a qualitative phenomenological study of the lived experiences of adults in the north georgia area

141 Pages·2015·0.96 MB·English

A QUALITATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF
ADULTS IN THE NORTH GEORGIA AREA THAT WERE RETAINED IN GRADES K-12.

by
Betsy Green
Liberty University

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education

Liberty University
2015
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A QUALITATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF
ADULTS IN THE NORTH GEORGIA AREA THAT WERE RETAINED IN GRADES K-12.

by Betsy Green

A Dissertation Plan Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
2015

APPROVED BY:

Roger Stiles, Ed.D., Committee Chair

Gary Kimball, Ed.D., Committee Member

Libby Bicknell, Ed.D., Committee Member

Scott Watson, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Advanced Programs
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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the impact
retention has had on the lived experiences of adults in the North Georgia area that were
retained in their K-12 education. The 10 participants were adults over the age of 18 that
live in a rural North Georgia community and have experienced retention. The sampling
was purposive and took place at public schools in Mountain Town, Georgia. The
research questions for this study were:
• How is the experience of grade retention remembered by adults retained in their
K-12 education?
• How has K-12 retention impacted self-efficacy, the belief in the ability to
succeed, and quality of life of adults who were retained during their K-12
education?
o How did retention impact their self-esteem?
o How did retention impact their employment successes and socioeconomic
status?
o How did retention impact their home life and relationships?
Data collection took place using a survey, questionnaires, interviews, and a focus group
discussion. Data analysis was conducted using Moustakas’ Seven Steps (Moustakas,
1994) and included enumeration, selecting quotations to provide authentication, and
coding that identified themes, significant statements, and shared experiences.

Keywords: retention, lived experiences, social promotion, self-esteem, achievement,
employment, socioeconomic status, relationships
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Dedication/Acknowledgments Page

This huge accomplishment in my life was made possible by the love and grace of
God my father and by the support of my husband, Richard, my children, Rich and Rebecca,
and my friends that encouraged me along the way and put up with my long hours of work to
achieve this goal. I want to thank my parents, Lee and Rebecca Forehand, for teaching me
the value of never giving up and always believing that I could achieve any goal I set for
myself. I want to thank my uncle, Buddy Baarcke, for editing this dissertation and helping
me develop a finished product. I want to thank Dr. Roger Stiles for being a very supportive
chair and pushing me to finish when daily life intervened and threatened to derail my
efforts. I also want to thank Dr. Gary Kimball, Dr. Libby Bicknell, and Dr. Russ Yocum for
making suggestions to improve my final product.
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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Dedication/Acknowledgements……………………………………………………….. 4
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………….. 8
List of Abbreviations………………………………………………………………….. 9
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….. 10
Overview……………………………………………………………………………... 10
Background…………………………………………………………………………... 11
Situation to Self……………………………………………………………………… 12
Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………… 13
Purpose Statement……………………………………………………………………. 13
Significance of Study………………………………………………………………… 14
Research Questions…………………………………………………………………... 14
Research Plan………………………………………………………………………… 15
Delimitations…………………………………………………………………………. 16
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………….. 17
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………17
Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………………. 19
History of Retention in the United States……………………………………………. 22
Contributing Factors for Low Performing Students…………………………………. 26
Retention…………………………………………………………………………….. .29
Arguments in Support of Retention………………………………………………….. 31
Arguments Opposed to Retention………………………………………………….... 34
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Alternative to Retention…………………………………………………………….. 40
Summary……………………………………………………………………………. 46
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………... 49
Overview……………………………………………………………………………. 49
Design………………………………………………………………………………. 49
Research Questions………………………………………………………………… 50
Participants…………………………………………………………………………. 51
Site…………………………………………………………………………………. 51
Procedures………………………………………………………………………..... 52
The Researcher’s Role…………………………………………………………….. 53
Data Collection……………………………………………………………………. 54
Surveys……………………………………………………………………. 55
Questionnaires……………………………………………………………. 56
Personal Interviews………………………………………………………. 56
Data Collected from Questionnaires and Interviews…………………….. 57
Focus Group…………………………………………………………....... 58
Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………. 59
Trustworthiness…………………………………………………………………. 60
Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………………. 62
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS…………………………………………………………….. 63
Overview……………………………………………………………………….. 63
Participants……………………………………………………………………... 63
Results………………………………………………………………………….. 95
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Summary……………………………………………………………………… 105
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS… 107
Overview……………………………………………………………………... 107
Summary of Findings………………………………………………………… 107
Discussion……………………………………………………………………. 112
Implications………………………………………………………………….. 116
Limitations…………………………………………………………………… 119
Recommendations for Future Research……………………………………… 120
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………… 120
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………….... 122
APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………. 132
Appendix A. Qualifying Survey……………………………………………... 132
Appendix B. Questionnaire for Participants…………………………………. 133
Appendix C. Semi-structured Interview Questions………………………….. 135
Appendix D. Focus Group Questions………………………………………... 137
Appendix E. IRB Approval Letter…………………………………………… 139
Appendix F. Informed Consent……………………………………………… 140
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List of Tables

Table 1: Overview of Participants………………………………………………….. 64

Table 2: Codes and Themes…………………………………………………………. 95
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List of Abbreviations
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
College and Career Readiness Performance Indicators (CCRPI)
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS)
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Stanford Achievement Test (SAT)
Socio-economic Status (SES)
Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM)
Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES)
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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Overview

This dissertation plan highlights the impact that retention as a stand-alone intervention
has had on the educational outcomes, self-esteem, and quality of life in general of adults that
have experienced this phenomenon. Teachers and administrators struggle with whether to retain
students every year, despite the longitudinal research that shows that retention does more harm
than good (Jimerson & Renshaw, 2012; Silberglitt, Jimerson, Burns, & Appleton, 2006). This
study sought to shed light on how this controversial practice has shaped the lives of some of the
adults that have experienced retention. Today, more than ever, schools and teachers are held
accountable for student success and growth from one year to the next. For example, in the state
of Georgia, College and Career Readiness Performance Indicators (CCRPI) are used to grade
schools. The indicators are based on student success in the classroom and on standardized tests
(Barge, 2014). Teachers in the state of Georgia are evaluated using an instrument called the
Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and a growth model for each student that a teacher
teaches is a critical part of the Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM) that is used to decide if a
teacher is doing his or her job and will be used to make hiring and firing decisions (Barge, 2013).
Motivating low performing students to put forth effort and care about their educational success is
critical to all stakeholders. Therefore, this study seeks to enlighten teachers and administrators
about the experiences of adults with retention and highlight the importance of utilizing research
to validate current retention and promotion practices or to possibly adjust present practices to
help more students experience educational success at their ability level.