From Early College to the University: A Case Study Exploring First-Semester Experiences

1 online resource (151 pages) : PDF

2019

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

This single case study explored the first-semester experiences of twelve early college high school (ECHS) graduates as they transitioned to a large, public university in North Carolina. The purpose was to understand how early college graduates made meaning of their academic and social transition experiences and how they perceived their early college attendance as interacting with those experiences. Primary data collection occurred through two rounds of semi-structured interviews with each participant. Institutional websites and publications, a series of conversations with campus officials regarding policy and practice, and results from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) administered to matriculating students at the university the previous fall semester provided data used to triangulate interview findings and establish institutional context. The constant comparative technique (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985) guided the data analysis process and resulted in seven distinct themes. Themes related to academic transition included exceptional preparation, academic adjustment, connecting with faculty, and impact of advanced standing. Themes related to social transition included unique status, connecting with others, and being ahead on academics but behind on experience. From these themes, the following conclusions were reached: (1) academic skills learned at ECHSs are applicable to the university; (2) ECHS graduates do not fully understand the impact of advanced standing; (3) ECHS attendance can influence social transition experiences; and (4) ECHS affiliation can influence transition experiences.

doctoral dissertations

Education, Higher

D.Ed.

Case Study
College Student Transition
Early College High Schools
Qualitative

Educational Leadership

D'Amico, Mark

Salas, Spencer
Dika, Sandra
Miller, Ryan

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019.

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