Date

3-21-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

David Vacchi

Keywords

women veterans, self-efficacy, student services, student veterans, higher education, campus support

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of women student veterans and the role of self-efficacy in their utilization of campus support services. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as it relates to the influences of the utilization of campus support by women student veterans. Drawing on this theory, this study sought to answer the following central research question: How do women student veterans describe their experiences using academic, administrative, and health support services on campus? This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach using purposeful sampling techniques, namely maximal variation and criterion sampling, to describe the experiences of women student veterans and their campus support service usage at any US-based college or university. The ten participants were selected using the following criteria: woman, former or current servicemember, currently or formerly enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, and enrolled in an undergraduate degree program within the last five years. The data were collected using individual interviews and letter-writing techniques. Further, this study utilized Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s data analysis model to code, group, cluster, and identify themes in the data. The results of this study were that when academic and administrative support services prioritized human connection and cultural awareness, women student veterans reported favorable experiences. When services lacked human connection and cultural awareness, participants relied on their military influences for support.

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