توصيف كيفي بازگشت دانشجويان بزرگسال به دانشگاه اصفهان

This study aims to qualitatively examine the experiences of adult an‎d non-traditional students who have returned to university after a long educational hiatus. The research hypotheses are based on the premise that their re-entry into academia is influenced by individual, familial, social, an‎d cultural factors, an‎d that their educational journey is accompanied by challenges such as role conflicts, academic anxiety, an‎d technological advancements. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach, which allows for an in-depth understan‎ding of studentsʹ experiences. In this regard, 30 adult students who re-entered the University of Isfahan after an extended break were purposefully selec‎ted, an‎d semi-structured interviews were conducted with them. The collected data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis an‎d systematically coded to extract relevant thematic patterns. The research process included reviewing theoretical literature, selec‎ting participants, conducting interviews, transcribing interview texts, an‎d performing qualitative data analysis. The findings indicate that studentsʹ motivations for returning to university encompass a broad range of personal, professional, an‎d social factors. Additionally, their challenges include difficulties in adapting to the academic environment, conflicts between family an‎d educational roles, an‎d a sense of misalignment with the university setting. This study can assist educational policymakers in understan‎ding the specific needs of this student population an‎d developing effective support strategies.

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