Education Commons^™

“What’S Happening?” Assessing The Sustainability Of Virtual Professional Learning Communities On Social Media: A Quantitative Study Of ‘Sense Of Community’, Matthew Hensley

Doctoral Dissertations

While research has highlighted the multifaceted benefits of Twitter as an informal professional learning resource, there remains a lack of literature that adequately teases apart the dynamic underpinnings of these types of informal professional learning communities (Thacker, 2017; Visser et al., 2014). Greenhow & Gleason (2012) posited that there is a need to better understand Twitter’s place within the education profession, as well as “how participants understand their experiences and place within the Twitter community and beyond” (p. 473).

Grounded in ‘sense of community’ theory, this study examined ‘sense of community’ as a construct supporting the #SSChat community’s sustainability. Additionally, …

How Do You Design Your Practice? Understanding Volunteer Soccer Coaches' Behaviors In Terms Of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies, Takuya Hayakawa

Doctoral Dissertations

Many sports studies investigated elite performance level or experienced athletes whereas there are few studies addressing non-experienced or volunteer coaches’ perspectives. Empirically, the effects of self-regulated learning (SRL) in sports performers have been proven in a variety of athletes. Meanwhile, few studies have addressed coaches’ perspectives of using SRL strategies to facilitate their athletes to develop athletic performance. Furthermore, many studies of SRL in sports were rarely analyzed qualitatively in order to understand the meaning of behaviors related to SRL strategy use. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to address volunteer youth soccer coaches’ understanding of self-regulation in athletes …

Through The Lens Of Equity: Impacts Of Course Material Costs For Tennessee Community College Students, Elizabeth Spica

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this nonexperimental, multi-part dissertation was to explore issues of course material affordability for students at Tennessee community colleges. Data were drawn from two sources: a 53-item student survey (n = 1,912) and three years of anonymized outcomes data provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). Guided by Bensimon’s conceptual framework on equity in higher education (Bensimon, 2005, 2012), data for each study were disaggregated to examine findings through the lens of equity, with attention to three populations of concern for Tennessee higher education (race/ethnicity, low-income, and Adult Learners over age 25).

The first article, Prices …