EXPLORING ACTIVE-DUTY ENLISTED SOLDIERS IN PURSUING EDUCATION

BEYOND A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

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by

Norman E. English
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A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

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of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Specializing in Curriculum and

Instruction

University of Phoenix
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 ABSTRACT

An insufficiency of research exists concerning active-duty enlisted soldiers pursuing

education beyond a high school diploma. Although Army leaders and the American

people support higher education, only 15.9% of active-duty enlisted soldiers have an

education past a high school diploma. The purpose of this study was to explore the

interpretations and meanings active-duty enlisted soldiers attached to their lived

experiences as military students seeking higher education beyond a high school diploma.

Eighty-two active-duty enlisted soldiers from the Army branch of service completed

online survey questionnaires and 12 participated in email and telephone interviews. Using

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a qualitative transcendental, phenomenological research design, both survey
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questionnaires and semi-structured interviews questions were analyzed to generalize

themes for active-duty enlisted soldiers in pursuing higher education. The core themes that
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surfaced were (a) challenges enlisted soldiers experience in pursuing higher education on

active-duty; (b) using tuition assistance in pursuing higher education on active-duty; and
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(c) time management and balancing life in pursuing higher education on active-duty.

Additional themes generated were (d) committing to focus and concentration on taking

college classes on active-duty; (e) drive and determination to stay the course in getting a

college degree on active-duty; and (f) the importance of attitude and drive in achieving a

college degree on active-duty. Additional work is needed to improve policies, procedures,

and resources from higher learning institutions. These initiatives might help to influence

enlisted soldiers’ overall educational experience and college degree completion.

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 DEDICATION

The dedication of my dissertation goes out to my family and the Army who has given

me so much to enjoy in life. To my wife Pia, thank you for over 30 years marriage,

everything I have done would not have been possible without you by my side, you are

truly joy of my life. A special thank you for the sacrifice you made in holding down the

family and home while I juggled both my education goals and military life. To my

daughters Jennifer and Melinda, you have truly motivated me to be best. I hope my

accomplishments have inspired you to never stop learning and to always strive to achieve

your goals. To Josh (Melinda’s husband) thank you for being a part of our family and I am

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proud to call you, my son-in-law. To my mother a strong and caring woman to whom I am
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forever grateful. To my mother-in-law Genoveva you made me part of your family and I

will always be grateful. Special thank you goes out to my father Harry and my father-in-
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law Rudi; both men have instilled in me the value of hard work. To my brother and sister

(Eura, Linda, Idella, Harry Jr., Bernard, Stacey, and Randy) thank you for the good times
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growing up.

To the men and women of the Army both past, present, and future, who have fought

or will fight our nation’s wars and maintaining a career and family: your sacrifices and

selfless service in defending our nation and those of other countries who cannot defend for

themselves. You will always have special thanks in my heart.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I genuinely want to acknowledge the men and women of the

Armed Forces who defend our liberties we enjoyed so much in our country. Special thanks

to all the active-duty enlisted soldiers who participated in this research study. The breadth

and depth of your lived experiences and your candor in discussing them gave me an

opportunity to hear perspectives I never imagined, let alone expected. Your dedication to

duty and the time you spent with me on this project was truly remarkable.

I wish to express my deepest appreciation to the members of my committee, my chair

Dr. Daryl Williams, who has provided unending guidance and feedback to further my

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study to its completion. To Dr. Sandra Sessoms-Penny and Dr. Louise Underdahl who
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rounded out my committee, your advice, guidance, and abilities to provide your time and

knowledge to this study and endeavor, I cannot thank each of you enough for
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contributions to my learning. Sincere thanks to the faculty and staff of the University of

Phoenix, especially to Robert Gentile who I communicated with constantly throughout

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journey, keeping me on track with my program.

Lastly, I would be remiss without acknowledging the support of my wife Pia and

daughters Jennifer and Melinda throughout my doctoral journey. You were instrumental in

the accomplishment of monumental endeavor that started three and half years ago. From

the beginning of this journey, you were my sounding my board, my editor-in-chief, and

most importantly an excellent listener to all my ideas and thought on my research study.

