Professor Rachel Partsch Successfully Defends Doctoral Dissertation
Professor Rachel Partsch recently defended her doctoral dissertation on the role of self-concept in influencing student persistence and resilience in higher education. Her dissertation was completed as part of her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Regent University. Self-concept is an individual’s self-perceptions which are formed through interactions with their environment (Shavelson et al., 1976). Students’ academic self-concept is a known factor in academic achievement (Arens et al., 2017). Considering this, Dr. Partsch wanted to explore the potential relationship between a student’s self-concept and their persistence and resilience when facing obstacles.
Using a qualitative, phenomenological study design, Dr. Partsch interviewed current college students on their educational journey and experiences in overcoming academic and personal challenges. The data was coded and analyzed for themes. Students reported that their self-concept was comprised of their personal passion or interests (i.e., desire to work in a particular career or enjoyment of the subject) and their belief in their capabilities (i.e., belief they were able to succeed and accomplish their goals). Participants’ passion was directly connected to their goals; that is, their enjoyment of a particular subject or desire to work in a particular career field was connected to the educational programs they were currently completing. This passion provided a source of motivation to pursue their academic and professional goals.
This motivation was beneficial in overcoming the demotivating effects of obstacles (i.e., poor grades, workplace demands, family trouble or emergencies). Students’ beliefs in their capabilities aided the students in addressing negative feedback on assignments and developing a strategy to improve their performance in the future. Several themes emerged during the investigation: (1) the participants’ knowledge of who they are, (2) their pursuit of their passion and goals, (3) the emotional struggle of obstacles and challenges, (4) their strategy for addressing such challenges and achieving their goals, and (5) the growth they experienced, both emotionally and academically, throughout the students’ educational journeys. Considering these findings, Dr. Partsch concluded that participants’ self-concept appeared to influence their persistence and resilience in higher education.
References
Arens, A. K., Marsh, H. W., Pekrun, R., Lichtenfeld, S., Murayama, K., & von Hofe, R. (2017). Math self-concept, grades, and achievement test scores: Long-term reciprocal effects across five waves and three achievement tracks. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(5), 621-634. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000163
Shavelson, R. J., Hubner, J. J., & Stanton, G. C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretations. Review of Educational Research, 46, 407-441. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170010