Student Success in an Online Practitioner-Oriented Doctoral Program: A Grounded Theory Study
Location
DeSantis Room 2060
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
16-1-2020 2:15 PM
End Date
16-1-2020 2:35 PM
Abstract
Online education has become an integral part of higher education with increasing demand for online doctoral programs. However, online doctoral students have low retention rates and extended time to completion. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the nature of student success, contributing factors, and ways to improve student success for nontraditional doctoral students in an online practitioner-oriented doctoral program. To fulfil the purpose of the study the following questions were developed.
- How to improve student success in an online doctoral program?
- What is the nature of student success in an online doctoral program?
- What are the contributing factors to students’ success in an online doctoral program?
Grounded theory was used to analyze the data and generate a theory. The data were collected from the doctoral graduates, administrators, and faculty members. The data strands were joined during the analysis phase to establish a theory which may assist understanding of the phenomenon. The survey responses, demographic questionnaire responses, and interview transcripts were entered in Dedoose. The data analyzed through iterative stages of analysis using memoing, first level analysis (structural, descriptive, in vivo, process, and holistic coding), and second level analysis (pattern coding, theoretical coding.
The findings indicated that student success is defined as completing the program in shorter time with higher rate of graduations per year, and skills that help graduates get hired after the graduation. Faculty members play a very influential role in student success. This presentation will report the results, which may enhance online doctoral programs.
Keywords
Student Success, Online doctoral program, Grounded theory
Student Success in an Online Practitioner-Oriented Doctoral Program: A Grounded Theory Study
DeSantis Room 2060
Online education has become an integral part of higher education with increasing demand for online doctoral programs. However, online doctoral students have low retention rates and extended time to completion. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the nature of student success, contributing factors, and ways to improve student success for nontraditional doctoral students in an online practitioner-oriented doctoral program. To fulfil the purpose of the study the following questions were developed.
- How to improve student success in an online doctoral program?
- What is the nature of student success in an online doctoral program?
- What are the contributing factors to students’ success in an online doctoral program?
Grounded theory was used to analyze the data and generate a theory. The data were collected from the doctoral graduates, administrators, and faculty members. The data strands were joined during the analysis phase to establish a theory which may assist understanding of the phenomenon. The survey responses, demographic questionnaire responses, and interview transcripts were entered in Dedoose. The data analyzed through iterative stages of analysis using memoing, first level analysis (structural, descriptive, in vivo, process, and holistic coding), and second level analysis (pattern coding, theoretical coding.
The findings indicated that student success is defined as completing the program in shorter time with higher rate of graduations per year, and skills that help graduates get hired after the graduation. Faculty members play a very influential role in student success. This presentation will report the results, which may enhance online doctoral programs.