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HOW FULL-TIME WORKING PROFESSIONALS NAVIGATE AND COMPLETE A DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN A TIMELY MANNER

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Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
Doctoral study is demanding, time consuming, and can be emotionally exhausting. In fact, 50% of doctoral students never complete the degree (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Council of Graduate Schools, 2008). In addition to the array of challenges that doctoral students face in completing the degree, there are increasingly more working professionals pursuing the degree, who are also balancing the demands of their employment and personal lives. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of full-time working professionals who have recently completed a doctoral degree in Education in a timely manner. The central research question was: How do full-time working professionals navigate and complete a doctoral program in a timely manner while managing the competing demands of their work and personal responsibilities? This study included 17 participants who met the following criteria: completed a traditional Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership at a public research institution along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S.; maintained full-time professional employment while completing the degree; completed the degree within six consecutive years; and graduated with the degree within the last five years. Data was collected through a background information survey and in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which lasted approximately 60 minutes each. Additionally, four interview participants also participated in a 60- minute focus group. Data were analyzed and coded in three rounds. These codes were developed into themes and presented through five categories: situation, challenges, self, support, and strategies. Situation includes themes related to life roles, responsibilities, and characteristics. Challenges includes themes related to time management, degree requirements, unexpected obstacles, and working with faculty. Self includes themes of motivation, grit, organization skills, and self-directedness. Support includes themes related to peers, work supervisors and colleagues, faculty, significant others, and family and friends. Lastly, strategies include themes of prioritization, working with others, preparation, planning, technology, and self-care.
Title: HOW FULL-TIME WORKING PROFESSIONALS NAVIGATE AND COMPLETE A DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN A TIMELY MANNER.
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Name(s): Roy, Kelly Marie , author
Bloom, Jennifer L. , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
College of Education
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2019
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 239 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Doctoral study is demanding, time consuming, and can be emotionally exhausting. In fact, 50% of doctoral students never complete the degree (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Council of Graduate Schools, 2008). In addition to the array of challenges that doctoral students face in completing the degree, there are increasingly more working professionals pursuing the degree, who are also balancing the demands of their employment and personal lives. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of full-time working professionals who have recently completed a doctoral degree in Education in a timely manner. The central research question was: How do full-time working professionals navigate and complete a doctoral program in a timely manner while managing the competing demands of their work and personal responsibilities? This study included 17 participants who met the following criteria: completed a traditional Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership at a public research institution along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S.; maintained full-time professional employment while completing the degree; completed the degree within six consecutive years; and graduated with the degree within the last five years. Data was collected through a background information survey and in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which lasted approximately 60 minutes each. Additionally, four interview participants also participated in a 60- minute focus group. Data were analyzed and coded in three rounds. These codes were developed into themes and presented through five categories: situation, challenges, self, support, and strategies. Situation includes themes related to life roles, responsibilities, and characteristics. Challenges includes themes related to time management, degree requirements, unexpected obstacles, and working with faculty. Self includes themes of motivation, grit, organization skills, and self-directedness. Support includes themes related to peers, work supervisors and colleagues, faculty, significant others, and family and friends. Lastly, strategies include themes of prioritization, working with others, preparation, planning, technology, and self-care.
Identifier: FA00013409 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Doctoral students
Work-life balance
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013409
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.