Your understanding and patience, made this study possible.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page

List of Tables .................................................................................................................... x

List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xi

Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1

Background of the Problem .................................................................................. 3

Problem Statement .................................................................................................... 8

Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 9

Population and Sample ........................................................................................... 10

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Significance of the Study........................................................................................ 13
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Nature of the Study ................................................................................................. 14

Research Questions................................................................................................. 21
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Conceptual Framework .......................................................................................... 22

Definition of Terms ................................................................................................ 26

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Assumptions............................................................................................................ 28

Limitations .............................................................................................................. 28

Delimitations ........................................................................................................... 29

Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 29

Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................. 31

Title Searches and Documentation......................................................................... 31

Historical Content .................................................................................................. 32

The Evolution of Military Education the 18th to 21st Century........................ 34

The Need for Post-Secondary Education the 21st Century .............................. 38

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 The Past Military Educational Benefits for Enlisted Soldiers.......................... 42

The Prior Department of Defense Education Program..................................... 45

Current Content ...................................................................................................... 48

The Evolution of Military Education in the early 21st Century ....................... 50

The Need for Post-Secondary Education the 21st Century .............................. 53

The Present Military Educational Benefits for Enlisted Soldiers .................... 56

The Current Department of Defense Education Program ................................ 59

Conceptual Framework Literature ......................................................................... 61

Leadership Theory ............................................................................................ 62

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Bandura Social Learning Theory ..................................................................... 67
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Maslow Motivation Theory .............................................................................. 70

Methodological Literature ...................................................................................... 75

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Research Design Literature .................................................................................... 77

Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 79
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Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 81

Chapter 3: Research Methodology ...................................................................................... 83

Research Method and Design Appropriateness ..................................................... 83

Research Questions................................................................................................. 88

Population and Sample ........................................................................................... 89

Informed Consent and Confidentiality ................................................................... 93

Instrumentation ....................................................................................................... 96

Field Test .............................................................................................................. 100

Credibility and Transferability ............................................................................. 102

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 Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 107

Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 113

Chapter Summary ................................................................................................. 118

Chapter 4: Analysis and Results........................................................................................ 122

Research Questions............................................................................................... 122

Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 123

Demographics ....................................................................................................... 127

Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 135

Results ................................................................................................................... 140

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Emergent Themes Number 1 through 3 .......................................................... 141
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Emergent Theme Number 4 ............................................................................ 146

Emergent Theme Number 5 ............................................................................ 149

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Emergent Theme Number 6 ............................................................................ 152

Documentation Analysis ................................................................................. 155

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Chapter Summary ................................................................................................. 160

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................... 164

Research Questions.............................................................................................. 164

Discussion of Findings ........................................................................................ 165

Thematic Comparison and Contrast Findings .................................................... 166

Documents and Archival Data Findings ............................................................. 173

Limitations ........................................................................................................... 178

Recommendations for Leaders and Practitioners ............................................... 178

Recommendations for Future Research .............................................................. 182

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 Researcher Reflection .......................................................................................... 184

Summary .............................................................................................................. 185

References .......................................................................................................................... 189

Appendix A: IRB Approval Letter .................................................................................... 223

Appendix B: Informed Consent to Questionnaire Participants ........................................ 225

Appendix C: Informed Consents to Interview Participants .............................................. 227

Appendix D: Part 1-Demographic Questionnaire............................................................. 230

Part 2-Commitment Questionnaire ............................................................. 231

Part 3-Self-Efficacy Questionnaire ............................................................ 232

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Part 4-Self-Esteem Questionnaire ............................................................... 232
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Appendix E: Commandant/CMDR Approval to Conduct Survey .................................. 233

Appendix F: Protocol for Individual Interview ................................................................ 235

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Appendix G: Interview Questions ..................................................................................... 237

Appendix H: Research Questions Matrix ........................................................................ 239

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Appendix I: Protocol for Documents Review................................................................... 241

Appendix J: Recruitment Email/Letter for Participants ................................................... 244

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Unemployment Rates and Earning by Education Attainment ............................ 5

