Klein Dissertation Reviews
Running head: REVIEWS
Dissertation Reviews: Hawkins and Heap
Amanda Klein
Liberty University
Dissertation Reviews: Hawkins and Heap
Hawkins, S. K. (2011). Economically disadvantaged students: A case study of resilient qualities that encourage academic success. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
Hawkins Dissertation Summary
Hawkins (2011) completed a dissertation on Economical Disadvantaged Students: A Case of Resilient Qualities that Encourage Academic Success. More specifically, the case study looked at students who were both economically disadvantaged (ED) and academically successful. The students were from the same Caucasian family in Tennessee. The case study examined both risk factors as well as protective factors which help students overcome potential risk factors. The data indicated the importance of the family’s Christian faith and the positive impact it had of the students’ academic achievement.
The decision for Hawkins (2011) to conduct the qualitative case study resulted from there being little research currently available on the qualities of academically successful economically disadvantaged Caucasian students. However, there was a great deal of literature currently available which focused on negative variables which hinder students from being academically successful, therefore, the case study sought to focus on positive qualities which make students academically successful. Similarly, because the most current research appeared to focus on minority students, Hawkins (2011) chose to focus on Caucasian students, and also noted at the school the participants attended, the lowest graduation rate was the Caucasian subgroup.
According to Hawkins (2011), “the purpose of this study was to examine academically successful ED students from one intact Caucasian family” (p. 7). Additionally, “by gathering information about how the family supports ED students, this study sought to describe the family variables that have
Dissertation Reviews: Hawkins and Heap
Amanda Klein
Liberty University
Dissertation Reviews: Hawkins and Heap
Hawkins, S. K. (2011). Economically disadvantaged students: A case study of resilient qualities that encourage academic success. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
Hawkins Dissertation Summary
Hawkins (2011) completed a dissertation on Economical Disadvantaged Students: A Case of Resilient Qualities that Encourage Academic Success. More specifically, the case study looked at students who were both economically disadvantaged (ED) and academically successful. The students were from the same Caucasian family in Tennessee. The case study examined both risk factors as well as protective factors which help students overcome potential risk factors. The data indicated the importance of the family’s Christian faith and the positive impact it had of the students’ academic achievement.
The decision for Hawkins (2011) to conduct the qualitative case study resulted from there being little research currently available on the qualities of academically successful economically disadvantaged Caucasian students. However, there was a great deal of literature currently available which focused on negative variables which hinder students from being academically successful, therefore, the case study sought to focus on positive qualities which make students academically successful. Similarly, because the most current research appeared to focus on minority students, Hawkins (2011) chose to focus on Caucasian students, and also noted at the school the participants attended, the lowest graduation rate was the Caucasian subgroup.
According to Hawkins (2011), “the purpose of this study was to examine academically successful ED students from one intact Caucasian family” (p. 7). Additionally, “by gathering information about how the family supports ED students, this study sought to describe the family variables that have
References: Ary, D., Jacobs, L.C., Razavieh, A., & Sorensen, C. (2006). Introduction to research in education (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson & Wadsworth. Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2005). Confronting the ethics of qualitative research. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 18, 157-181. Hawkins, S. K. (2011). Economically disadvantaged students: A case study of resilient qualities that encourage academic success. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. Heap, H. M. B. (2013). A collective case study of the perceptions and implementation of self advocacy from four educators of students with disabilities. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. Werner, E. E. (2005). Resilience and recovery: Findings from the Kauai longitudinal study. Focal Point: Research, Policy, and Practice in Children’s Mental Health, 19(1), 11-14.