Author(s)

Jeffrey Kurz

Date Approved

7-24-2013

Embargo Period

3-3-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. Higher Education

Department

Educational Services, Administration, and Higher Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Sisco, Burton

Subject(s)

Women veterans--Education (Higher)

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate women veteran transitions and transformative learning experiences at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and to replicate Dahan's (2008) study on student veterans conducted at Rowan University. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Mezirow's Transformative Theory, and Schlossberg's Transition Theory and Mattering Study to uncover various themes related to military experiences. A mixed-methods research design was used to understand transition and transformative learning experiences. A random sample of nine women veteran students was obtained from an internal college database provided by the Office of Veteran Affairs. Participants were asked to complete a Likert-type survey using a five-point scale to assess their attitudes of mattering on campus. Six interviews were conducted to uncover various themes of transition and transformative learning experiences. The Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to input all quantitative data for the purpose of descriptive statistics. Sisco's (1981) Rules and Procedures for Logical Analysis of Written Data were used as a tool for all content analysis in this study. The findings in this study support Dahan's (2008) study that women student veterans perceive that they matter and are satisfied with veteran specific services on campus. The findings also suggest that women student veterans encountered varied transformative learning experiences while in the military.

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