Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Foundations and Leadership

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine variables that speak to gender role differences among nontraditional bachelor’s degree recipients aged 30 to 49. These issues are particularly relevant given enrollment trends showing that the diversification of bachelor’s degree seekers has outpaced the policies and norms of traditional undergraduate education. A nonexperimental, correlational research design was employed using chi-square tests and Cramer’s V as post-hoc measures on categorical data from the 2012, 2014, and 2016 General Social Survey. Shaped by Gilligan’s moral development theory, several social variables were included in the analysis. Two statistically significant associations emerged: women earning bachelor’s degrees between the ages of 30 to 49 spent more time socializing with relatives and had their first child at an earlier age than men. Additionally, descriptive findings indicated that, regardless of gender, a large proportion of participants (1) had children while earning their degrees and (2) reported some level of social interaction with relatives. These findings underscore the need for educational leaders to develop institutional policies that better support nontraditional students aged 30 to 49 particularly in balancing academic responsibilities with parenting and family engagement. Keywords: age of college completion, bachelor’s degree, higher education, nontraditional students, student-parents

Date

2-6-2026

DOI

https://proquest.com/docview/3347811058

First Committee Chair

Peter Sheppard

First Committee Member

Jin Lee

Second Committee Member

Leigh Tolley

Third Committee Member

Pavel Samsonov

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