Date of Award
4-1-2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Barbara Weschke, Ph.D
Second Advisor
Michael Self, Ph.D
Third Advisor
Lori Sanchez, Ed.D
Abstract
This qualitative study was conducted at a community college in Oregon with a full-time enrollment of 4,954 students during the 2015-16 academic school year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). A phenomenological research methodology investigated the lived experiences of first-year college students who participated in a dual-enrollment (DE) program under the Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) umbrella. A sample of 6 students represented 0.86% of the eligible population of 700 potential participants. In order to qualify for the study, participants had to be first-year college students (35 credits or less), and have participated in a dual-enrollment program under the OTM. The data were gathered using two in-depth interviews with individual participants during the winter of 2016. Unique themes that developed in the research of the DE program were a lack of program awareness by participants, a need for hybrid-type coursework, the teaching style of the instructors, and difficulty of the coursework. The success and ability of students to persist in a postsecondary environment relates directly to their critical skills, support, and level of knowledge developed while in high school. The dual-enrollment program under the Oregon Transfer Module was highly acclaimed by participants in this study. However, the four core themes, which emerged from significant statements by participants in this research, offer ideas for improving the effectiveness of the overall program.