The Influence of Family on Part-time Education Doctoral Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 104
  In Roundtable Session: Qualitative Studies of Doctoral Students’ Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of part-time education doctoral students in one college of education. Twenty-one participants were involved in the study, including seven men and fourteen women; nineteen of the participants were Caucasian, two were African American. Two in-depth interviews were conducted with each of the participants. The themes that emerged from the data include collegiality, isolation, identity formation, and self doubt. For purposes of this paper, the familial support system and the benefits and challenges these students experience within their family in the process of doctoral studies will be highlighted. The results of this study may allow for a better understanding of the experiences of the part-time education doctoral student.

Author

• Lisa S. Bircher, Kent State University