Education Commons^™

Faculty Perceptions And Integration Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Programs Designed For Adult Learners, Jennifer Mattingly

Dissertations of Practice

Enrollment in colleges and universities has become increasingly diverse and with the looming demographic cliff, many institutions have turned more attention to the adult learner population. However, the diversity of the adult learner has often been overlooked, including in research about how culturally responsive pedagogy is incorporated into adult learning models. The purpose of this case study was to learn about how faculty in adult learning degree programs perceive and integrate culturally responsive pedagogy into their teaching practices. The case site was a department that offers degrees specifically designed for adult learners at a small, private liberal arts institution located …

Investigating The Critical Literacy Practices Of Adult Learners: A Case Study Of Four Leveled Reading Courses At A Community College, Anna Fontaine

Dissertations

This study investigates the critical literacy practices of adult learners at a community college. Student participants were selected from four different leveled reading courses. In this study, four guiding questions were adopted from Klenner and Sandretto (2011): (1) How do students make personal connections to text?; (2) In what ways do students identify multiple points of view in the text?; (3) In what ways do students identify where people in the text and included or excluded from social situations?; (4) In what ways do students discuss the influences the text has had on their views of society? These four questions …

Silently Correcting Your Grammar: Responses To Feedback And Adult Learners' Rural Writing Ecosystems, Jessica Marie Kubiak

English Theses & Dissertations

Over a century ago, rhetoricians called on writing instructors in the U.S. to accept and even encourage language diversity among learners. Yet scholars of composition, rhetoric, and writing studies are still advocating for this via arguments for linguistic justice and translingualism, even referring to strict adherence to a single, mainstream standard for language use as a kind of violence. This disconnect between scholarship and practice is evident in the silences surrounding first-year composition language instruction. This dissertation charts that disciplinary disconnect and then describes how adult students at a rural, open-access community college experience first-year composition feedback, with special attention …

Addressing The Need For An Appropriate Adult Learning Environment To Increase Student Retention And Success, Karen L. Morgan-Bowyer

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to transform a learning environment for adult learners who have faced trauma and have had negative educational experiences. The OIP seeks to identify barriers to learning and well-being for this group and develop effective strategies to create a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes learner retention, engagement, and empowerment. Through the lens of transformational and servant leadership, the OIP incorporates actionable steps, including the development of trauma-informed andragogy into daily practices and interactions with adult learners, the provision of training and support for faculty and staff to understand the needs of this group of …

Active Imagination, Wellbeing And Ways Of Seeing: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Experiences Of Adult Learners With Visual Impairments, Steinberg Henry

Educational Studies Dissertations

Six female and two male adult learners who became blind between the ages of 20 and 75 years participated in this study conducted by a blind researcher. The purposely sampled eight were interviewed virtually by way of Zoom. In combination with Johnny Saldana’s work on codes, this study used the NVivo framework for determining structuring categories, selecting node themes, code frameworks and final codes from the first interview. 291 codes were clustered under 26 node themes. NVivo’s word frequency search and Word Tree were applied to clarify and lend a number value to participants’ codes. The second interview, administered after …

Post-Pandemic Digital Experiences & Attitudes Among Adult Immigrant Esol Learners, Lacey D. Goodloe

Master's Theses

This mixed-methods study considers the current reality of the “digital divide” as experienced by adult immigrant ESOL learners following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period. Although prior research often assumes foreign-born individuals to have lower rates of access, skills and motivation to engage with technology, or to lack it altogether, this study seeks to contribute a more realistic picture which encompasses the full diversity of digital experiences among the foreign-born population. The review of the literature first covers two levels of the digital divide that often evince socioeconomic disparities: primarily access, skills and usage; and more recently, attitudes and motivation. Then, …

Examining The Experiences Of Adult Learners In A First-Year Seminar Course At A Tennessee Community College, Michell Ivey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of adult learners in a first-year seminar course at Columbia State Community College, located in middle Tennessee, to determine if the content of the course has an impact on the learners’ adjustment to college. With the statewide initiative to reach a goal of 55% of the state’s population having a postsecondary credential, a push has been made to focus on adult learners to help the reach this goal. Understanding and addressing the adjustment needs of adult learners is necessary to aid retaining adult learners through completion. The first-year seminar course …

An Autoethnograpy Of A Baby Boomer In Higher Education: Challenges And Catalysts For Change, Deborra Finlan

