Education Commons^™

Environmental Education For Sustainability, Lucille Gertz

Educational Studies Dissertations

The climate is in crisis. Many conservation organizations identify in their mission statements the priority of motivating constituents to engage with conservation action. This priority is typically implemented by educators who design and deliver educational activities and materials. This study, designed to develop a professional pathway for environmental educators to develop programs designed to motivate adult audiences toward engagement with conservation action, addressed the question: How can environmental educators more effectively promote conservation behavior change in adult learning audiences? Three guiding research questions were: 1) To what extent are environmental educators familiar with and utilizing theoretical frameworks and research-based tools …

Safety In The Woods: Studying The Effectiveness Of The Kentucky Master Logger Program, Austin Winn Leake

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Logging is a dangerous field; in this study the researcher looks to see the knowledge both before and after professional loggers participate in the Kentucky Master Logger Program. This information was used to see the overall effectiveness of the Kentucky Master Logger Program. The researcher found an overall improvement in logging professionals’ perceptions and understanding of logging safety. The researcher recommends creating an emphasis on a safe work culture through safety incentives and a greater focus on less used personal protective equipment such as insecticide

Exploring Factors Influencing The Transition Of Adult Students From Noncredit To Credit Community College Courses, Kevin Baker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the factors that former Adult Basic Education (ABE) students perceived were important in their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework offered at 2 community colleges in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California, using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory and 4S system elements. A second purpose of this study was to determine which factors facilitated or hindered their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework.

Methodology: This qualitative research study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the transition experience of former ABE students. Semistructured interviews were used to discover …

Social Work Junior Faculty Perceptions Of Their Doctoral Level Teaching Preparation, Marissa Hardwrict

Dissertations

Each year, hundreds of students graduate with a terminal degree. Many have aspirations to teach at a college or university. This includes graduates of social work programs. However, little information is known about the experiences of teaching readiness of social work Ph.D. graduates. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of social work junior faculty and their perceptions of readiness to teach. Literature reporting on the curriculum in Social Work Ph.D. Programs are linked to students being developed and heavily engulfed in research activities (Acquavita & Tice, 2015; Dinerman et al., 1999; Reneau, 2011). Since many programs …

Digital Awareness For Esl Students, Ehab Khalaf

Master's Projects and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Many immigrants come to the United States of America seeking to live, study, and work in this country. With an influx of immigrants, there is a need for educational opportunities tailored to meet their needs and demands with the ultimate aim of helping them integrate into society. One of the major demands is for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, which are useful in equipping immigrants with not only the English language skills, but also in equipping and preparing the students for success in the workplace and with communication skills for navigating life in the United States. The …

Identifying Barriers Faced By Adult Learners In General Educational Development Programs, Matthew Patrick Beasland

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

It is estimated that 70% of all newly created jobs in Illinois by 2020 will need education beyond a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) diploma. In Illinois, 12% of adults 25 and older do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Individuals without a high school diploma or GED are twice as likely to be unemployed and if they are employed are more likely to be in a low-wage position. On average an individual without a high school diploma or GED will earn roughly $10,000 less annually. Given the increasing need for a high school …

Does Grit Matter? A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Grit-S Assessment Scores And Student Retention In Undergraduate Online Programs, Kay Best Murphy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, colleges and universities have used intelligence-based admissions tests to select students who demonstrate the intelligence to succeed academically. These institutions also have employed strategies to help students stay in school and graduate. However, despite tests and support strategies, the National Center for Education Statistics in 2018 reported a six-year completion rate of about 60% of first-time, full-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students for the 2010 cohort, including both traditional and online students. One study shows retention in online classes can be 10% to 15% lower than in traditional face-to-face courses (Carr, 2000). Meanwhile, higher education institutions today face increasing pressure to …

Experiences Of Music Therapy Junior Faculty Members: A Narrative Exploration, Carol A. Olszewski

ETD Archive

Very few music therapists have educational background or training to be proficient at teaching at institutions of higher education. With only minimal (if any) training in andragogy and in research methodology, music therapy junior faculty (MTJF) members find themselves novice academics in the highly structured, competitive environment of the academy. In order for music therapists to be successful in their career change from clinical work to the academy, improvements and modifications to the education of future music therapy professors are likely, but data are necessary to intimate and to guide those changes. This narrative research study explored the lived experiences …

Principals' Perceptions Of Professional Development And Caring Communities For English Learners, Sunny Sue Chang Jonas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A growing population of English Learners (ELs) have unique challenges when navigating the American educational system. In fact, there is an achievement gap such that EL students lag behind their native English peers in school outcomes. Accordingly, there is increased demand for professional development (PD) lead by principals to address the needs of the changing population of ELs. To support effective PD aimed at improved achievement for ELs, principals need embrace transformative thinking in their work. Although PD has the potential to be the driving force of change, traditional approaches to PD have limited impact on academic success of ELs. …

An Analysis Of Adult Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development Activities, Robbie Scott Cornelius

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education (ASE), and English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers’ experiences with professional development. The study sought to determine whether adult learning principles were evident in the facilitation of professional development activities. The study instrument was administered online to members of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), with a total of n=348 respondents to the survey. The survey consisted of demographic questions, questions related to professional development experiences, and an open response question. The majority of respondents were teachers/instructors (n=232, 66.7%), held a master’s degree (n=187, 54.4%), …

