A Qualitative Case Study of Best Practices in Holistic Education

A Qualitative Case Study of Best Practices in Holistic Education for Post-Secondary Students Who Have Experienced Traumatic Life Experiences

Dissertation Manuscript

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Submitted to Northcentral University

School of Education

in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

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by

MARQUITA RENEE O’CONNOR

San Diego, California

November 2022

Abstract

This qualitative case study addressed the problem that there is a lack of best practices guidelines for post-secondary education institutions to provide a holistic education for students who experience trauma. Traditional education fails students by neglecting holistic education and connectedness. Traumatic life experiences have created gaps between many individuals who have experienced them and their peers who have not. These gaps can be economic, social, or educational. Holistic education has been shown to promote healing and help close these gaps. The holistic education theory focuses on intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, and spiritual development. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify best practices for implementing holistic education programs in postsecondary institutions for students who experience trauma. The researcher asked semi-structured questions to determine the best course of practice for implementing holistic education in postsecondary institutions for these students. The researcher identified best practices for implementation and educational programs that close gaps for postsecondary students who experience trauma. Data analysis yielded themes of student engagement, physical activities, assignment choice, counseling or mental wellness courses, financial assistance, chunking, and literary software. The results from this research may assist current postsecondary instructors and administration in setting guidelines for implementing holistic education in post-secondary institutions for students who experience trauma. Future research could include in-person focus groups to improve discourse or grouping of participants by types of traumatic experiences to identify more specific best practices for individuals.

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Acknowledgments

First, I would like to thank my husband and other wonderful family members and friends who have prayerfully supported me through this journey and listened to my emotional breakdowns. I would also like to thank all the interview participants and focus group participants for their willingness to be open and share their personal experiences. I would like to thank my dissertation committee, which has demonstrated continuous support and encouragement throughout this process. I sincerely appreciate you all.

Table of Contents

Section 1: Foundation

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of the Study

Research Questions

Theoretical Framework

Definitions of Key Terms

Review of the Literature

Ethical Assurances

Summary

Section 2: Methodology and Design

Design and Method

Population and Sample

Materials

Data Collection and Analysis

Assumptions

Limitations

Delimitations

Summary

Section 3: Findings, Implications, and Recommendations

Findings

Evaluation of the Outcomes

Implications and Recommendations for Practice

Recommendations for Future Research

Conclusions

References

Appendix A: Instructions for Interview

Appendix B: Instruction for Focus Group

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List of Tables

Table 1  Participant Demographics and Pseudonyms

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List of Figures

Figure 1 Best Practices Interviews

Figure 2 Best Practices Focus Group

Figure 3 Best Practices Pie Chart

Section 1: Foundation

The purpose of holistic education is to educate the whole student through intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, and spiritual growth (Miller et al., 2019). Although scholars of the andragogical, adult education assumptions acknowledged the need for post-secondary learners to draw on and share experiences, many institutions focus on large lecture halls with passive learning. These environments lack collaborative opportunities, allowance for self-direction, and exploration (Cook & Card, 2019). Adult learners bring a significant amount of experience into learning and self-organization strategies (Knowles, 1972). Some of the experiences that students may bring with them include traumatic or multicultural events; traumatic life events are common, but students often receive insufficient support (Recoskie, 2019). Traumatic experiences can create problems for successful completion and becoming holistic graduates who can communicate and be courageous, leaders, responsible, confident, and balanced academically and non-academically (Mustafa et al., 2019).

This research was warranted because students in need of support are often oppressed through hegemony, which is dominance by those in leadership and through influential processes where individuals willingly consent to political and economic interests of authority figures that reinforce the status quo (Cook & Card, 2018). Cook and Card further claimed that hegemony protects and empowers the privileged while denying marginalized students independence, and they argued that it promotes oppression rather than healing because many students do not understand their right to reject these influences. Implementing holistic education provides students with skills, courage, leadership, and confidence that decrease the likelihood of hegemony.

Researchers have conducted studies on programs that nurture the whole student. A study on educating and meeting students’ needs to face the challenges of reintegrating back into society after being incarcerated found that support systems of students and advisors’ collaboration in academic training decreased the likelihood of repeat offenders (Rivera, 2020). Researchers conducted a similar study using the National Youth in Transition database to identify the needs of individuals aging out of foster care. It showed that the more support, financial assistance, and collaboration that individuals receive, the more likely they are to go to college rather than end up homeless or entangled in a life of crime (Watt et al., 2018). The results of these studies are critical for students aging out of foster care and transitioning to post-secondary education due to the transition from home to living independently (Watt et al., 2018). This transition can be a turning point in life because students who enroll in these educational institutions often have experienced traumatic life events that they may need support to overcome (Recoksie, 2019). Research has been conducted to identify best practices in postsecondary education, including collaborative work scaffolding and online methods (Miller et al., 2018). Additional research on best practices for online classrooms includes scaffolding, flipping the classroom, and collaboration (Stohr et al., 2020). These studies have been aligned with the importance of creating skills that employers are seeking.

When entering the post-secondary educational institution, students who have experienced traumatic life experiences will need specific support programs and practices depending on their current state of mental, physical, and emotional health (Achieving the Dream, 2018). Researchers have conducted studies to identify the roles of higher education institutes in creating holistic graduates. Many employers have claimed graduates lack in areas such as bad attitudes, job-hopping due to lack of skills to work through problems and the lack of confidence and training (Mustafa et al., 2019). Eating disorders, stress, lack of emotional regulation, and other stress-related issues can arise when students enter post-secondary education institutions (Meyer & Leppma, 2019). When these needs are met, students become empowered to focus on successful learning rather than on the stressors in life (Shi & Lin, 2021). Programs that support students' overall holistic growth and development provide strategies for stress management and other mental and physical health issues. Employers require individuals to possess certain soft skills, which graduates of holistically aligned programs obtain because they have developed communication and collaboration skills, leadership, problem solving, and entrepreneurship skills (Mustafa et al., 2019). Lack of holistic learning policies and awareness can create challenges for an individual's current and future situations (Mustafa et al., 2019).

Statement of the Problem

The problem addressed in this study is that there is a lack of best practices guidelines for post-secondary education institutions to provide holistic education for students who experience trauma (Recoskie, 2019). If educational professionals continue to ignore holistic teaching, the chance of impairment to knowledge and love increases (Miller et al., 2019). Holistic education not only impacts individuals who have received this type of education, but also individuals they encounter within society. Holistic graduates possess communication, relationship, leadership, and problem-solving skills that are beneficial in various parts of life (Mustafa et al., 2019). Holistic education has provided tools for individuals who have experienced trauma; these tools promote healing, emotional regulation, values, self-confidence, and self-identity. These developments decrease intrusive or suicidal thoughts, anxiety, confusion, and exhaustion (Recoskie, 2019). Recoskie further claimed that schools that have moved beyond standard definitions of success use differentiation and mindful meditation, promoting attentiveness to the inner life soul and self-healing. Learners connect with real-world experiences, which creates an understanding of how to contribute to society (Recoskie, 2019).

More information is needed on childhood trauma's physical, psychological, and emotional impacts on children as they grow and develop because traditional education definitions of successful growth and development have failed students through standardized test measurements (Recoskie, 2019). Information is needed to identify the needs of individuals aging out of