ERIC Number: ED651599
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 104
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3819-7520-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Evaluation of the Opportunities and Challenges Syrian Refugees Face in Accessing Higher Education While Living in Refugee Camps in Jordan
Mazen Elshami
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northeastern University
Refugees have a significantly lower rate of higher education enrollment than the rest of the population, which can contribute to continued dependency on donors and can lower their chances of geographical and social mobility. This study sought to investigate the obstacles and facilitators which can support refugee enrollment and success throughout higher education, and to implement a process to encourage their university journey. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of Syrian refugee participants who live in one particular refugee camp in Jordan and who wish to pursue higher education but are unable to do so. Action steps were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 to create a new system of support, both financial and non-financial, to boost the continued enrollment of refugees at university. This new model of corporate support aims to view refugees as potential future assets for companies. It consisted of initial guidance sessions, a university scholarship, and continued one-on-one mentorship sessions with members of the management team and/or subject-matter professionals to help refugees succeed in university and explore the connections between what they are learning and the future workplace. The process of evaluating the results of the Action Research study included a series of interviews with mentors and participants, as well as a participant survey to capture the impact of the action study and to assess whether this study can be replicated at a larger scale and in different camps. The study concluded that this system of support which goes beyond financial scholarships to include mentorship and guidance sessions can support the refugees' success in university and help prepare them for the job market after university. The implications for the sector as a whole, and donor organizations, specifically, include a rethink on how aid is provided to refugees for the purposes of higher education, and for a reevaluation of how corporates and organizations should consider refugees, not as money sinks, but as potential future assets, thereby investing more resources, financial and administrative to support refugee education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Refugees, Barriers, Affordances, Higher Education, Access to Education, Mentors, Guidance, Scholarships, Program Effectiveness, Student Financial Aid
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Jordan; Syria
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A