Nyanya

Assignment 2: The Literature Review

Jane Doe

EDU 508: Educational Research Methods

Dr. Margie Vance, Ed.D., MBA

Strayer University

November 3, 2019

Introduction

Members of the United States military have dedicated their lives to ensure that all enjoy the freedom and protections provided within the Constitution. These men and women place their lives on the line in war, police actions, and other conflicts and ask for little in return. Many recruits join military service for one specific benefit; Education. The GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, and the Post 9/11 GI Bill are some legislations designed to aid former and current service members in expanding knowledge and achieving educational goals. Initially, these laws were created to help integrate soldiers into resuming civilian lifestyles. Many soldiers had returned from war and needed to be educated to recommence life in the nation's workforce. Concerns regarding how military personnel could obtain the required education prompted the enactment of the various GI programs to help pay college tuition. Enrollment in public, private, and non-profit learning institutions soared as former and current military personnel began seeking to further their educations and become qualified for jobs outside of the military.

Unfortunately, many veterans that began receiving their degrees were unsuccessful in finishing college class requirements. According to a Majority Committee Staff Report provided to the United States Senate in 2014, 66 percent of veteran students using the GI Bill for higher education degrees withdrew from college institutions before completing their degree programs (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, 2014, p. ii). Education was being funded almost entirely by the GI bills earned during military service. So why are graduation rates not matching enrollments? This research seeks to explore the barriers that are preventing veterans from obtaining a college degree.

Common Themes

In much of the literature, a mutual theme relating to transition difficulties has emerged. "In order to prepare recruits for their military experience, the basic training process serves to replace the civilian identity with the military identity; this includes shifting the focus away from the individual self to the mission and members of the military unit" (Albright, Fletcher, Pelts, & Taliaferro, 2017, p. 66). Military mentality means that individual identity no longer exists. Basic training can last several weeks to several months. The good of the unit and the collective becomes a personal priority. When leaving military vocations, soldiers are only given minimal instructions intended to acclimate them back into a civilian mindset. "In all branches of the US military, exit counseling and re-entry training is brief and lacks comprehensive support both in time and individual assessment" (Vacchi, Hammond, & Diamond, 2017, p. 32). In the article, "Invisible Cultural Barriers…" (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, 2018), the authors mention that the hidden curriculum on college campuses causes additional stress and frustration for the veteran student. The term hidden curriculum refers to the expected social norms and requirements college students are expected to abide by but are not explicitly taught. Not only are veteran students transitioning into a "normal" civilian and societal lifestyle with little aid or assistance, but they are also attempting to adapt into the college régime as well.

A second theme that prevails within the existing literature explores issues dealing with service members' mental health or physical disabilities. Every study mentioned that many of the veterans were experiencing issues including PTSD, Traumatic brain injury, sexual assault Depression, or other physical impairment they acquired during their military carriers. The writers added that with military students, there is a "strong aversion that many veteran students feel toward seeking assistance" (Killam & Degges, 2018, p. 83) Albright, Fletcher, Pelts, and Teliaferro (2017) also remarked on a veterans aversion toward asking for help (p. 68). For women, this stigma was much stronger. Women interviewed by Heineman (2017) indicated feeling disregarded and isolated during military service if any weakness was shown (p. 82). Often the result was that women veterans would not report any mental or physical issues in fear of reprisal, lack of promotion, or other adverse consequence. These feelings were carried with these veterans after leaving military life.

Contrast of Literature Findings and Results

The majority of the studies completed and reviewed were based on Qualitative research. Interviews, both group and individual, were the basis of much of the data discovered in these documents. Only one article, (Use of College Mental Health Services among Student Veterans, 2017), used quantitative research to acquire data and analyze findings. This study obtained data from another survey that was completed for an entirely different study. No data was collected directly from military subjects.

Interestingly, all the research studies found that implementing some support network was necessary and vital on college campuses to support veteran student success. Albright, Fletcher, Pelts, and Lindsay recommend that school mental health facilities ramp up services to prepare veteran student aid (2017, p. 76). Rosen et al. emphasized the need for more flexible support services to accommodate these students in navigating campus lifestyle and requirements (2015, p. 710). Much of the research concluded that services specific to veterans, like Veteran Centers (Killam & Degges, 2018, p. 91) and transitioning and mentoring services (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, 2018), would answer the problems investigated within each study. Though support services seemed to be the most recommended answer to each of the studies' research questions, the form these services were to take varied with each author.

