Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Sarah Walsh

Keywords

wraparound support, nontraditional students, workforce education, holistic support, community involvement, student persistence, academic achievement, adult learners, qualitative case study, integrated systems, student engagement, community partnerships

Disciplines

Adult and Continuing Education

Abstract

This study examined how integrated community involvement shapes the educational resilience and personal development of nontraditional adult learners in a workforce education program in Alabama. Drawing on social cognitive, transition, and ecological systems perspectives, the study explored how self-efficacy, life transitions, and environmental systems influence student experiences, stakeholder roles, and developmental outcomes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings revealed that wraparound support functioned as an integrated system in which services were coordinated across stakeholders rather than delivered in isolation. Within this structure, three core components—integrated systems, holistic engagement, and academic success—operated collectively, demonstrating that coordinated wraparound support was more effective than isolated services. Findings further indicated that student outcomes were not determined by access to services alone but by the intentional alignment of support across stakeholders. Implications suggest that workforce education programs should prioritize integrated, relational, and whole-person support systems to improve persistence, completion, and long-term success among nontraditional students.

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