Theses & Dissertations

Higher education as a baby boomer brings mental, physical, and economic adjustments, concerns, and insecurities. Additionally, life delivers unexpected challenges and barriers which can cause hardships requiring various types of motivation. Fortunately, there are also catalysts which can contribute toward successes. Literature from four major elements were the focus in this study: motivation, adult learning, challenges, barriers, and catalysts. Theorists and theories included Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation with the added factor of cost, and Ryan and Deci’s theory on self-determination; Mezirow’s transformative learning and Knowles’s self-directed learning; Cross’s theory on educational barriers—situational, dispositional, and institutional; and Cobb’s social support …

Identifying Facilitators And Barriers For A Successful Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist’S Clinical Experience, James Clancy, Adam Bruinius

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Student registered nurse anesthetists experience a wide variety of barriers and facilitators to their clinical education; often rotating through several clinical sites during their nurse anesthesia educational program (NAEP) tenure. Existing evidence suggests SRNAs must be proficient in seeking, accepting, and utilizing feedback from clinical preceptors (Algiraigri, 2014). Accepting constructive criticism may be challenging for SRNAs as they are highly skilled, competent nurses who are now entering rigorous NAEPs as novices. Reverting from preceptor to preceptee can be a difficult transition for SRNAs. This project aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to a successful SRNA clinical education through a literature …

The Effects Of Using Adult Learning Principles In Sermons, David Pierre

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to assess the effects of adult learning principles (ALP) in sermons on parishioners’ spiritual growth. Sermons have been central to the spread of Christianity. Given the significant role sermons play in parishioners’ spiritual formation and growth, examining sermons’ effectiveness is crucial. One-hundred-and-twenty participants responded to the researcher-created research instrument. An initial screening was first conducted with the study's data; as a result, 13 participants were removed from the data set for complete non-response to the 15 survey items. Three research questions and hypotheses were formally stated to address the study’s topic. Over …

Beginning English Literacy Instruction For Adult Refugees And Immigrants: An Attempt To Decolonize The Approach(Es), Xania Bytof

MA TESOL Collection

Although many organizations offer free “beginning” English classes for adult refugees and immigrants in the U.S., most of these classes depend on written worksheets and other print materials – therefore requiring students to be familiar with the English alphabet in order to follow along. The lack of accessible beginning literacy classes for adult refugees and immigrants puts students with limited or interrupted formal education and those whose language(s) don’t use the roman alphabet at a stark disadvantage. Additionally, most literacy coursework is designed from a Western perspective whose historical, political and social foundational structures hold English literacy and Western funds …

Reflections On Preservice Preparation And Professional Development Among Instructors Of Adult Emergent Bi/Multilingual Learners, David A. Housel

Theses and Dissertations

The preservice preparation and ongoing professional development for instructors of adult emergent bi/multilingual learners (EBLs) in the United States has been characterized as “deeply uneven,” lacking uniformity, consistent academic rigor, and practical application to bolster instructors’ feelings of self-efficacy and agency in addressing their students’ complex learning needs. Using the Standards for ESL/EFL Teachers of Adults (2008) as a foundation, this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study explored the reflections of instructors of adult EBLs regarding their preservice preparation, ongoing professional development, and the guidance and support received from teaching colleagues and supervisors. The survey instrument developed contained a combination …

Adult Education For Japanese Immigrant Community: Social Bonding To Social Bridging, Naomi Nakamura

Community Engagement Student Work

Many Japanese who have been living in the U.S. for more than decades identify themselves as Japanese, not U.S. citizens. This so called transnational identity has an impact on how they assimilate or integrate to American social life. The purpose of this project is to explore the better learning environment and the effects of education for Japanese adult immigrants who may not actively participate in local communities. A workshop was held with Japanese residents in the Boston area to explore microaggressions and how people can think about their engagement with their communities. Workshop evaluation findings suggested that there is a …

Enrolling And Matriculatiing Adult Learners At A Public Community College In Illinois, Christina J. Coclanis-Loding

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Christina J. Coclanis-LodingDepartment of Higher Education and Student Affairs Northern Illinois University, 2021 Carrie A. Kortegast, Director

There are 44 million adults over the age of 24 who hold a high school diploma, and another 35 million adult who have some college credit, but have not earned their college degree. These numbers make adult learners a viable population to attract and matriculate at community colleges. Considering the impact adult learners would have on enrollment in a time when enrollment numbers have been declining and the benefits to the local economies by providing skilled workers, the recruitment of adult learners is …

