Exploring the lived experiences of underprepared African American female students to understand factors that led to post-secondary completion: a phenomenological study

Cynthia M. Worth

doi:10.17918/00000582

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of provisionally admitted African American female students who were able to complete post-secondary education. This study also explored the factors that supported the academic completion of these African American females. The researcher believes through research of this topic, higher education administrators will gain more insight into the topic and be able to translate understanding to other provisionally admitted students at higher education institutions. The result of this study shows that high school students who do not make the best grades or are not from the best socio-economic environments should not have access to improving their lives through higher education. These individuals want better in life; however, they may not know exactly how to achieve these goals. The participants were admitted to the post-secondary institution through provisional admission, meaning that upon admission to the post-secondary institution, the students were considered not ready to perform academically in post-secondary courses. Even though the participants started the post-secondary institution provisionally admitted, they managed to matriculate and complete their post-secondary education. This study gives voice to these students. Through their stories, participants impact the lives of other individuals who may be experiencing the same challenges they are facing. The data used for this study was collected from 10 graduates of a historically Black college who were provisionally admitted to the college. The research questions guiding this study were: 1. What elements of the collegiate environment had an impact on provisionally admitted African American females' completion of their post-secondary education, who did not choose to participate in the Emerging Scholars program? 2. What elements of the Emerging Scholars program do provisionally admitted African American female students perceive as having had an impact on the completion of their post-secondary education? Even though all participants completed post-secondary education, the study compared the post-secondary completion of provisionally admitted students who participated in the Emerging Scholar programs and those who did not. The themes that emerged from the study were the participants' expectations of post-secondary education, the realities of post-secondary education, influential relationships, and extrinsic motivators. The recommendations showed that emphasis should be placed on holistic approaches to assist students as well as removing the stigma associated with needing and asking for assistance. Keywords: African American, provisionally admitted, underprepared, female, post-secondary completion, factors

Exploring the lived experiences of underprepared African American female students to understand factors that led to post-secondary completion: a phenomenological study

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Exploring the lived experiences of underprepared African American female students to understand factors that led to post-secondary completion: a phenomenological study

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