Abstract

Self-advocacy for students with disabilities was noted throughout the literature as a necessary element for student success (Brinckerhoff, 1996; Daly-Cano, Vaccaro, & Newman, 2015; Gould, 1986; Williams & Shoultz, 1982). The literature also found that self-advocacy was particular crucial as students entered higher education (English, 1997; Stodden, Conway, and Chang, 2003; Vaccaro, Daly-Cano & Newman, 2015). In regard to student persistence, academic advising was the most cited student service (Hossler & Bean, 1990). Academic advisors assist students through their academic journeys and are tasked with assisting students to navigate college life (Kuh, 2008). However, there was a lack of research regarding the relationship between advisors, students with disabilities, and self-advocacy. Therefore, this research study was conducted to explore the insights and support of self-advocacy among academic advisors when working with students with disabilities. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to explore these experiences. From the data analysis, seven themes emerged after the interviews and a focus group, which represented the needs of academic advisors for their specific roles and interactions. The themes were lack of knowledge, accommodations, transition, academics, fear of being labeled, relationships and interactions, and self-awareness. The information gathered through this study may lead to professional development programs to improve relationships between academic advisors and students with disabilities and to prepare students with disabilities to become strong self-advocates.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2018

Semester

Fall

Advisor

King, Kathy (Kathleen)

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Higher Education

Degree Program

Educational Leadership; Higher Education Track

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0007329

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007329

Language

English

Release Date

December 2018

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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