Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Robert Meyer

Abstract

While there is general agreement about its importance, the construct of educational readiness is nebulous with much debate about what constitutes readiness. Readiness has been found to be a multidimensional psychological construct from a psychometric perspective. However, there is a growing awareness that this psychometric focus is lopsided, and that readiness does not only reside in the child. Further, there is an accompanying appreciation that readiness research may need to focus more on the subjective experience of individuals within the context of their environment. This phenomenological study, using Bronfenbrenner's social-ecological model, explored how Antigua and Barbudan students experienced readiness as they prepared to take the 2017 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Exam (CSEC). In an interview, each of the 12 participants recounted their experience as they readied themselves for the CSEC. The data were analyzed through content and framework analysis. The results support findings in the literature that showed that readiness is a complex and iterative process. It is the result of the dynamic interplay of various inputs of a host of individuals functioning at different levels of the readiness system. These results can then provide a point of entry for both national dialogue and policy formulation culminating in the provision of comprehensive services to support students' readiness experiences. The ultimate hope is that readiness for the CSEC Exam will lead to actual success on the exams, which in turn will translate into improved life chances of Antigua and Barbudan students.

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