Understanding the Lived Experiences of Minnesota's PSEO Students: A Qualitative Exploration
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In my dissertation, Understanding the Lived Experiences of Minnesota's PSEO Students: A Qualitative Exploration, I explored students’ experiences of the transition from high school to college via Minnesota’s PSEO program. As a Bethel University faculty member with 19 years of prior experience as a high school English teacher, I have watched the number of PSEO students increase year after year from both sides of the secondary/post-secondary divide. This subtle undoing of the traditional high school to college progression significantly impacts not only the economic outlook for public high schools and colleges, but it also significantly impacts the educational experiences and outcomes of the students themselves. In this phenomenological study, I sought to inductively construct a more nuanced understanding of the lived experiences of high school students who transitioned to college by way of PSEO. Through a combination of purposeful selection and snowball sampling, I identified eight veterans of the PSEO program, interviewed them, compiled the interview data, and discerned four key thematic ideas: Readiness and Opportunity, Social and Psychological Ripples, Transactional vs. Transformational Educational Experiences, and Unexpected Insights. While the participants in the study shared both positive and negative experiences associated with PSEO, they all endorsed the program and reported that their participation in the program benefited them psychologically and academically. Within the broader scope of concurrent enrollment in Minnesota, the study results suggested that PSEO programming in colleges and universities could be broadened to serve increasing numbers of students who feel underserved and disaffected by high school curriculum and have matured beyond the rigid adherence to rules and structure necessary in public high schools. Additionally, the study results highlight the peculiar gray space occupied by PSEO students and may provide insight into how to better address their unique educational needs. Finally, the study results suggest that although younger than traditional college freshmen, PSEO students can flourish socially and academically in the constructivist environment of the college setting.
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
Bethel University
City
St. Paul
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Olson, Joel Edward, "Understanding the Lived Experiences of Minnesota's PSEO Students: A Qualitative Exploration" (2025). Graduate Research Education Showcase. 10.
https://spark.bethel.edu/edd-showcase-2021/10