Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

First Advisor

Ramona Lewis, Ed.D.

Second Advisor

Jessica Heybach, Ed.D.

Third Advisor

Sara Nelson, Ph.D.

Keywords

College students, early middle college, enrollment management, grounded theory, higher education, transition

Abstract

Early middle college (EMC) students arrive at universities academically prepared yet institutionally undefined, occupying a space between traditional first-year and transfer student identities. Emerging through the Early College High School Initiative, EMC programs were structured to expand college access by embedding college coursework within the high school experience (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., 2017a; Haxton et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2013). Students frequently graduate from EMC with significant college credit, up to an associate’s degree, and demonstrate strong rates of post-secondary credential attainment and accelerated progress toward a bachelor’s degree (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., 2017a; Edmunds et al., 2020; Haxton et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2013; Song et al., 2021). Despite these documented outcomes, little is known about how EMC completers experience transition to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, where institutional structures and expectations are largely designed for traditional first-year or transfer populations. This study addresses that gap by developing a working theory to explain the transition and adjustment process of EMC completers who pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Guided by constructivist grounded theory methodology, this study examined the experiences of 25 EMC completers through semi-structured interviews, institutional document analysis, and analytical memos. Iterative coding and constant comparative analysis integrated multiple sources of data to identify an underlying process shared across participant experiences. Seven analytical categories emerged through successive rounds of analysis and collectively informed the development of a core category and its interconnected subprocesses.

Findings reveal transition and adjustment as a dynamic process of transitional friction. Participants entered the university with the academic habits, expectations, and identities shaped by their exposure to the college environment during their EMC experience. As students navigated their new institutional contexts, they encountered moments of mismatch between their prior knowledge and new institutional expectations across domains of people, places, and spaces. These disruptions activated student agency as participants worked to restore interpretive balance while simultaneously monitoring their health and well-being as a feedback mechanism guiding engagement and adaptation. Rather than a singular adjustment period, transitional friction functioned as a cyclical and ongoing process accompanying students throughout their university experience.

This study contributes an emerging theory of transition that positions transition and adjustment as an iterative process shaped by prior college immersion rather than entry status alone. By extending beyond traditional first-year and transfer student frameworks, this emerging theory offers a new lens for understanding how EMC students navigate moments when their prior knowledge conflicts with institutional expectations. The findings share theoretical and practical insights for institutions seeking to design enrollment policies, advising practices, and support structures responsive to the unique experiences of EMC completers pursuing their bachelor’s degree.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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