Date of Degree

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Adult & Organizational Education

Advisor

Dr. Norman St. Clalir

Advisor

Dr. Luella D'Amico

Advisor

Dr. Adam McClain

Abstract

AN EXAMINATION OF SINGLE MOTHER’S PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL IN SEEKING HIGHER EDUCATION

Jennifer Stuart

University of the Incarnate Word, 2025

Research Focus. In the United States, single mothers head nearly 80 percent of single-parent households, representing one of the most educationally vulnerable yet motivated populations. Despite increased visibility of single-parent families, limited research has examined the internal psychological factors that influence single mothers’ determination to pursue higher education. Much of the literature has emphasized external barriers—financial hardship, childcare demands, and social stigma—while overlooking internal strengths such as self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, and hope. These traits, conceptualized collectively as psychological capital (Luthans et al., 2007), represent a developmental state that may explain persistence and achievement among single mothers. This study addressed the need to understand how psychological capital develops through the lived experiences of a single mother seeking higher education, and how those experiences shape perceptions of identity, motivation, and empowerment. The purpose of this qualitative autoethnographic study was to examine how the psychological capital of a single mother influences her determination to pursue and complete higher education. By exploring the four elements of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, collectively known as H.E.R.O., this study sought to illuminate how self-perception and psychological growth intersect with educational persistence. The study further aimed to demonstrate how internal strengths cultivated through adversity can transform perceived barriers into pathways of empowerment and achievement. Research Methods. Using evocative autoethnography (Bochner & Ellis, 2016), the researcher served as both investigator and participant. Data were derived from personal vignettes, heuristic journaling (Moustakas, 1990), and psychological capital testing using the CPC-12 instrument. Analytical strategies included thematic coding (Charmaz, 2014) to identify patterns of growth across the four H.E.R.O. dimensions.

Research Findings. Findings indicated that psychological capital increased over time, with notable growth in hope and optimism as the participant advanced through higher education. Resilience remained consistently high, reflecting adaptive coping amid family trauma and academic rigor. Self-efficacy, while strong, slightly decreased within the academic context where external evaluation limited perceived control. The study concludes that psychological capital serves as an internal reservoir for persistence, particularly when external support is minimal. By narrating her own lived experience, the researcher revealed that storytelling can become both inquiry and interventional, allowing single mothers to recognize existing psychological strengths and reframe their self-concept from survival to empowerment.

Conclusions from Research. The study concluded that psychological capital—comprising hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism act as an internal framework of empowerment that enables single mothers to persist in higher education despite personal and systemic challenges. Through autoethnographic reflection, the researcher demonstrated that these elements evolve through adversity, with hope and optimism increasing as educational goals are pursued, resilience remaining steady as a stabilizing force, and self-efficacy fluctuating when external evaluation limits perceived control. The findings reveal that psychological capital is transferable across life domains, shaping both personal recovery and academic determination. By integrating feminist epistemology and self-narrative, the study illuminated how reflective storytelling can transform hardship into self-knowledge and agency, positioning education as both a means of empowerment and a redefinition of identity for single mothers seeking to transcend social and emotional barriers.

Additional Files
JStuart_Diss_Rev1_3-25-26.pdf (1016 kB)
First Review_need minor revisions_SiaAchica_7-28-25
J Stuart Dissertation 3.25.26 .docx (10751 kB)
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