Date
4-26-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Chair
Patricia Ferrin
Keywords
academic advisors, Christian, high school, students, preparation, relationships
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Branch, Lizzie Toler, "A Phenomenological Study Examining the Required Preparation Experiences of Academic Advisors to Help Christian High School Students Develop the Highest Academic and Future Potential" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5474.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5474
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the required preparation experiences of Christian high school academic advisors needed to help their students develop their highest academic and future potential at private Christian high schools in the southeastern region of the United States. The conceptual framework guiding this study is O’Banion’s conceptual framework on academic advising as it relates to the preparation experiences of Christian High School Academic Advisors. The design is a qualitative transcendental phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences and the phenomena involved in Christian high school academic advising. The sample and setting included participants who are Christian high school academic advisors who advise and guide the high school students in their respective Christian high schools in the southeastern United States who are members of and accredited by ACSI. The analysis includes the data derived from individual interviews, journal prompts, and document reviews; all three data analysis methods were merged using a multilayered thematic approach. The data was synthesized and organized, and the following themes and sub-themes evolved: lack of preparation (lack of mentoring, lack of job specific training, and lack of on-the-job training); not enough time in the day for academic advisors to do their jobs well due to other responsibilities (wearing too many hats and responsible for too many things); building relationships with students (time consuming and requires intentionality). Christian high school academic advisors play integral roles in the successful voyages their students embark on during and after high school, but they are limited in their potential due to their educational backgrounds and other non-academic advising responsibilities.