Table 2: Title Searches, Articles, Research Documents, and Journals ........................... 32

Table 3: Instrumentation Alignment to the Research Questions .................................. 100

Table 4: Research Study Timeline ................................................................................ 126

Table 5: Survey Questionnaire Commitment, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem ............ 133

Table 6: Interview Participant Demographic Summary .............................................. 134

Table 7: Six Major Themes of the Study ..................................................................... 140

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Table 8: Active-Duty Enlisted Members Education Trends ......................................... 156

Table 9: Active-Duty Enlisted Members Education Trends ......................................... 158

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Table 10: Recommendations for the Results of the Study ............................................ 178
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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework for this Study............................................................. 23

Figure 2: Historical Graphic Representing the Three Research Streams ....................... 33

Figure 3: Current Graphic Representing the Three Research Streams ........................... 49

Figure 4: Participants Gender ...................................................................................... 127

Figure 5: Participants Age Range ................................................................................ 128

Figure 6: Participants Military Grade/Rank ................................................................. 129

Figure 7: Participants Highest Academic Degree Expect to Earn ................................ 130

Figure 8: Participants Semesters or Quarters Hours Completed ................................. 131

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Figure 9: Participants Highest Academic Education Degree Attained ......................... 132
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Figure 10: Tuition Assistance Spending ....................................................................... 159

Figure 11: Oversight and Individual Lifetime Requirement for FEAP ........................ 160
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 Chapter 1

Introduction

The post-secondary education of military service members is of national security and

the key to a thriving labor market with the passage of the Serviceman's Readjustment Act

of 1944 referred to as the “GI Bill” (Angelle, 2017; Cochran, 1944; United States, 1944).

After some debate, the U.S. Congress passed the Servicemen's Readjustment GI Bill Act

in 1944 before sending it to the president for signing (Angelle, 2017; Cochran, 1944;

United States, 1944; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2013). The United States

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law on 22 June 1944 (Cochran, 1944;

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United States, 1944; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2013). The Department of
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Veterans Affairs (VA) GI Bill provides enlisted service members financial support for

education, unemployment, and housing for their military service (U. S. Department of
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Veterans Affairs, 2013). Active-duty enlisted soldiers who participated in the GI Bill

received an increase in funding after 11 September 2001 (Taylor et al., 2011). All
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Americans who enlisted into the Army to defend the American way of life after 11

September 2001 also received the increased GI Bill benefit (Taylor et al., 2011).

Americans believe they have the duty to provide support for soldiers who serve their

country (O’Herrin, 2011). According to Calderon and Sorenson (2014), nine in ten (90%)

Americans believed attaining a college degree is important and seven in ten (70%)

thought it was very important.

Army leaders today require active-duty enlisted soldiers with higher skills and

competencies beyond the high school level to fight and win in the next real-world combat

environment (U.S. Department of the Army, 2014a). However, according to the U.S.

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Census Bureau (2017) and U.S. Department of Defense (2017), only 15.9% of all active-

duty enlisted soldiers completed any degree. In contrast, 84.1% of active-duty enlisted

soldiers do not have the acquired knowledge, skills, attributes, and other characteristics to

remain competitive in today's high technology environment (U.S. Department of the

Army, 2014a). The Army educational leaders are in a position to assist unprepared

degree-seeking students in furthering their education. However, there is often a

misunderstanding from universities educational leaders of the military population

dynamics, which affects enrollment and retainment of active-duty enlisted soldiers in

higher education (Capps, 2011). One of the misunderstandings is the mission

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requirements active-duty enlisted soldiers performed both in the field (U.S. Department
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of the Army, 2014a). From the active-duty enlisted soldier’s perspective, there might be a

misunderstanding of the education programs available (Layne, 2008). According to

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Layne (2008), soldiers might not be aware of the programs. However, once they become

knowledgeable of the benefits such as financial support and quicker promotion, interest
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often increases. Layne (2008) suggested if universities and colleges had a better

understanding of the challenges active-duty enlisted soldiers face in balancing military

work, deployment, family, and life requirements, it might help reduce the soldier low rate

of attaining a college degree.