Online Nontraditional Students’ Attitudes About Software Used By Academic Advisors, Monica Triplett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWhile many universities rely on student success software to facilitate the academic advising process, little is known about how nontraditional students view technology-mediated advising and its usefulness for preventing attrition with this population. The purpose of this study was to explore how nontraditional undergraduates who may lack facility with technology view software as a tool to engage with their advisors and provide support for their academic decisions. Moore’s theory of transactional distance and Astin’s theory of engagement served as frameworks. Using a basic qualitative method, 14 students over the age of 40 years who were enrolled in various online undergraduate …

The Impact Of Teacher Methodology Training For Higher Education Faculty Members, Nicole Baker

Ed.D. Dissertations

Many college programs are designed to graduate individuals who are experts in their field of study, but not necessarily individuals who are trained in how to teach. This quantitative, quasi-experiment study examined college faculty member’s level of training in the area of teaching practices and methodology. The relation to student satisfaction, current course performance, attendance, the belief in the need for training, and faculty member’s sense of efficacy in teaching was explored. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to organize the data using a one-way ANCOVA to analyze the impact the level of training had on …

Emotional Intelligence, Self-Directed Learning, And Online Success In Adult Learners: A Mediation Model, Amanda C. Coté

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online education has been established as a viable option for adult learners. More recently, it has been adopted by many institutions as a critical component in their long-term planning and success. Despite consistent growth rates in online enrollment, and the advantages to online learning, attrition rates for online courses remain higher than traditional (ground) courses. Bar-On’s theory of emotional intelligence (EI) and Knowles’ self-directed learning (SDL) theory have been positively linked with online academic performance and identified as predictors of learning online and life success. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore EI and SDL as predictors …

How Teachers And Counselors Collaborate Formally And Informally To Improve The Precollege Curriculum, Amanda Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and counselors in a large suburban district in the Southeastern United States strive to collaborate to equip students with key skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The problem is that little was known about the collaborative challenges teachers and counselors faced as they implemented the precollege curriculum in secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally to improve the precollege curriculum as recommended by the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association and adopted by the local district. Knowles’s theory of andragogy provided …

Understanding Adult English Language Learners' Experience With Self-Regulation In A Blended English Language Course, Karen T. Arnesen

Theses and Dissertations

Self-regulation is necessary for success in any learning context, but for adult immigrants to the United States who are trying to learn English, it is critical. This qualitative research investigated 46 such learners enrolled in a blended English language course. Using Zimmerman’s 6 dimensions of self-regulation as a framework and data from observations, interviews, and reflexive journals, we attempted to understand and describe how these learners experienced self-regulation. We found that although these learners had strong desires to learn English, they lacked the self-regulation abilities that could bring their desires to fruition. They had difficulty transferring their desires to learn …

Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Lisa H. Justice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to examine, through the process of action research and design of practitioner inquiry, the experiences of students and teachers in an adult learning program in order to better understand the problem of adult learner perseverance. The program is located in a rural community in the Southeastern United States and serves adults ages seventeen and older who do not have a high school diploma. Often, these specific adult learners are saddled with barriers that prevent their success in our program, and adult educators face challenges themselves to find ways to support learner perseverance. The …

The Impact Of A Problem-Posing Approach On Student Engagement In An Esl Classroom In A Mid-Atlantic State, Beverly Anne Richardson Jewett

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of a problem-posing approach on student engagement in an ESL classroom at a community college in a Mid-Atlantic state. This study took place during the Spring 2019 semester with seven participants, two males and five females. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, student work artifacts, informal interviews, and field observations. The results of the study revealed that the students perceived an increase in their own engagement through a problem-posing instructional approach. Furthermore, the results revealed increased students’ value of collaboration, an environment that disarmed the fear of speaking, and connections to …

The Attitudes And Learning Styles Of Adult Learners To E-Instruction Of The Spanish Language, Brian Santos

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between adult learner attitudes toward technology and learning style. A sample of community college Spanish students in a Midwestern city in the United States was surveyed to determine (a) an attitude score toward Spanish E-Instruction based on the Lukow ATUTS (Attitudes toward Using Technology Survey) and (b) a learning style measured by the Kolb LSI (Learning Style Inventory). The majority of participants (n = 151) were aged 18-29 (95%), used between one and five software programs on a daily basis (88%), spent at least 11 hours a week online (88%), and reported an "Accommodating" …

Educating Our Educators: How Teachers Understand Themselves As Adult Learners And Perceive Their Professional Learning Experiences, Desirae` Khampanya

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated how teachers understand themselves as adult learners and perceive their professional learning experiences within a rural school district in North Carolina. This study was a replication of Fitzgerald’s (2014) dissertation and sought to extend the generalizability of the original study. An explanatory mixed-methods design was used, and the two sources of data collected included an online survey and virtual interviews. The results from this study indicated that almost all participating teachers learned best when the core adult learning principles (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2015) were applied to their professional learning experiences, but less than half of those …

