Date of Award
6-26-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Amany Saleh
Committee Members
Ella Benson; Mitch Henke
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 F73
Abstract
This study was designed to analyze the perceptions of required college admissions testing by graduates in the state of Oklahoma. Students in the state of Oklahoma were required to take the ACT or SAT to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, following the adoption by the state in 2017. This study was conducted to determine: whether graduates saw a perceived educational or vocational impact by taking these exams and whether there exists a perceived relationship between college admissions testing results and educational satisfaction. A human capital theoretical framework was employed to analyze the extent that students are being taught in such a way to become functional members within the economic structure of society. The author of this study chose a phenomenological qualitative methodology to gain an understanding of the perceptions of the participants. To facilitate this, semi-structured interviews were conducted, each taking approximately 45 minutes. Criterion and convenience-sampling was utilized and consisted of ten graduates from a charter school in Oklahoma. Participants graduated 3-5 years prior to selection within the sample. Following the interviews, participant responses were coded for the development of themes regarding their perceptions of the testing phenomenon. The findings of this study indicate that most of the participants claimed that they expected better results on the test. However, none of the participants changed their desired academic or career goals based on the results from the required college admissions tests. Further, participants who were satisfied with their testing experience cited the support of their families and teachers as motivators. Lack of internal motivation and failure of school preparation programs were cited by those who were dissatisfied with their testing experience. These findings have significant implications for policy makers as students may not receive the support they need while preparing for these tests and the testing process may not affect the students’ overall academic or career goals. Further, it is recommended that student’s voices be included in future educational policies regarding testing requirements. Future research in this topic is needed and should include additional stakeholders’ perceptions to present a more holistic view of the required testing experience.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Frazier, Stephen-Scott, "Differing Outcomes: A Qualitative Study on the Experience of Required College Admission Testing among Graduates at an Urban Charter School in Oklahoma" (2024). Student Theses and Dissertations. 95.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/95
