Date
8-9-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Jerry Woodbridge
Keywords
lived experiences, transcendental, phenomenology, first-generation, Native Hawaiian, college students, student persistence, online courses
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Kinoshita, Nikki K., "A Transcendental Phenomenological Study on First-Generation Native Hawaiian College Students' Persistence in Online Courses" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5860.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5860
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences and persistence of first-generation native Hawaiian college students (FGNHCS) in their first online courses at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College in the Hawaiian Islands. Tinto's student integration theory provided the theoretical framework for the research study. The central research question was: How do first-generation Native Hawaiian college students (FGNHCS) describe their persistence and success in at least one online course? The methodology involved an in-depth exploration of the participants' experiences through a phenomenological lens. Using three data collection methods: individual interviews, reflective written assignments, and qualitative questionnaires and data analysis unveiled the intricate interplay between their unique backgrounds, online learning challenges, and their determination to persist. The data collected were transcribed and coded for analysis. Coded terms or phrases described the experiences of the participants. Tinto's student integration theory allowed for examining the multifaceted relationship between diverse factors and the achievement of student success. Critical aspects of the data analysis process involved epoché, horizontalization, phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation to cross-analyze themes while the participants' accounts through the lens of academic and social integration were examined. After data was collected, information was transcribed and coded for analysis. Four themes and twelve subthemes emerged: challenges and success, support systems, first-generation native Hawaiian college student persistence, and influences from external factors that contributed to their persistence and success.
