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Adult Learners and Student Engagement Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2013 Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer Ryan Anderson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Ryan, "Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer" (2013). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13506. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13506 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer by Ryan Michael Anderson A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education (Educational Leadership) Program of Study Committee: Soko Starobin, Major Professor Larry Ebbers Jan Friedel Frankie Santos Laanan Brad Shrader Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2013 Copyright © Ryan Michael Anderson, 2013. All rights reserved. ii Dedication This huge milestone in my life is dedicated to my family. To my wife, Lesley— without your nonstop patience, support, love and understanding, finishing this dissertation would not have been possible. To Tobey—you may not understand this point right now, but I hope that you have gained the desire and persistence to get through life’s many obstacles and to never stop learning! To my parents, Mike and Sherri—thank you for instilling in me the importance of education and, more specifically, the love of reading. I love you all. Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it. ―Mother Teresa iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ viii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 Overview ......................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 2 Background of Study ........................................................................................................ 4 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................ 7 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 8 Hypotheses ...................................................................................................................... 9 Methodological Approach ................................................................................................ 9 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................. 10 Astin’s Theory of Involvement ................................................................................ 10 Andragogy ............................................................................................................... 11 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................ 13 Definitions of Terms ...................................................................................................... 16 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 19 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 19 Andragogy ..................................................................................................................... 21 Definition ................................................................................................................ 22 Nontraditional Student Versus Adult Learners ......................................................... 23 Common Characteristics of Adult Learners .............................................................. 23 Student Engagement Theories ........................................................................................ 29 Astin’s Input–Environment–Outcome Model ........................................................... 30 Instrumentation .............................................................................................................. 34 Adult Learners in Postsecondary Education .................................................................... 38 Financial Aid Needs................................................................................................. 40 Programmatic Needs ................................................................................................ 41 Underrepresented Minorities in Postsecondary Education ................................................ 43 Definition ................................................................................................................ 43 Intersection of Underrepresented Minorities and Adult Learners .............................. 49 Veteran Students ............................................................................................................ 50 Veteran Adult Students in Postsecondary Education ................................................ 51 Mental Health and Veteran Students ........................................................................ 54 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Programs ................................................... 55 Adult Students in the STEM Disciplines .................................................................. 60 Underrepresented Minorities in the STEM Disciplines ............................................. 61 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 62 iv CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 63 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 63 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 63 Hypotheses .................................................................................................................... 64 Research Design ............................................................................................................ 64 Pilot Study ............................................................................................................... 64 Instrumentation ........................................................................................................ 66 Survey Instrument .................................................................................................... 68 Setting ..................................................................................................................... 71 Population and Sample ............................................................................................ 71 Data Collection ........................................................................................................ 74 Methodological Approach .............................................................................................. 75 Conceptual Model .......................................................................................................... 76 Variables in the Study .................................................................................................... 77 Independent Variables ............................................................................................. 77 Dependent Variables ................................................................................................ 80 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................
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