Iranian Higher Education
Volume 17, Issue 3 (2025)
ihej 2025, 17(3): 65-85 |
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Hemmati R, Tayebi Z. A Qualitative Study of Non-Traditional Adult Women's Experiences of Returning to University. ihej 2025; 17 (3) :65-85
URL: http://ihej.ir/article-1-2157-en.html
URL: http://ihej.ir/article-1-2157-en.html
1- Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran , rhemati@gmail.com
2- Graduated Student, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2- Graduated Student, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract: (11 Views)
Objective: In recent decades, the massification of higher education and its integration into everyday life have resulted in the return of diverse groups, distinct from traditional students, to universities. This development has transformed universities into multigenerational environments characterized by diverse age, culture, and motivation. The aim of this research is to qualitatively analyze the challenges and issues faced by adult women who have re-entered universities to continue their education while simultaneously fulfilling family and professional roles.
Method: This study employed a qualitative approach, grounded in the dual theoretical perspectives of "gendered organizations" and "greedy institutions." Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 female students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Isfahan. Participants were selected via purposive sampling, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-step approach, with the assistance of MAXQDA software. Furthermore, to ensure the quality and rigor of the findings, the established qualitative research criteria were observed.
Results: Following an analysis of the data, three central themes were identified: 1) Institutional and environmental challenges refer to the obstacles and challenges that non-traditional adult women face in the domains of family, work, and university, making their return to university an unpleasant experience. 2) Feelings of burnout and balancing represent a complex and dynamic internal conflict in which students oscillate between a continuum of burnout and growth. 3) Coping and activism strategies are a set of conscious, creative, and sometimes radical actions that participants take to overcome institutional challenges and manage negative emotions.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the primary challenge for non-traditional adult students is not "individual and attitudinal," but rather "situational" and predominantly "institutional and structural," which intensifies the conflict between their roles and complicates their identity transition. In fact, the core issue lies not in individual incapability, but in the mismatch between existing structures and the life realities of this student group. They are engaged in a constant struggle with the gendered and greedy structures of social institutions—family, workplace, and university—and strive to adapt to the challenges within each of these spheres by relying on various strategies and managing their emotions. The present study emphasizes the necessity of rethinking educational and organizational policies, moving toward flexible and highly inclusive universities, developing curricula aligned with the life realities of these students, and promoting organizational cultures sensitive to their other social responsibilities.
Method: This study employed a qualitative approach, grounded in the dual theoretical perspectives of "gendered organizations" and "greedy institutions." Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 female students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Isfahan. Participants were selected via purposive sampling, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-step approach, with the assistance of MAXQDA software. Furthermore, to ensure the quality and rigor of the findings, the established qualitative research criteria were observed.
Results: Following an analysis of the data, three central themes were identified: 1) Institutional and environmental challenges refer to the obstacles and challenges that non-traditional adult women face in the domains of family, work, and university, making their return to university an unpleasant experience. 2) Feelings of burnout and balancing represent a complex and dynamic internal conflict in which students oscillate between a continuum of burnout and growth. 3) Coping and activism strategies are a set of conscious, creative, and sometimes radical actions that participants take to overcome institutional challenges and manage negative emotions.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the primary challenge for non-traditional adult students is not "individual and attitudinal," but rather "situational" and predominantly "institutional and structural," which intensifies the conflict between their roles and complicates their identity transition. In fact, the core issue lies not in individual incapability, but in the mismatch between existing structures and the life realities of this student group. They are engaged in a constant struggle with the gendered and greedy structures of social institutions—family, workplace, and university—and strive to adapt to the challenges within each of these spheres by relying on various strategies and managing their emotions. The present study emphasizes the necessity of rethinking educational and organizational policies, moving toward flexible and highly inclusive universities, developing curricula aligned with the life realities of these students, and promoting organizational cultures sensitive to their other social responsibilities.
Type of article: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/10/28 | Accepted: 2025/11/1 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/02/23
Received: 2025/10/28 | Accepted: 2025/11/1 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/02/23
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