Date of Award
3-24-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Thomas Barrett
Abstract
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effect the institution type has on African American graduate student mental health and program success. The primary research question was how do phenomena/strategies, causal conditions, competing internal and external demands, coping strategies, and positive and negative consequences create stress that influences the mental health and success of African American doctoral students differently at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)? This primary research question was addressed by the responses to seven sub-questions based on the constructs outlined in a conceptual framework derived from a graduate student stress model (Offstein, Larson, McNeill, & Mwale, 2004). Participants completed an online questionnaire that included qualitative (open-ended) and quantitative questions. The questionnaire also included the 10-question Perceived Stress Scale, which provided an overall stress score to determine to the level of stress experienced by participants within the previous month (Cohen & Williamson, 1988). Common themes were found in the qualitative responses to the questionnaire and they were similar across institution type. The plurality of study participants had a significantly very high stress level based on their PSS score which suggested actions be taken to reduce levels of stress.
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Desarae, "African American Doctoral Students’ Success: Experiences Affecting the Mental Health, Stress, and Satisfaction of Doctoral Students at PWIS & HBCUs" (2022). Theses and Dissertations. 1062.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/1062
