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Appreciative Accreditation: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Study Of Appreciative Inquiry-Based Institutional Effectiveness Results In Higher Education, John Thibodeau

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the effects of using Appreciative Inquiry in accreditation and related institutional effectiveness activities within higher education. Using an explanatory participant-selection mixed methods approach, qualitative data from a series of interviews were used to explain the experiences of individuals identified from quantitative survey results. Appreciative Inquiry is a theoretical framework for action research, organizational development, and evaluation that emphasizes the positive aspects of human systems. In recent years, Appreciative Inquiry has been applied specifically to improvement activities associated with regional accreditation, such as the Vital Focus self-assessment that precedes the transition to the Higher Learning Commission's AQIP process. …