Gaps in the Literature

One mutual deficiency in the Qualitative studies was the number of participants. The highest population interviewed included only 31 participants (Rosen et al., 2015, p. 703). When compared to the rising number of military veterans returning to higher education, these population sizes can hardly represent the entire veteran student population. Another concern regarding the samples chosen includes demographic characteristics. Further studies were recommended to include gender, nationality, and other identifying factors (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, 2018, p. 307). Most of the studies included solely male interviewees with no indications as to race or income statistics.

Another gap in the literature involves the types of research designs used in the collection and interpretation of data. One recommendation by Vacchi, Hammand, & Diamond (2017) suggests using theories that are specific to military and combat veterans in identifying and understanding transitional phases (p. 38). The article, (Invisible Cultural Barriers: Contrasting Perspectives on Student Veterans' Transition, 2018) proposes "a more systematic qualitative research design, such as grounded theory research" (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, p. 306). Much of the studies collected lacked ethnographic and historical research methods, and both should be addressed for well-rounded investigation.

Literature Review

Article 1: Understanding the Education-Related Needs of Contemporary Male Veterans (Killam & Degges, 2018) . This article explores ways in which college counseling centers can aid struggling veteran students in overcoming obstacles that are hampering their ability to excel in class. The authors note that current centers were already struggling in providing services for mental health concerns, like adjustments to college life, stress, and depression faced by traditional students. The unique problems veterans face may include post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and severe depression. These require more options to meet the demanding needs of veteran students. The gaps mentioned in this study were that the participants were solely males, and there were only 15 participants in the study. Those that participated were volunteers. Another gap mentions that more research should be conducted at college campuses where veterans' centers are not currently available. There are two concerns this document intends to answer. The first research questions the writer addressed involved understanding the obstacles these veterans encounter as they left behind military routines and transitioned into civilian lives. The second need sought to obtain this population's opinion on what was required to overcome those barriers. The writers theorized that because of the student's military background, they would be less likely to seek aid even when that help became necessary. "There remains a strong stigma attached to mental health care, and veterans may be especially unwilling to appear weak" (Killam & Degges, 2018, p. 87). Service members are often discouraged from seeking aid during military careers, and the concern is that this mentality would carry-over and affect academic journeys.

This study was qualitative. The 15 volunteers were interviewed individually, and their responses were recorded and analyzed using notes and audio recordings. Participants were asked ten questions. These queries were to garner veteran's opinion on the return to education, support systems expected, why requirements differed from traditional student needs; and challenges veterans face in returning to academia. A thematic approach was used when data were analyzed, and five concerns were discovered in the data collected. "These included the following: (a) academic challenges, (b) reluctance to seek assistance, (c) difficulty in connecting with faculty, staff, and other students, (d) difficulty in finding balance in life; and (e) the value of campus-based veterans centers (Killam & Degges, 2018, p. 85). This article helps to uncover several barriers that military students face that should be addressed in college campuses and serve as a trustworthy beginning to discover how these can be overcome.

Article 2: From Boots to Suits: Women Veterans Transitioning to Community College Students (Heineman, 2017). This document was written to spotlight the needs of women student-veterans on community college campuses. Like their male counterparts, female veterans who served in conflicts often experience PTSD. However, misdiagnosis of this mental illness is more frequent in female service personnel. Women also face other hindrances that include sexual trauma experienced while serving and childcare burdens. The author sought to highlight the differing yet unique impediments female veterans face. The document also suggested ways campus administrations can implement solutions designed to ensure these students receive the support and guidance needed to obtain degree completion. No gaps were addressed within this document.

Qualitative analysis was conducted with 19 women student-veterans located on two different California universities to obtain supporting data. These interviews were completed privately and consisted mostly of open-ended questions. The interviewer set out to gather data without creating a specific hypothesis. This method of obtaining data is known as constructivist-grounded theory. The data indicated that women student-veterans interviews supported four recurring themes. "The themes included (a) a gendered military experience; (b) finding her way; (c) preparing for change; and (d) relying on support" (Heineman, 2017, p. 81). Unlike the previous document, this article focused only on female veterans. This article is relevant in determining barriers because it expands upon another veteran demographic and compares and contrasts obstacles veterans face that are specific to gender.

Article 3: An Emerging Population: Student Veterans in Higher Education in the 21st Century (Falkey, 2016) . This article was written to highlight that the changes in legislation that created the Post-9/11 GI Bill would result in a higher concentration of military veterans enrolling in college. Military students require unique support than traditional adult learners. As such, these needs should be identified and addressed if college campuses wish to attract veteran students. The problem the author attempts to address involves the lifestyle transitions a veteran experiences when leaving service to attend higher education institutions. Unlike traditional adult learners, military students are used to controlled, specifically outlined, commands of daily life. The shift to a campus lifestyle that may be laxer and more unclear to these student populations can be stressful. Also, many face physical and mental impediments that traditional and non-traditional students and faculty cannot begin to understand.

