| The purpose of this study was to explore and describe what factors contributed to interrupted persistence among international students, in a General Education Development (GED) preparation course, in an adult continuing education department, in a community college setting, located in an urban area in New York City. The study utilized a qualitative case study approach in which a GED instructor employed at the setting of the study, conducted one-on-one interviews with international students currently enrolled in the GED preparation course for a second or third attempt at completing the course. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews between the researcher and international students currently enrolled in the GED preparation course. The data were analyzed through coding and constant comparative analysis to identify emerging themes and common patterns among the study's participants. The findings of the study revealed that inadequate preparation along with defeatist attitudes were the factors that contributed international students dropping out. The findings also revealed that obtaining higher education was not a factor for international students enrolling in the course; rather, securing employment was the factor that contributed to these students returning to the course. The findings further revealed that international students would be more likely to persist in the course if the academic institution provided additional and alternative assistance to support their uninterrupted persistence in the course. These findings will be useful for improving retention among international learners during their first attempt at completing the GED preparation course and for providing additional strategies to educators in addressing the needs of international students enrolled in a GED preparation course who are exhibiting interrupted persistence behavior patterns. |
