ERIC Number: ED654725
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 182
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5825-1926-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
"I Like to Wear the Cap and Gown": Revealing the Experiential Consequences of Dual Graduates
Debbie Ochsner
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Wyoming
The experiential consequences of being a dual graduate were explored through the qualitative research methods of phenomenological collective case study. The overarching research questions were, what do dual graduates have to say about their experiences? And, based on their experiences, who did they become and who did they consider important in the process? Dual graduates are students who earn a high school diploma while simultaneously earning an associate degree. Six dual graduates from a small Wyoming high school and the dual graduate program coordinator were interviewed. From their rich stories four themes evolved. Quantifiable incentives was a tangible theme where subthemes evidenced concrete facts such as money and time saved and academic credit accumulation. The role of the advisor theme displayed the aspects of advising which are critical to student persistence and the completion agenda and emphasized the value of a personal connection within the advising relationship. The theme of maturity encapsulated three subthemes where exhibited behaviors indicative of grit, self-advocacy, and persistence provided insight toward their growth in becoming a dual graduate. Symbolic reasons culminated the themes with more enlightened subthemes of being empowered, delaying gratification by making trade-offs, and participating in the remarkable experience of walking in a college graduation while wearing the cap and gown. The participants' collective experiential consequences organized the themes and subthemes into a hierarchical structure reminiscent of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The essence of self-actualization, foreordination, and the dawning of new conceptualizations of themselves not previously recognized in the academic realm were discovered. [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: High School Graduates, Dual Enrollment, Student Experience, Attitudes, Individual Development, Associate Degrees, Context Effect, Cooperative Programs, Coordination
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wyoming
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A