do limited-residency doctoral graduates describe the role, if any, of their residential experiences in relation to their ability to conduct independent research? (c) How do limited-residency doctoral graduates describe the role, if any, of their residential experiences in relation to developing relationships with peers and faculty? and (d) How do limited-residency doctoral graduates describe the role, if any, of their residential experiences in their integration into their academic community? Maximum variation was attempted, and participants were selected through purposeful, criterion sampling, yielding a sample size of 11 participants who earned Doctor of Education (EdD) degrees from a variety of universities. Data were collected through questionnaires, semistructured interviews, personal items, and focus groups and were analyzed using Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenological approach. Results from data collection and analysis generated five primary themes: (a) human connections, (b) preparation for the dissertation, (c) mentorship, (d) tangibility of the university, and (e) personal resolve and tenacity. Empirical, practical, and theoretical implications of the study’s findings and recommendations for future research are also discussed.
