Date
10-16-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Alex Oldham
Keywords
personalized learning, college and career readiness, constructivist learning theory
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Education
Recommended Citation
Hyneman, Erica, "The Effects of Personalized Learning on High School English Language Arts Students' Self-Perceived College and Career Readiness: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7561.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7561
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of personalized learning when implemented in a high school English language arts class for students at County High School. The theory guiding this study was constructivist learning theory, as it is the foundation for personalized learning. The central research question aimed to discover the lived experiences of personalized learning in a high school English language arts classroom. This transcendental phenomenological study included 12 participants enrolled in an 11th-grade English language arts class at County High School, a rural, public, Title I school in the deep south. Data was collected through individual interviews, a focus group, and document analysis. The individual interviews and focus group sessions were transcribed, and themes were derived through horizontalization. The documents were methodically reviewed, coded, and organized into the following themes and subthemes: traditional vs personalized learning, perspectives, motivation, college and career readiness, skill building, discovery, personal growth, struggles, and self-reliance. The participants' lived experiences were overall positive. The data produced by this study support the idea that personalized learning in a student-centered classroom can be beneficial for students, especially in terms of college and career readiness.