The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research method to explore

active-duty enlisted soldiers' lived experiences seeking higher education beyond a high

school diploma. Gallo et al. (2018) argued qualitative research is a well-documented

method to capture the individual lived experience and social interactions of events that

occur in their natural setting. Horrigan-Kelly et al. (2016) viewed the phenomenological

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approach as one of the best methods to obtain the participants' lived experiences in a

research study. A phenomenological approach was used to understand active-duty

enlisted soldiers' points of view, interpretations, and beliefs attached to their lived

experiences in pursuing a college degree beyond a high school diploma. According to

Merriam and Tisdell (2016) and Finlay (2009), phenomenological research focused on

the central phenomenon of lived experiences by highlighting personal insight, feelings,

and human perspectives. In this case, active-duty enlisted soldiers' lived experiences

seeking to gain higher education beyond a high school diploma.

Chapter 1 included an introduction to the problem, background of the problem, and

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the problem statement. The chapter also introduces the study's purpose, population and
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sample, significance, and nature. The research questions, the conceptual framework,

definition of terms, assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study were also
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presented in Chapter 1. Also, Chapter 1 provided a summary of the post-secondary

education of active-duty enlisted soldiers.

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Background of the Problem

The post-secondary education for service members is vital to our nation’s defense

ability to complete future complex missions (U.S. Department of the Army, 2014a). The

military in the future will require highly skilled professional soldiers to ensure the

nation’s defense (U.S. Department of the Army, 2014a). The need for these skills is

highlighted in the Army Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers

(ACCESS) mission, which promotes lifelong learning opportunities, increases the Army's

combat readiness, and assists active-duty enlisted soldiers in a successful transition to

civilian careers (MyArmyBenefits, 2020). Post-secondary education attainment is also

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essential to active-duty service members when they exit the military (MyArmyBenefits,

2020). According to Finney et al. (2014), it has become a national concern that “an

undereducated citizenry leaves the country at a competitive disadvantage, diminishes the

middle-class, and lowers the standard of living for more people" (p.1). The U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics (2019) reported in their unemployment and earnings rates of

educational attainment statistics that there is a relationship between lack of education and

unemployment. Active-duty enlisted soldiers who leave the service without higher

education are at a higher rate of not finding employment and can become dependent on

government assistance and other social programs. According to Pike et al. (2014), having

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higher education or college degree can positively affect the student’s outcome on life,
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their families, their community, and society.

A study conducted by Pew Research found that soldiers without a four-year degree
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are more likely to struggle in attaining employment when they exit from the military

(Wahl, 2016). The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed a direct correlation
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between lack of post-secondary education and the unemployment rate that can affect an

individual lifetime earning potential (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). The Bureau

of Labor Statistics report showed the unemployment rate for individuals with a four-year

degree was approximately two and one-half percent (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

2019). In comparison, the unemployment rate increased significantly for those with only

a high school diploma to a little over three and a half percent (U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics, 2019). Likewise, there was a significant difference in salary; those with a four-

year degree averaged $502 per week (see Table 1), then those without a four-year degree

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019).

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Table 1

Unemployment Rates and Earning by Education Attainment

Note: The job and earning data from (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019).

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Despite the high college participation rate by active-duty enlisted soldiers,

completion rates for attaining a four-year college degree remain stubbornly low. Even
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though less than one percent of Americans enlisted in the military, active-duty enlisted

soldiers still make up a substantial portion of post-secondary students; however, very few
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complete a degree of any kind. The enlisted soldiers of the U.S. Army make up 80.5% of

the total 472,047 active-duty soldiers. Still, only 15.9% of active-duty enlisted soldiers
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have any education beyond a high school diploma or general education diploma (U.S.

Department of Defense, 2017). While there has been an improvement in soldier’s

enrollment in higher education, due to the increased education benefits to active-duty

enlisted soldiers, few soldiers completed a four-year degree. According to U.S.

