APPENDIX E: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Open-Ended Interview Questions for Students 13. Why did you take dual enrollment courses?

14. What made you want to go to college even though your parents did not go to college? 15. Describe your experience taking dual enrollment courses.

16. What part of the dual enrollment program helped you the most and why? 17. How did dual enrollment courses prepare you for college?

18. Is there anything you regret not learning during your high school career that you believe would have helped you in college?

19. What were some challenges you faced while taking dual enrollment courses? 20. How did the school or program help you with these challenges?

21. How could the school or program have better helped you with these challenges? 22. What role did your parents play in helping prepare you for college?

23. What advice would you give a student whose parents did not attend college before they took dual enrollment courses and then go on to college?

Questions one and two deal with student motivation for taking dual enrollment courses because McCord and Roberts (2014) found that “students’ intrinsic motivation is essential to success” in dual enrollment programs (p. 402). Question three focuses on the experience of taking dual enrollment courses because Karp (2012) determined that understanding student dual enrollment experiences is key to implementing successful dual enrollment programs that will ensure the success of students once they attend college. Question four focuses on the benefits of dual enrollment because several studies have demonstrated the benefits of dual enrollment courses (An, 2015; An & Taylor, 2015; Crouse & Allen, 2014; Ganzert, 2014).

Question five focuses on the role of dual enrollment courses in college preparation because An (2013) found that dual enrollment courses positively impacts students when preparing them for college.

Questions six through nine address the challenges that are faced by students in dual

enrollment courses because Kanny (2015) found that there were benefits and disadvantages that occur simultaneously while students took dual enrollment courses. Questions six through nine are also relevant because An (2103) and Mansell and Justice (2014) found that first-generation students also experience difficulties and special challenges while taking dual enrollment courses.

Question 10 deals with the role of parental support while taking dual enrollment courses because Wang (2014) found that parents influenced the college transition process even if they had not been to college themselves.

Question 11 promotes reflection on the experiences of the student, which relates to the importance of the experiences of students.

Open-Ended Interview Questions for Instructors

1. What do you view as the most important part of the dual enrollment program for students?

2. Have you ever had first-generation students in your classes?

3. What have you noticed that makes these students different from other students?

4. What are some challenges that these students faced while taking dual enrollment courses? 5. How does the current dual enrollment program assist these students with these

challenges?

7. What factors cause the students who graduate from this program to be likely to go to college and complete degree programs?

8. What advice would you or do you give to first-generation students as they take dual enrollment courses and prepare for college?

Question one focuses on the benefits of dual enrollment programs from the instructor perspective because Hanson et. al (2015) found that instructors have a unique perspective on dual enrollment courses.

Question two is simply a background question to establish that instructors have had first- generation students in their classes. \

Question three is about the differences in first-generation students and non first-

generation students because An (2013) found that those students had different dual enrollment experiences.

Questions four through six deal with the challenges faced by first generation students in dual enrollment courses because Kanny (2015) found that there were drawbacks to dual

enrollment courses and An (2013) and Mansell and Justice (2014) found that first-generation students experienced difficulties and special challenges while taking dual enrollment courses.

Question seven deals with college retention which relates to the Tinto’s (1982) theory of college retention that guides the current study.

Question eight is a question to cause the instructor to reflect on student experiences in the program as a whole.

Open-Ended Interview Questions for Counselors and Principals 1. What role do you play in the dual enrollment program? 2. What interactions do you have with dual enrollment students?

3. What differences have you noticed between first-generation college students and other students?

4. What challenges do you observe that first-generation students face that other students do not face?

5. How do you equip your teachers to help students deal with these issues?

6. How is the program designed to assist first-generation students with the challenges they face?

7. What advice would/do you give to first-generation students as they take dual enrollment courses and prepare for college?

Program administrator questions

1. What role do you play in the dual enrollment program? 2. What interactions do you have with dual enrollment students?

3. What differences have you noticed between first-generation students and other students? 4. What challenges do you typically notice first-generation students having while taking

dual enrollment courses?

5. How is the program designed to help the students as they face these challenges? 6. What advice would you give to teachers, counselors, and principals to help them deal

with the problems first-generation students face?

7. What advice would/do you give to first-generation students as they take dual enrollment courses and prepare for college?

In the principal, counselor, and administrator interviews, questions one and two focus on the benefits of dual enrollment programs from the guidance counselor or principal perspective

because Hanson et. al (2015) found that guidance counselors and principals have a unique perspective on dual enrollment courses.

Questions three and four are about the differences in first-generation students and non first- generation students because An (2013) found that those students had different dual enrollment experiences.