Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Dr. Efleda Tolentino
Second Advisor
Dr. Tonie McDonald
Third Advisor
Dr. June-Ann Smith
Abstract
There is limited literature on the resilience strategies of Black students raised in single-parent households and their academic success. Black children are often portrayed as facing negative outcomes educationally. Yet, despite there being challenges they graduate from high school, go to college and are successful. This qualitative phenomenology study explores the lives of 12 Black college students raised in a single-parent household, aged 21-65 years and older, that persevered through adversity and the strategies they utilized to achieve academic success. It examines the internal and external motivational factors that contributed to their achievements as well as the role of support systems, using an ecological systems theory framework. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed through manual thematic coding and NVivo. Findings revealed that adversity, self-determination, parent modeling, siblings, extended family, peers, school resources, community support, church, workforce development programs, support initiatives designed to enhance educational attainment, workforce support systems and mentorship programs all contributed to their resilience and academic success.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Kim Loren, "From Adversity to Achievement: The Resilience of Black Students Raised in Single-Parent Households" (2025). Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-. 116.
https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/post_fultext_dis/116