Abstract
Much of the literature regarding Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWI) focuses on these students' academic difficulty, while there is far less attention paid to the performance of higher achieving Black students (Fries-Britt, 1998; Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007). Therefore, this study explored the lived experiences of high-achieving Black female students, focusing particularly on the experiences which contribute to their success at a PWI. The qualitative phenomenological research design was used to highlight emergent themes revealed during the study. Eight purposely selected students participated in one-on-one semi structured interviews and a Sister Circle group process. The participants' stories were highlighted both independently and collectively, reflecting a wide range of sentiments. During the data analysis process, there were six themes that emerged from the data which highlighted the experiences which contributed to the students' success at a PWI. Those themes included: 1) Support, 2) Processing Situations, 3) Defining Success, 4) Involvement, 5) Motivation, and 6) Background. The emergent themes provided strategies and recommendations for Black female students, higher education practitioners, and institutions. These recommendations included areas regarding programming, retention and recruitment strategies, resource creation, and relationship building. Additionally, implications were made for future research initiatives. The data, coupled with the researcher's reflections served as the basis for the implications and recommendations for this study.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2017
Semester
Summer
Advisor
King, Kathy (Kathleen)
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
College
College of Education and Human Performance
Department
Child, Family, and Community Sciences
Degree Program
Educational Leadership; Higher Education
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0006821
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0006821
Language
English
Release Date
August 2017
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Watkins, Whitney, "Exploring the Experiences Contributing to the Success of High-Achieving Black Female Undergraduate Students at a Predominantly White Institution" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5530.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5530