ERIC Number: ED632814
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 269
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3719-1636-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Constantly Juggling Priorities: Examining How Single Mothers Transition to and through College
Munn, Karleton Jermaine
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University
The purpose of this study was to understand the college transition processes of single mothers attending a 4-year public university. Using a constructivist epistemological paradigm, I employed grounded theory methods to explore how participants interpreted their transition to and through college. Specifically, I aimed to understand the transition processes, experiences most salient during the transition, and how current and recent undergraduates made meaning of those transitions. Data collected through semistructured one-on-one interviews and a focus group with 11 single mothers from low-income backgrounds who attended a public institution in the Midwest resulted in an emergent model of transition grounded in the experiences of the participants. The emergent grounded theory is built upon three findings: (a) entering/reentering campus, (b) getting settled, and (c) figuring things out. What emerges centrally is how participants learn to juggle two distinct identities (and related priorities): single mother and college student. As they become more comfortable in their roles and responsibilities, they develop ways to integrate their identities more fully. Processes were nonlinear and fluid, and not all participants moved through each process. This research has implications for student affairs practice, particularly determining how to better support the transitions of single mothers to and through higher education. Finally, the findings inform theory development and future research, particularly identity development and college student transition theory. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: One Parent Family, Mothers, College Attendance, College Students, Student Adjustment, Student Experience, Low Income Students, Reentry Students, Self Concept
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A