A Qualitative Assessment Of Professional Development In A Competency-Based Education Model, Kerry Hannah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Competency-based education (CBE) is increasingly important in higher education, both in volume and pervasiveness, which increases the need for comprehensive, systematic, and effective program-based support and instruction for faculty and staff. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to gather expert opinions about competency-based best practices in professional development, support, and training resources in order to effectively implement a CBE method at a university. The conceptual framework comprised of adult learning theory and competency-based education. Eight experts in competency-based education completed 2 rounds of anonymous questionnaires with open- and closed-ended questions. Data analysis involved a systematic process of coding …

Perceptions Of The Effects Of Technical Competence On Female Adult Learners, Tamela Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities face some retention problems for female adult learners over the age of 25 who face technical requirements in higher education courses. However, little is known about how technology influences the experiences of female adult learners. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify how female adult learners over the age of 25 perceived the technical demands of the courses in their degree programs and how they coped with those demands. The conceptual frameworks for the study were the adult learning theory, which focuses on self-directed learning, and the transactional distance theory. Participants for this study …

A Qualitative Assessment Of Professional Development In A Competency-Based Education Model, Kerry Hannah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Competency-based education (CBE) is increasingly important in higher education, both in volume and pervasiveness, which increases the need for comprehensive, systematic, and effective program-based support and instruction for faculty and staff. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to gather expert opinions about competency-based best practices in professional development, support, and training resources in order to effectively implement a CBE method at a university. The conceptual framework comprised of adult learning theory and competency-based education. Eight experts in competency-based education completed 2 rounds of anonymous questionnaires with open- and closed-ended questions. Data analysis involved a systematic process of coding …

The Lived Experiences Of Veteran And Military Students In The Context Of A “Military Friendly” Institution: A Phenomenological Case Study, Gail Y. Rouscher

Dissertations

There have been many studies of military and veteran students attending a higher education institution after a period of time on active duty. The studies on this population can be divided into four categories: (a) stopping out (Belch, 2004; Cavote & Kopera-Frye, 2007; DiRamio & Spires, 2009; Schnoebelen, 2013), (b) financial (Winston, 2010), (c) enrollment, (Hassan, Jackson, Lindsay, McCabe, & Sanders, 2010) and (d) programming (APSCU, 2013; Burnett & Segoria, 2009; DiRamio, Ackerman, & Mitchell, 2008; Lokken, Pfeffer, McAuley & Strong, 2009; Mangan, 2009). There is limited research on completion rates for veteran and military students who have the opportunity …

"Can You Just Move The Curtain?": Stories Of Women From The Educational Underclass At The College Door, Janet Kaplan-Bucciarelli

Educational Studies Dissertations

Although millions of adults with a high school diploma or GED need and want to further their education by attaining a postsecondary credential, the majority do not succeed. It is widely known that marginalized adult learners arrive at college academically underprepared and that they face numerous barriers to participation once they enroll. But very few studies look at adults’ life experiences, assets, and perspectives on college before they enroll—when they are still “at the college door.”

This qualitative study explores the stories of ten women (ages 29-56) in pre-college transition classes in the Northeast US, and how their familial, school, …

Supports And Services Helpful To Working Adult Nursing Students, Cheryl Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has experienced historically low graduation rates in public and private 2-year, degree-granting institutions. Many of these institutions are community colleges, which account for 60% of all student enrollment. This study was conducted to explore supports and services that may be helpful to working adult students over the age of 25 enrolled in a 2-year associate degree nursing program in a community college. Tinto's interactionalist theory of student persistence and retention and constructivist theory were the conceptual frameworks for this qualitative case study. The two guiding questions were focused on the types of support that would be helpful …

Vertical Transfer And Baccalaureate Completion For Adult Community College Students: Milestones And Momentum Points That Matter, Laura Yavitz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adult community college students, age 25 and older, have been understudied in the extensive college transfer literature, which otherwise focuses on traditional-age college students age 18 through 24, or on students of unspecified age. According to the theoretical framework of academic momentum articulated by Clifford Adelman (2006), enrollment patterns during college can speed up or slow down students’ progress. The limited transfer research on adult students suggests that adults respond differently than traditional-age students to certain academic momentum variables that can impact vertical transfer and baccalaureate outcomes.

This quantitative longitudinal study examined 1,712 student records using sequential logistic regression to …