Date of Conferral
5-9-2024
Date of Award
May 2024
Degree
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
School
Human Services
Advisor
Catherine Heck
Abstract
Teen pregnancy and parenting are cited as the reasons 1 in 3 teens drop out of high school. For African American teenagers, the drop-out rate is slightly higher, with 38% of teen parents leaving high school without a diploma. Living in impoverished communities with substandard educational facilities and opportunities, academically talented African American teen mothers must make choices about education and parenting. Pregnant teens must consider their future and decide whether to keep their baby, to complete high school or dropout, and if to attend a postsecondary institute. The problem is the low college attendance and graduation rate for parenting teens who were identified as academically talented in high school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of 8 academically talented African American women currently between 21 and 30 years of age who were pregnant while teenagers in high school using the lens of Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. Participants completed a questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using NVivo software. Findings included participant descriptions of the key influences on their postsecondary education decisions and outcomes. The results of this study support the need for multiple forms of support, including familial, institutional, and societal, as major contributors to the participants’ successes. This study may inform positive social change by providing guidance on how teen parents can reach their full academic and employment potential.
Recommended Citation
Butler, Adrienne Denise, "The Experiences of Post Secondary School Completion of Academically Talented African American Teenaged Parents" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15686.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15686
