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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8736-2364

AccessType

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Program

Education

Year Degree Awarded

2024

Month Degree Awarded

February

First Advisor

Stephen G. Sireci

Second Advisor

Tassos C. Kyriakides

Third Advisor

Shane P. Hammond

Subject Categories

Accessibility

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate the degree to which reasonable accommodations affected the educational achievement (graduation and GPA) of U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities and (b) to categorize the accommodations according to impact (positive, mixed, none, and negative). Research Design: Archival and survey data were used to investigate whether there was a relationship between U.S. Student-Veteran level of military service–connected disability, Student-Veteran utilization of reasonable accommodations support, and Student-Veteran higher educational achievement. Two variables (a) U.S. Student-Veteran military service–connected disability severity rating (both continuous and categorical) and (b) U.S. Student-Veteran utilization of reasonable accommodations were used to evaluate their relationship with U.S. Student-Veteran higher educational achievement. Methodology: Study participant recruitment was carried out via email and included 425,083 U.S. Student–Veterans with (n = 1,020 Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities who received reasonable accommodations; n = 5,339 Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities who did not receive reasonable accommodations). Impact/Significance: This study could significantly impact the level of educational achievement of U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities attending college and graduate school. The study findings provide baseline data regarding U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities and their higher educational achievement. Specifically, the results could provide information regarding: (a) the percentage of U.S. Student–Veterans who inform their college or university about their military service–connected disability(ies), (b) the types of reasonable accommodations that have been provided to U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities, and (c) the impact these reasonable accommodations have had on the educational achievement of U.S. Student-Veterans with military service–connected disabilities. These baseline findings may become a foundation for best instructional practices for informing college and university educators about how to support U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities. This study might also serve as the basis for additional research into the higher educational achievement of U.S. Student–Veterans with military service–connected disabilities as well as other students with learning disabilities similar to those of U.S. Veterans.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/36479515

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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