Department of Defense (2017), 15.9% of active-duty enlisted soldiers have completed an

associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

According to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (2020), the Army

Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers (ACCESS) provides many

education counseling services, benefits, and soldiers’ opportunities. Some of the

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ACCESS incentives to enlisted soldiers are tuition assistance aid, college-level academic

testing, education counseling, and soldier development programs (MyArmyBenefits,

2020). Another component is the Department of Defense (DOD) that provides

encouragement and financial aid to active-duty enlisted soldiers in obtaining a college

degree. The DOD oversees all military education programs and is in a position to

influence any changes in policy, procedure, and budgetary resources as a crucial enabler

for service members’ educational opportunities (U.S. Department of Defense, 2015a).

One of the DOD programs is tuition assistance aid that provides $4,500 per year, 18,000

over four years, to assist active-duty enlisted soldiers in obtaining a college degree (U.S.

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Army, 2017). According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (2014), active-
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duty enlisted soldiers only used 38.1% of the DOD tuition assistance benefit from the

DOD. The Department of Defense tracked service members using tuition assistance fell
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by 14.5% from 2014 to 2018 (Altman, 2019; U.S. Department of Defense, 2014, 2018).

The DOD 2017 demographics report indicated that even with all the incentives, 84.1% of
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active-duty enlisted soldiers do not continue their education beyond the high school

diploma (U.S. Department of Defense, 2017).

The support for active-duty enlisted soldiers comes in the form of financial and

professional incentives. Financially, the military offers various incentives to assist with

the cost of completing a college degree (Military OneSource, 2018). The latest financial

support came from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the update of the

Forever GI Bill (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2020). The VA updated "Forever"

GI Bill significantly increased higher education benefits for soldiers (U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs, 2020). Professionally, incentives were faster promotions and awards

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(U.S. Army, 2017; U.S. Army Human Resources Command, 2017). According to the

Headquarters Department of the Army (2019b), soldiers can receive 135 to 160

additional promotion points for higher education attainment. The professional supports

are special collaborative assignments such as black belt projects or group projects

(Brutus, 2019). Black belt and group projects are designed to allow soldiers to exchange

ideas with fellow soldiers to improve the Army policies and operation (Styron, 2014).

The four-year degree completion for active-duty enlisted soldiers has the potential to

bolster U.S. national security. According to Brutus (2019), developing skills and

knowledge supporting active-duty enlisted soldiers in life-long learning opportunities are

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directly associated with required military performance expectations. According to the
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U.S. Department of the Army (2014a), supporting active-duty enlisted soldiers’ education

prospects with the enhancement of knowledge, skills, attributes, and other characteristics
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is linked directly to active-duty enlisted soldiers meeting the army expectations. The

future operational environment will present the Army with all kinds of challenges (U.S.
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Department of the Army, 2014a). In meeting the challenge, the Army education system

must evolve to teach and educate soldiers and civilians on the skills and competencies

necessary to maintain our nation's defense in the 21st-century (U.S. Department of the

Army, 2014b). With the appropriate education support systems, active-duty enlisted

soldiers attaining a bachelor’s degree will make them better leaders in the long term

(Wahl, 2016). A bachelor’s degree will also help prepare active-duty enlisted soldiers for

a future civilian world when they exit the military (Wahl, 2016). Nettles (2017) argued

that over 50% of future jobs would require a college degree, and Loveless (2019) posited

that a bachelor’s degree would not be an option but a requirement in today’s job market.

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 The research focused on the lived experiences of active-duty enlisted soldiers

seeking higher education to determine if any impediments are preventing them from

obtaining a college degree. The high numbers of incompletion among active-duty enlisted

soldiers with low persistence rates to degree completion are evidence that insufficient

research on active-duty enlisted soldiers managing colleges and military work while

seeking a college degree. According to Brutus (2019), colleges viewed service members

as attractive degree candidates to complete a degree, given all the Army's financial

support. Further educational research is needed on active-duty enlisted soldiers pursuing

higher education. Future research in this area is essential to military leaders, soldiers,

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universities, colleges, and all stakeholders of our nation's security.
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Problem Statement

The problem is active-duty enlisted soldiers are not pursuing education beyond a
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high school diploma, even with the overwhelming higher education support from the

Army leaders and American people (Calderon & Sorenson, 2014; Wahl, 2016). The U. S.
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Department of Defense report, profile of the military community indicated only 15.9% of

active-duty enlisted soldiers have an education past a high school diploma (U. S.

