Crisis or Turning Point? The Frustrations and Transformations of the Mid-Life Education Doctoral Student. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

Using grounded theory, this study examined the experiences and perceptions of education doctoral students, aged 40 to 57, as they communicated them. Twenty-one mid-life students in 9 universities throughout the United States and 1 in Canada comprised the sample. Consistent with systems theory, the holistic research used in both questionnaires and in-depth telephone interviews included the multifaceted experiences of the respondents. Examined categories included: (1) decision to enter; (2) admissions process; (3) early classroom admissions; (4) socialization and acclimation; and (5) balance of work, family, and student roles. Findings indicate that mid-life doctoral students exhibit many characteristics of the adult learner while also maintaining characteristics unique to this mid-life doctoral demographic. (Contains 46 references.) (SLD)