Date of Award

Summer 8-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development

Program/Concentration

Community College Leadership

Committee Director

Mitchell R. Williams

Committee Member

James E. Bartlett

Committee Member

Lisa A. Horth

Abstract

The rapid expansion of dual-enrollment and early college high school programs in North Carolina has led to a substantial increase in the numbers of dual-enrolled high school students in community college classrooms. This exploratory case study examined how adult students described their experiences in university-transfer courses in which dual-enrolled high school students make up the majority of the class. It also examined how some of these adult students’ instructors described the experiences of these adult students.

The current study was conducted at three community colleges in rural counties in southern Appalachia and included semi-structured interviews with 18 adult students (24-60 years) and two focus-group interviews with nine instructors who taught their university-transfer courses. Descriptive and pattern coding was used to identify seven themes across participant responses:

• Adult students know they belong, even if they do not always feel they belong.

• Adult students’ sense of belonging may grow through the semester.

• Classes with dual-enrolled students do not harm adult student progress.

• Many adult students engage as leaders in classes with high school students.

• Instructors prefer classes with a mixture of student ages.

• Instructors’ understanding of student belonging and teaching styles were linked.

• Instructors do not assign special responsibilities to adult students.

This study finds that adult students are an asset in multigenerational classrooms and that instructors play a critical role in shaping student connection and adult students’ sense of belonging. Implications are provided for policymakers, community college leaders, and instructors seeking to support student belonging and success in age-diverse learning environments.

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DOI

10.25777/nswx-wk51

ISBN

9798193216247

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