Department of Defense, 2017). By contrast, the National Center for Education Statistics,

the national college graduation rate was 46% for civilian students (National Center for

Education Statistics, 2017). Supporting active-duty enlisted soldiers as military students

seeking higher education beyond a high school diploma contributes directly to

developing adaptive and innovative soldiers defending our nation's while providing

recruitment and retention incentives (U.S. Department of the Army, 2014b). However,

the potential consequences of active-duty enlisted soldiers failed to seek higher education

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lie directly in the unit’s ability to complete future combat tasks or missions (Brutus,

2019; U.S. Department of the Army, 2014a, 2014b, 2017).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological research study explored the

interpretations and meanings active-duty enlisted soldiers attached to their lived

experiences as military students seeking higher education beyond a high school diploma.

The transcendental qualitative research study population is the active-duty enlisted

soldiers pursuing higher education beyond a high school diploma stationed at the Army

base in Kentucky to form the research study sample. Qualitative phenomenology is a

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well-known educational research design used to understand people’s perceptions of a
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particular phenomenon (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A transcendental (sometimes called

descriptive) phenomenology approach was used to study the participants' personal

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experiences (Neubauer et al., 2019). According to Padilla-Díaz (2015), transcendental

phenomenology is an appropriate method of capturing personal experiences and

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interpreting the meanings of the phenomena experienced by the individual or group

participating in the study. The phenomenology (transcendental) method’s goal to uncover

all the participants’ experiences in the study (Willgens et al., 2016). The source for

modern phenomenology is Clark Moustakas's work, commonly used in today’s

phenomenology study (Moustakas, 1994).

Based on the data from the U. S. Department of Defense, only 15.9% of active-duty

enlisted soldiers possess any education degree beyond the high school diploma (U. S.

Department of Defense, 2017). The transcendental phenomenological research study

aims to look at how active-duty enlisted soldiers as military students perceive the

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importance of commitment, self-efficacy, and self-esteem in pursuing education.

According to Barry et al. (2014), some of the best methods of collecting data in a

transcendental phenomenological research study are the use of face-to-face semi-

structured interviews with all queries having open-ended questions and a participant

questionnaire. Using a qualitative transcendental phenomenological research method

allowed the researcher to explore the phenomenon topic in-depth through lived

experiences of individuals or groups of people (Sutton & Austin, 2015). The study

included the experiences of active-duty enlisted soldiers who have pursued college

courses or currently pursuing college courses. Their experiences contributed to the

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researcher’s understanding of all factors involved in active-duty enlisted soldiers
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pursuing higher education beyond a high school diploma.

Population and Sample

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The population selected for the transcendental qualitative research questionnaire

phase was active-duty enlisted soldiers with lived experiences pursuing higher education
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beyond a school diploma. Thirsk and Clark (2017) described a population as a group of

individuals with similar characteristics whose views or understandings differ. The

population sample's purpose was to recruit the right participants to participate in the

transcendental qualitative research study. Taherdoost (2016a) believed recruiting suitable

population samples is critical to answering the research questions.

Population

The population for this transcendental qualitative research study consists of active-

duty enlisted soldiers pursuing higher education. According to U.S. Army Fort Knox

(2021), there are approximately 25,200 soldiers, civilian employees, and family members

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stationed in Kentucky. The sample criteria for the transcendental qualitative research

study for inclusion are 82 active-duty enlisted soldiers in the grade of E4 through E9 with

a least three-semester hours of college stationed on the Army base in Kentucky. Active-

duty enlisted soldiers are further classified into junior enlisted soldiers and non-

commissioned officers (NCOs). The transcendental qualitative research study's exclusion

criteria were all commissioned officers, military cadet’s candidate, and warrant officers

serving in the military who already have a bachelor’s degree.

