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Graduation Term

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Educational Administration and Foundations: Educational Administration

Committee Chair

Mohamed Nur-Awaleh

Committee Member

Francis Godwyll

Committee Member

Adel Al-Bataineh

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological case study explored factors affecting persistence among non-traditional doctoral students at a Midwestern public university. Guided by Bean and Metzner's (1985) Conceptual Model of Non-Traditional Student Attrition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine non-traditional doctoral students in their fourth year or beyond. Data analysis revealed three interconnected themes: persistence is relational, persistence is structural, and persistence is transformational. Findings indicate that the quality of dissertation chair relationships, peer support, and family networks were essential to persistence, while structural barriers, including competing work and family demands, unclear institutional processes, and post-coursework isolation, created significant obstacles. Participants also described fundamental transformations in scholarly identity and self-worth across their doctoral journeys. Implications suggest doctoral programs must formalize advising expectations, extend structured support beyond coursework, and increase transparency around processes and expectations. This study challenges deficit-based explanations of attrition and reframes persistence as an institutional responsibility requiring structural redesign rather than individual resilience.

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