Date Approved
5-18-2015
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)
Learning disabled youth; College freshmen
Disciplines
Higher Education | Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Abstract
The goal of this study was to find out what selected freshmen students with learning disabilities reported about their experiences while transitioning from high school to college and the circumstances or situations that impact such experiences in relation to Schlossberg's Transition Theory. The participants in this study were six freshmen students between 18 and 22 years old registered with Rowan University's Office of Disability Resources who self-identified as having one or more learning disability during the spring 2015 semester. Data were collected using an adapted interview protocol with permission from Samantha DeVilbiss' (2014) dissertation, The Transition Experience: Understanding the Transition from High School to College for Conditionally-Admitted Students Using the Lens of Schlossberg's Transition Theory. The interview protocol consisted of two interview schedules with roughly 12 questions each, which totaled to about 24 questions. The questions asked about the feelings and experiences related to the participants' transition from high school to college. Content analysis reported that multiple themes related to the four Ss of Schlossberg's Transition Theory impacted participants' transition experiences. The most significant themes were trigger, independence, assessment of the transition, awareness and acceptance of disability, institutional support, and community involvement.
Recommended Citation
Bonanni, Margaret, "In transition: examining students with learning disabilities' transition from high school to college through Schlossberg's transition theory" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 514.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/514