The document is qualitative and includes conclusions obtained from interviews with "15 community college student/veterans and ten four-year institution student/veterans" (Falkey, 2016, p. 27). The results of the study concluded that more research should be completed on the transitional pathways these students must overcome. However, specific gaps in this research were omitted. The author has several suggestions for higher learning institutions of ways in which modifications can be made to faculty training, student centers, and counseling centers. All opinions are meant to accommodate veteran students' unique needs. This information adds to uncovering barriers faced by military students by elaborating on the lifestyle changes these service members face when leaving the service and entering into a college regime from the perspective of the veteran.

Article 4: Conceptual Models of Student Veteran College Experiences (Vacchi, Hammond, & Diamond, 2017). This journal document's main idea is to discuss whether existing theories regarding motivations in completing higher educational degrees apply to military veterans. The authors feel using existing traditional theories like Tinto's interactionalist theory or Schlossbery's theory of adult transition to determine a veteran's success is inappropriate. A veteran may fluctuate identity more frequently, and non-linearly as they transition from military to civilian and college students' lifestyles. A second problem mentions that existing "research avoids homogenizing the unique college experiences of student veterans (both combat and noncombat) and other military-connected students who are invisible in current data" (Vacchi, Hammond, & Diamond, 2017, p. 24). This article does not discuss gaps specific to this document. Instead, the intent considered is meant to fill in the gaps of existing research in which qualitative analysis was used to form theories of identity. The authors hope that these theories will do more to aid college students in completing course requirements for graduation.

The authors indicate that conclusions were based on qualitative data. However, no specifics on how many participants, or what methods (i.e., interview or surveys), were used to obtain conclusions, were indicated within the document. The findings, however, were succinct in explaining why traditional student theories on life transitions were inadequate in assessing success for military students based on results from outside qualitative studies. Two alternative transitional approaches were examined and determined more successful in aiding military individuals in college success. This article will benefit researchers in determining possible theoretical options that can assist in overcoming barriers discovered within this examination.

Article 5: Invisible Cultural Barriers: Contrasting Perspectives on Student Veterans’ Transition (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, 2018). This journal piece was inspired by an apprehension that the hidden curriculum within the college campus culture may hinder a student veteran's educational success. The authors set out to explore cultural disparities between faculty's assessments of student veteran's military acumen and the veteran student's image of self. The intent is to illuminate areas of hidden curriculum veterans miss. The result would be that "universities can develop a better strategy for helping bridge the gap between student veterans' cultural background and (college staffs) implicit institutional expectations" (Lim, Interiano, Nowell, Tkacik, & Dahlberg, 2018, p. 295). The research design used phenomenological, qualitative analysis to interview 20 male student veterans and nine university staff members. Both group and individual interviewing methods were implemented to collect relevant data on each subject's perceptions. Also, thematic analysis was used to interpret interview transcription to discover research findings.

The authors discovered two significant distinctions of differences in perceptions. These were in the areas of self-sufficiency and how each group viewed leadership and accountability. The findings showed that confusion was triggered primarily due to the differences between academic and military culture, in general. The need for professors to be better trained in how to aid the transitional paths of military veterans was apparent, as was the necessity for cultural transitioning programs for these students. Gaps related to this investigation include the need for larger sample size, more diversity in population, and that students from only one college campus were interviewed. The writers also stress that additional studies using alternatives methodologies, including grounded theory and ethnographic research, should be explored. In regards to the problem specific to this paper, the findings add another potential barrier to military veterans' success in academia that should be further explored-the hidden curriculum.

Article 6: Student Veteran Perceptions of Facilitators and Barriers to Achieving Academic Goals (Rosen, et al., 2015). In this study, the researchers were attempting to discover student veteran's opinions on policies and programs that aided and deterred their academic goals on college campuses. The concern prompting this investigation was the increase of veteran student enrollment in higher education post-Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. However, the tracking of military veteran graduates is insufficient. Most existing data reflect that about half of those utilizing military educational benefits complete degree programs. There were no preconceived theories mentioned by the authors before this investigation. This study did, however, determine several themes specific to military veterans that both heightened and daunted academic success by using a thematic analysis approach. These themes are person factors, institution factors, and policy factors. Each element was broken into positive and negative terms, resulting in six separate categories.