Sample

The population is approximately 5,000 active-duty enlisted soldiers stationed at an

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Army base in Kentucky. The sample population included 82 soldiers to participate in the
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online questionnaire survey and 12 participate in the semi-structured interview for a

transcendental phenomenological study. According to Creswell and Poth (2018), the

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sample size for transcendental phenomenological studies required three to ten active-duty

enlisted soldiers to participate in the research studies. However, Sim et al. (2018) argued
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that sample size could increase beyond ten participants to attain data saturation. Data

saturation occurs when additional participants do not add any relevant perspectives or

information to the study (Hennink et al., 2017).

The sampling method used in this qualitative transcendental phenomenological

research study was a purposeful sample and voluntary sample. Purposeful sampling is a

simple way of discovering, understanding, gaining insight, and collecting information

related to the phenomenon of interest (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Palinkas et al., 2015).

All documents and archival data selected for the study were based on pre-determined

criteria. Purposeful sampling was used to determine the best documents archival data to

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review for the study (Setia, 2016). Using purposeful sampling to analyze documents

helped the researcher generalize from the studied documents sample (Sharma, 2017).

The study used the Power Analysis & Simple Size (PASS) software from Power and

Precision to calculate the number of soldiers needed to complete the questionnaire (NCSS

Statistical Software, 2019). Based on the PASS software result, the proposed samples

recommended about 82 participants to complete the online questionnaire. To get the

necessary samples for the study, the following traditional recruitment strategies, such as

distributing flyers, posters, and a newsletter, were used to solicit volunteers for the

research study. The flyers, posters, and newsletters were posted on the community

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bulletin board in the Readiness Training Academy (RTA) schoolhouse, the hallway in
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Gaffey Hall of the 83rd United States Army Reserve Readiness Training Center

(USARRTC), and the Army base community bulletin boards for volunteers at the
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soldier’s in-processing center. The researcher sent an email to the unit’s active-duty

enlisted soldiers requesting volunteers to participate in the study. Any participants who
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volunteered to participate received a recruitment letter explaining the research process.

The researcher met the voluntary sampling population criterion through the

questionnaire collection process when 82 active-duty enlisted soldiers had participated in

the research study. Voluntary sampling is used when participants have a strong interest in

the main topic of the survey (Kılınç & Fırat, 2017). The questionnaire collection process

was distributed online to all active-duty enlisted soldiers who volunteered to participate

in the study located on an Army base in Kentucky. Once the participants completed the

online questionnaire, the researcher recruited 12 active-duty enlisted soldiers to

participate in a semi-structured interview. The researcher conducted the semi-structured

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 interview through email and telephone to meet qualitative transcendental

phenomenological studies. The active-duty enlisted soldiers who did not wish to

participate in the semi-structured interview processes during the research study were told

“thank you” and provided with the researcher’s contact information if they chose to

participate later in the research study.

Significance of the Study

The study's significance was to understand why active-duty enlisted soldiers are not

pursuing higher education beyond a high school diploma. According to Brutus (2019),

active-duty enlisted soldiers who seek higher education have higher job satisfaction and

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performance. With a better understanding of how active-duty enlisted soldiers perceive
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the importance of commitment, self-efficacy, and self-esteem in pursuing higher

education, higher education institutions can design and implement initiatives, policies,
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procedures, and resources (Zientek, 2009). The policies, procedures, and resources can

positively influence active-duty enlisted soldiers’ learning and overall educational

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experience and improve colleges, universities’ retention rate and degree completion of

enlisted soldiers (Zientek, 2009). The research study employed Leadership Theory from

the earliest leadership theory, Galton's Hereditary Genius, Bandura's Social Learning

Theory, Self-efficacy theory in 1977, and Maslow's Motivation Theory in Maslow's

Hierarchy of Needs 1943 to understand the benefits to active-duty enlisted soldiers and

colleges, universities, and all stakeholders.

Army leaders in the military expect all soldiers across all levels and cohorts to

function at a higher level to win in a complex world on and off the battlefield (U. S.

Department of the Army, 2014a). Providing the Army education population with

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