Date
6-26-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)
Chair
Traci Eshelman
Keywords
community of inquiry (CoI), higher education, nontraditional student, online learning, sense of belonging, student engagement, transcendental phenomenology.
Disciplines
Higher Education | Online and Distance Education
Recommended Citation
Bolin, Gina M., "Fostering Belonging: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study of Nontraditional Students in Higher Education" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7141.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7141
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the sense of belonging for nontraditional students in online higher education environments. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the CoI, which emphasized the importance of social, cognitive, and teaching presence to foster a supportive and positive student experience. The central research question was: How do online nontraditional students in higher education describe their experiences of academic and social belonging within their learning communities? This study employed a transcendental phenomenological design. Participants included 15 nontraditional students enrolled in fully online degree programs at various U.S. institutions. Data collected through individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts was analyzed using Moustakas’ modification of the Van Kaam method. The analysis revealed four core themes: Faculty Presence, Peer Interaction, Institutional Inclusion, and Challenges of Nontraditional Students. These findings offer insight into how nontraditional students perceived belonging in online settings and suggested opportunities for improving online pedagogical practices, student support services, and institutional policies that foster inclusion and persistence. The essence of the participants’ experiences indicated that belonging emerged through authentic human connection, emotional validation, and inclusive communication. Although students valued the flexibility of online learning, many encountered isolation and transactional systems, which led to frustration. Belonging in the study was identified to be context-dependent and heavily relied on the participants' perception of individual recognition and holistic support.