Data was gathered using a qualitative process that included both group and individual interviews of 31 military veteran students. Of this sample, six group sessions included 24 student veterans. The inability of the remaining participants to meet during these group interviews prompted the individual conversations. Gaps within this study suggest that further investigation should utilize more longitudinal measures that clarify other "individual, institutional and policy facilitators and barriers…." (Rosen, et al., 2015, p. 709). Additionally, the writers felt that future studies should include a larger sample population that included more diverse veterans, as most of this study's participants were men. The data indicated that a variety of programs addressing personal, institutional, and procedural policy would aid military veterans in obtaining degrees-provided flexibility remained a high priority. Veterans' needs were varied based on individual requirements and changes that occurred during their educational journeys. This document further highlights the diverse needs veterans experience in higher education and addresses additional barriers that this document is concerned with uncovering.

Article 7: Use of College Mental Health Services Among Student Veterans (Albright, Fletcher, Pelts, & Taliaferro, 2017). The authors of this document understood that many post-war veterans that were attending college and universities were also dealing with several impactful mental health concerns. However, the prevalent military mentality prevents many in need from utilizing mental health services for fear of admitting weakness, among other reasons. These authors sought to inspect "the prevalence of campus mental health service use among student veterans and [identify] characteristics of student veterans who accessed campus mental health services" (Albright, Fletcher, Pelts, & Taliaferro, 2017, p. 69). Two research questions were answered by this study and include how often military veterans use on-campus mental health programs and the traits these individuals possess that make them more likely to make use of mental health facilities. The study uses quantitative analysis from data obtained from a bi-yearly survey conducted by the American College Health Association (ACHA). Researchers did not have direct access to any of the 706 veteran college students who were accessed in the ACHA's survey.

Descriptive statistics, as well as Regression and Logistic Regression, was used to analyze the data obtained from the ACHA's document. The conclusion found that a majority of the military student veterans were utilizing on-campus mental health services to treat mental health concerns. Also, veterans who were married or those who experienced combat during military services were strong character traits that indicated mental health program use on college campuses. The essayists were concerned that gender, ethnicity, and race had little impact on study results. Suggestions were composed, indicating that further exploration was necessary to determine if these characteristics played any role in determining the usage of mental health facilities during college enrollment. Background research used to complete this document explores how the military psyche impacts a veteran student's shift into college culture and can expound why some barriers involving transitional concerns are impactful.

Conclusion

Changes in legislation are causing an influx of military students to remove financial barriers and return to school. There is still a serious concern that many scholars who begin college will fail to succeed in receiving degrees. The articles discussed address some of these concerns by articulating some of the barriers already identified and exploring possible solutions and theories that can aid in understanding the motivations and requirements of these students. Also, clarifying resolutions are discussed that may ensure more veterans complete educational goals.

References Albright, D. L., Fletcher, K. L., Pelts, M. D., & Taliaferro, L. (2017). Use of College Mental Health Services among Student Veterans. Use of College Mental Health Services among Student Veterans, 13(1), 65-79. Retrieved October 27, 2019, from https://search-ebscohost-com.libdatab.strayer.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=123489097&site=eds-live&scope=site Falkey, M. E. (2016). An Emerging Population: Student Veterans in Higher Education in the 21st Century. Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education, 12(1), 27-39. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://search-ebscohost-com.libdatab.strayer.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1139143&site=eds-live&scope=site Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. (2014). Is the New G.I. Bill Working?: For-Profit Colleges Increasing Veteran Enrollment and Federal Funds. US Senate: Majority Committee Staff Report. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/556718b2e4b02e470eb1b186/t/56100b87e4b0147725a71e86/1443892103628/GI-Bill-data-July-2014-HELP-report.pdf Heineman, J. (2017). From Boots to Suits: Women Veterans Transitioning to Community College Students. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2017(179), 77-88. doi:10.1002/cc.20264 Killam, W. K., & Degges, W. S. (2018, October). Understanding the Education-Related Needs of Contemporary Male Veterans. Adultspan Journal, 17(2), pp. 81-96. Retrieved October 06, 2019, from https://doi.org/10.1002/adsp.12062 Lim, J. H., Interiano, C. G., Nowell, C. E., Tkacik, P. T., & Dahlberg, J. L. (2018). Invisible Cultural Barriers: Contrasting Perspectives on Student Veterans’ Transition. 59(3), 291-308. Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://search-ebscohost-com.libdatab.strayer.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edspmu&AN=edspmu.S1543338218300029&site=eds-live&scope=site Rosen, J., Norman, S. B., Himmerich, S., Myers, U. S., Davis, B., Browne, K. C., & Piland, N. (2015). Student Veteran perceptions of facilitators and barriers to achieving academic goals. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 52(6), 701-712. Retrieved October, from https://doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2015.01.0013 Vacchi, D., Hammond, S., & Diamond, A. (2017). Conceptual Models of Student Veteran College Experiences. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2016(171), 23-41. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.20192