Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Adult and Lifelong Learning (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods

Advisor/Mentor

Grover, Kenda S.

Committee Member

Roessger, Kevin M.

Second Committee Member

Murphy, Kay

Keywords

doctoral cohort; doctoral program instuctional support strategies; doctoral program programmatic features; doctoral student attrition; doctoral student persistence; doctoral student retention

Abstract

With the rise of hybrid learning models, non-traditional learners have greater access to doctoral education. However, attrition rates from doctoral programs remain high, ranging from 40% to 50% across all doctoral programs and exceeding these levels in online non-traditional programs. Numerous causes of attrition or persistence in doctoral studies have been researched and can affect the student, the academic institution, and the broader academic society. This qualitative case study will explore adult and lifelong learning doctoral students' perceptions of the programmatic and instructional support resources that have helped improve persistence in their program. Two of the important programmatic features of this program are the utilization of a cohort model and instruction through a hybrid model. This study will examine these, and any other programmatic or instructional support resources the students perceive helped them persist in their studies.

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