Influence of Remedial Education Policies: Experiences of Low-Income Native American Women at a Midwestern Community College

• Main Author: Wilson-Armour, Carole Cristine
• Format: Others
• Published: OpenSIUC 2017
• Subjects: Higher Education; Native American studies; Remedial education; Remedial education policies
• Online Access: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1398; https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2402&context=dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how policies regarding remedial education can influence the experiences of students who identify as low socioeconomic (SES) Native American women at a Midwestern community college. This study proposed to use interpretive policy analysis and phenomenological qualitative research to learn more about how low SES Native American women view their experiences in the classroom. An interpretive policy analysis determined how various interpretive communities understood policies, how they enacted these policies in the classroom, and how students reacted to them. For the qualitative research portion, I interviewed three low SES Native American women at a community college and three of their instructors. I found that this institution’s policies considered the cost and value of education as paramount. Subsequently, the Native American students I interviewed found themselves on the outside of the college, isolated and struggling to succeed.