Date
2-7-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Constance Pearson
Keywords
academic achievement, community college, English language learners, higher education, socioeconomic status, urban, dual language learners
Disciplines
Adult and Continuing Education | Education
Recommended Citation
Buck, Anna, "A Phenomenological Study: The Academic Experiences of Low-Socioeconomic-Status ESL Learners Enrolled in a Mid-Sized Urban Community College" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5182.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5182
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the academic experiences of low socioeconomic status ESL learners enrolled in a mid-sized urban community college located in Pennsylvania. The theory that guided this study is Walberg’s theory on educational productivity, as it looks at how learners’ psychological characteristics and the psychological environments in which they live influence academic outcomes and their ability to succeed academically. Walberg’s theory of educational productivity provided a framework to answer the central research question and three sub-questions: (A) What are the academic experiences of low socioeconomic status ESL learners? (B) What are the socioeconomic aspects that hinder low socioeconomic status ESL learners' ability to succeed academically inside of school? (C) What are the socioeconomic aspects that hinder low socioeconomic status ESL learners' ability to succeed academically outside of school? (D) What socioeconomic barriers contribute to poor college graduation outcomes among low socioeconomic status ESL learners? Using purposeful and convenience sampling, participants enrolled in an academic English language learning program at a mid-sized community college were selected. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus group sessions, and journal collections, then analyzed using Moustakas’s modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method for evaluating phenomenological data. Data collection results generated commonalities and themes of low socioeconomic status ESL learners enrolled in a mid-sized urban community college. Empirical, practical, and theoretical implications of the data analysis and recommendations for future research were identified.