The Effect Of An Adult Esl Project-Based Literacy Training On Teacher Practice, Rachel Lynn Gerner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study evaluates the effectiveness of a project-based learning professional development training conducted at a literacy center for nine ESL teachers who are working in a workforce literacy environment. The researcher investigated principles of andragogy in the training and examined whether participants implemented the content of the training in their teaching environments via observation, self-reported answers on a questionnaire, individual interviews, and a focus group. There was no direct follow-up after six weeks of the training. The findings of the study indicate that none of the teachers implemented project-based learning in their teaching environment directly following the professional development …

An Evaluation Of One School District's Ged Instructional And Assessment Program Following The Revised Ged 2014 Test, Marc Hutek

Dissertations

In 2014 the GED^® test was reintroduced for the fifth time in its history. Despite aligning its adult education program content to the Common Core State Standards, one school district still found exceptionally low initial success rates by students. By obtaining quantitative and qualitative data on behalf of the districts’ stakeholders within the GED^® program, this study has identified the overall effective aspects of the program and areas that can be improved to enhance student success. It has created a foundation for the development of a change project for continual program growth and improved performance. In constructing change …

An Examination Of The Factors That Influence The Transfer Of Learning Among K-12 Educators Participating In Professional Learning Communities, Charcelor C. Mccullum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the factors that either support or inhibit learning transfer among educators within K-12 professional learning communities (PLCs) as well as to obtain a better understanding of how adult education principles relate to teacher learning and job satisfaction within this environment. Although research regarding professional learning for educators within the K-12 setting is available, much of this research is not focused directly on adult education principles and often fails to examine learning transfer. The present study addresses both areas using a two-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to obtain both qualitative …

Writer Self-Efficacy And Student Self-Identity In Developmental Writing Classes: A Case Study, Bridget Ann Kriner

ETD Archive

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how instructional approaches to teaching developmental writing at a large urban community college foster the development of college students’ self-efficacy regarding academic writing and self-identity as college students. The case study examined the perspectives of four instructors and six students. The research considered: 1) how students experience the development of self-efficacy related to their academic writing; 2) how students experience their self-identity as college students; 3) how writing instructors foster students’ development of self-efficacy as writers; and 4) how writing instructors foster students’ self-identities as college students. The findings of …

An Analysis Of Professional Adult Education Programs In Northwest Arkansas, Skyler Leigh Barry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Professional adult education (PAE) has been described as structured educational activities that are designed or intended to support the continuing development of professional or career skills, knowledge, competencies, and abilities. Previous research has shown that professional adult education is a vehicle for adult learners to continue their education and gain valuable skills which can aide in career mobility. Given the importance of professional adult education as it relates to further development of adult learners, the purpose for conducting this study was to develop a profile of professional adult education providers and programming offered in Northwest Arkansas. In order to develop …

Differences In Learning Motivations Of Professionals And Nonprofessionals Participating In Two South Mississippi Institutes For Learning In Retirement, Constance Marie Farmer

Dissertations

This study investigated the differences in learning motivations of (a) professional and nonprofessional, and (b) urban and rural members of two south Mississippi Institutes for Learning in Retirement (ILR) programs in an attempt to expand C. O. Houle's conceptual model of continuing professional education into the retirement years and to determine if the life transitions of the older adult unite the learning orientations of these subpopulations into self-actualizing (growth) motives as part of the maturation process identified y Abraham Maslow.

Ninety urban ILR and 60 rural ILR members were recruited. Professional was defined as having completed a bachelor's degree or …

Aiding Non-Reading Spanish Speaking Adults With Worksource Orientation And Usage Through Low-Level Spanish Reading Workshops, Amy Claussen

All Graduate Projects

The goal of this project is to teach adult Hispanic low-level readers to utilize the Worksource of Kittitas County and to improve their reading in their language of origin. Research shows that the transfer of knowledge from the primary language to a new second language is not possible without mastery in the primary language first.

A Living Skills Curriculum For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Patricia Merz Ubelaker

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a living skills curriculum for adults with developmental disabilities. It will present many of the necessary skills for succeeding at living independently in the community. This curriculum was designed to be taught in a community college setting, using the ten week quarter system. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature and research was conducted. The review found few curricula available for teaching living skills and none on the postsecondary level. The research established a need for a curriculum ofliving skills for adults and this project is offered in partial fulfillment …

Washington State History: The Early Years, Margo M. Buchan

All Graduate Projects

The High School Completion Lab setting for Washington State History students, whose pre-project assignment for two hours a day, three days a week, involved reading the selected text, Northwest Heritage by William Scofield, and answering Chapter Questions, met state requirements but seemed unnecessarily sterile. It was hoped that the production of videotaped lessons which could be presented either to groups of H.S. 016 students or to individuals would, if well-made, provide the class with an enriched perspective of Washington State History.

Adult Basic Education: An Instructional Program Plan, Nancy Helen Warnstadt

All Graduate Projects

The project provides a comprehensive instructional program guide for Adult Basic Education at Centralia College. The project plan will be utilized to help track activities and illustrate accountability, assist in program evaluation, to clarify individual program objectives, end to provide guidelines and assistance to other programs facing similar problems. The project provides the following information: the setting description, the program mission statement, the instructional model, the component plans, the organization and staffing, progrem evaluation and a program improvement plan.