Preferred Name
Jennifer A. Nelson-Faulconer
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
ORCID
0009-0006-5070-9300
Date of Graduation
8-14-2026
Semester of Graduation
Summer
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
First Advisor
Anne L. Stewart, co-chair
Second Advisor
Vesna Hart, co-chair
Third Advisor
Cara Meixner
Abstract
This study explored how 11 first-year students in the Madison International learning community made meaning of their transformative experiences during their first semester at James Madison University. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, this research investigated how participants experienced a curriculum designed to develop self-awareness, other-awareness, critical thinking, and belonging. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, including international students, refugees, and domestic students with varied cultural experiences. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with optional sharing of coursework artifacts. Analysis examined individual experiences before identifying shared patterns while preserving each participant's unique voice, revealing nine foundational themes, one superordinate theme, and three individual themes. A clear developmental progression was demonstrated: participants developed self-awareness, then explored relationships with others, and finally integrated these experiences into personal agency. The central finding was a paradox—participants found belonging through displacement from familiar contexts, which enabled them to create deeper forms of connection and community. This paradox was essential for transformation, requiring both disruption of familiar patterns and access to supportive relationships. Only four participants experienced the most advanced level of transformation, suggesting deep change requires substantial groundwork across multiple growth areas. The findings extend existing theory by showing transformative learning is developmental and relational, not just individual cognitive change. Participants described transformation as an ongoing rather than sudden. Qualitative methods revealed complex learning experiences while centering diverse voices. Results offer guidance for educators designing learning communities that pair meaningful challenge with relational support. This research offers a blueprint for transformative educational experiences.
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons
