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Dissertation
Towards a theoretical model of minority student success: successful black students and their perspectives on the variables that promote and retard their retention
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
2002
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-369
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the variables that served to promote and retard the retention of successful Black students attending a private, urban, predominately white five-year cooperative educational institution. In merging the theoretical constructs of three theories on undergraduate student retention and utilizing a student-based expertise model to form the study's conceptual framework, this study investigated the meanings that students ascribed to these constructs, and how these meanings were used in their decisions to persist. Twenty-seven participants participated in the study. Qualitative methods were used to answer the following questions: What are the variables that promote retention at the focal institution? What are the variables that retard retention at the focal institution? How do these variables at the focal institution differ from the variables identified in related retention/attrition research? What meanings do students give to these variables? How are these meanings used oovercome barriers or obstacles at the focal institution? Qualitative methods included a three-phase interview process, and used structured and semi-structured interview protocols to gather information on student perspectives. Barriers to retention were investigated using the unfolded matrix. Successful students were defined as students who were at the pre-junior, junior or senior class level and who were not on academic probation. Twenty-seven variables were identified as serving to promote retention. Eleven barriers were identified as serving to retard retention. Three knowledge categories and action categories emerged from using the unfolding matrix. The findings of the study demonstrated that persistence was a complex phenomenon involving the interaction of many variables, many of which were occurring simultaneously. Successful students were students who used heuristic knowledge about the barrier to engage in specific actions or behaviors to overcome the barrier.
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Details
- Title
- Towards a theoretical model of minority student success: successful black students and their perspectives on the variables that promote and retard their retention
- Creators
- Jacquelyn Ford-Edwards - DU
- Contributors
- Sheila R. Vaidya (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 369; 991014632582904721