This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand if Gen X parents are motivating their Gen Z students' college choice not to attend community college. The few studies that focused on parent involvement in choosing a community college did not focus on the generational differences between parents and their children when it came to college choice, they also did not focus on whether parents influenced their children to attend community college or not (Bers, 2005; Bers & Galowich, 2002).
The study explored Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and how his theory and the college choice process are intertwined during the college choice process. The data this study uncovered provided a deeper understanding of why parents and students are not choosing to attend a community college as their pathway to a degree. This study provides specific biases and desires that influence a person's college choice. Community colleges can offer students a solid education with much of the experience that students and parents perceive only four-year institutions offer. Community college administration and staff can stop the perpetuating generational cycle of the negative perception that plagues their reputation.
","abstract_html":"<p>This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand if Gen X parents are motivating their Gen Z students' college choice not to attend community college. The few studies that focused on parent involvement in choosing a community college did not focus on the generational differences between parents and their children when it came to college choice, they also did not focus on whether parents influenced their children to attend community college or not (Bers, 2005; Bers & Galowich, 2002).</p> <p>The study explored Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and how his theory and the college choice process are intertwined during the college choice process. The data this study uncovered provided a deeper understanding of why parents and students are not choosing to attend a community college as their pathway to a degree. This study provides specific biases and desires that influence a person's college choice. Community colleges can offer students a solid education with much of the experience that students and parents perceive only four-year institutions offer. Community college administration and staff can stop the perpetuating generational cycle of the negative perception that plagues their reputation.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jorndt Reyes, Gretchen"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D. Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Higher Education Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Jaclyn K. Rivard","Dr. Jamal Scott","Dr. Voula Erfourth"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z","subjects":["Community College","Generational Bias","Gen Z college students","Gen X send their child to college","community college bias","Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior","Academic Advising","Community College Education Administration","Community College Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Higher Education Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/857","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Jaclyn K. Rivard","Dr. Jamal Scott","Dr. Voula Erfourth"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jorndt Reyes, Gretchen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-09-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Higher Education Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Community College","Generational Bias","Gen Z college students","Gen X send their child to college","community college bias","Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior","Academic Advising","Community College Education Administration","Community College Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Higher Education Administration"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/857"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand if Gen X parents are motivating their Gen Z students' college choice not to attend community college. The few studies that focused on parent involvement in choosing a community college did not focus on the generational differences between parents and their children when it came to college choice, they also did not focus on whether parents influenced their children to attend community college or not (Bers, 2005; Bers & Galowich, 2002).
The study explored Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and how his theory and the college choice process are intertwined during the college choice process. The data this study uncovered provided a deeper understanding of why parents and students are not choosing to attend a community college as their pathway to a degree. This study provides specific biases and desires that influence a person's college choice. Community colleges can offer students a solid education with much of the experience that students and parents perceive only four-year institutions offer. Community college administration and staff can stop the perpetuating generational cycle of the negative perception that plagues their reputation.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Why Not Community College as a Pathway to a Degree"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Jaclyn K. Rivard","Dr. Jamal Scott","Dr. Voula Erfourth"],"dc:creator":["Jorndt Reyes, Gretchen"],"dc:date.available":["2024-09-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand if Gen X parents are motivating their Gen Z students' college choice not to attend community college. The few studies that focused on parent involvement in choosing a community college did not focus on the generational differences between parents and their children when it came to college choice, they also did not focus on whether parents influenced their children to attend community college or not (Bers, 2005; Bers & Galowich, 2002).
The study explored Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and how his theory and the college choice process are intertwined during the college choice process. The data this study uncovered provided a deeper understanding of why parents and students are not choosing to attend a community college as their pathway to a degree. This study provides specific biases and desires that influence a person's college choice. Community colleges can offer students a solid education with much of the experience that students and parents perceive only four-year institutions offer. Community college administration and staff can stop the perpetuating generational cycle of the negative perception that plagues their reputation.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/857"],"dc:subject":["Community College","Generational Bias","Gen Z college students","Gen X send their child to college","community college bias","Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior","Academic Advising","Community College Education Administration","Community College Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Higher Education Administration"],"dc:title":["Why Not Community College as a Pathway to a Degree"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Higher Education Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z"}