Military spouses pursuing college completion and career goals: A phenomenological study on participation and persistence

• Main Author: Becker, Ashley A
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2014
• Subjects: Armed Forces; Career Choice; Career Development; Data Analysis; Educational administration; Educational Objectives; Higher education; Military Service; Military studies; School administration
• ISBN: 9781321589634; 1321589638

An insufficiency of research exists concerning military spouses' perceptions of the characteristics that have influenced their persistence and participation of earning their college degrees and pursuing their career goals while their military service member spouse served on active-duty. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of military spouses regarding their lived experiences of pursuing their college degrees and career goals while their military service member spouse served on active-duty. To accomplish this, 11 military spouses from all military branches completed demographic inventory and participated in an in-depth phone interview. Using a qualitative transcendental, phenomenological theory design, both the interviews and demographic inventory were analyzed to generalize themes about the military spouses' perceptions of their persistence and participation of earning their college degrees and pursuing their career goals while their military service member spouse served on active-duty. Four core themes surfaced: U.S. military should provide more educational and career resources and tools to military spouses; child care and PCS resources for military spouses; importance of attitude and drive to achieve goals; and consistency and communication across all military bases involved in military spouse's education and career goals.