Education Commons^™

Examining The Relationship Between Mobile Phone Utilization On Self-Directed Online Professional Development Among Early Childhood Practitioners: A Preregistered Study, Jennifer Bowman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Arkansas early childhood practitioners' propensity for self-directed learning when using mobile phones to participate in self-paced online professional development. Further, the activity system model provides context for understanding practitioners' willingness to use technology, like smartphones, to adopt new information when interacting in online learning formats. The problem is that although we must offer professional development to ensure we have competent early childhood practitioners statewide, we are uncertain whether those practitioners have the propensity to use mobile phones to direct their online learning. The purpose of this cross-sectional regression study is to examine the relationship between early childhood …

Examining The Relationship Between Student Age And Modality Choice In A Community College’S New Student Orientation Program: A Preregistered Study To Examine The Assumption Of Self-Directed Learning, Amy L. Foree

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Understanding and navigating college rules, resources, and expectations is a considerable barrier for students accessing and transitioning to college (Conley, 2007; Williams, 1996; Hooker & Brand, 2010; Ardoin, 2013; Sheppard, 2012). To improve students’ acquisition of pertinent, time-sensitive information, many institutions have implemented mandatory new student orientations (NSO). Orientations provide information such as academic policies and procedures, institutional expectations, campus resources, and financial aid assistance. They also allow students to meet faculty, staff, and other new students. By providing these resources, institutions acclimate students to their new environment. Although colleges realize that new student orientations support students’ success, they …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Former Maine Adult Education Students Who Successfully Earned A High School Credential, Kayla Sikora

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Students who unenroll from traditional high school often seek a nontraditional pathway to earn a high school credential. Maine adult education programming provides a nontraditional pathway to a high school credential for high school non-completers. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of former students who obtained their high school credential through a Maine adult education program. Through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, eight participants shared their lived experiences working with Maine adult education programming to obtain their high school credential. Two themes emerged in this study: The significance of self-motivation and the importance of support. The significance of self-motivation was …

Relationships Between Self-Directed Learning And Character Strengths In Doctoral Students, Cynthia Noblin Perry

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between self-directed learning (measured using the PRO-SDLS) and character strengths (measured using the VIA-IS-P), as well as gender, age, and stage of doctoral study, in Ph.D. students. This relationship is examined using Hiemstra and Brockett's Person Process Context (PPC) model of self-directed learning and Peterson and Seligman's positive psychology VIA Model for Character Strengths and Virtues. The multiple regression study found that ten of 24 character strengths, as well as age, were associated with one or more of the four components of self-directed learning (initiative, control, self-efficacy, and motivation), as well as the composite measure.

Rural Appalachian Teachers' Use Of Social Media To Find And Engage In Professional Development, Kristy Johnson

Ed.D. Dissertations

Rural elementary teachers faced challenges to professional development which differed from their urban or suburban peers. With the increasing popularity of social media at the time of this study, rural elementary teachers had the opportunity to use social media to find and engage in professional development which might otherwise be unavailable to them. By engaging in professional development teachers found via social media, rural elementary teachers could overcome some of the challenges faced as a rural educator. The purpose of this study was to determine how rural elementary teachers perceived and used social media to find and engage in professional …

Practices And Innovative Technologies For Enhancing Microlearning, Jiahui Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Competency-based education (CBE) has become well-accepted as a powerful way to personalize learning. Today's advanced technologies have enhanced CBE even further. Practitioners in the field are seeking means to take advantage of technology to increase CBE's effectiveness and efficiency, especially for adult learners. Microlearning and digital open badges are two examples. This dissertation, which consists of three articles, aimed to provide more in-depth insights into the two innovative approaches. The first article is a literature review of the current understanding of microlearning. While microlearning is commonly defined as breaking down learning into manageable bite-size chunks, the review of the existing …

A Case Study Of Secondary Students' Perspectives On Standards-Based Grading And The Development Of 21st Century Learner Attributes, Michelle Blackley

Dissertations

Implementation of standards-based grading (SBG) practices can be a high benefit, low-cost initiative that directly impacts student achievement and growth. This case study aimed to determine if the theoretical value of SBG outlined in research aligns to the students’ perspectives of its value on academic learning, growth and development of 21^st century skills. Secondary students were interviewed and responses were organized into three themes: development of 21st century learner attributes, strengths of SBG and areas to improve. Results revealed that SBG supports individualized learning pace, development of a growth mindset, emotional well-being, student to teacher collaboration and 21^{st …}

The Mind’S Eyes: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Learning To Draw In Adulthood, Ramona Crawford

Educational Studies Dissertations

Amid a long period of deskilling in art school curricula, craft has been denigrated as inferior to art and confining for artists, but can craft liberate imagination? The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between an adult learner’s self-perceived capacity for imaginative expression in representational drawing and the development of her artisanal judgment during a self-directed program of classical study, online and in-person, over a period of 22 months (mostly during the coronavirus pandemic). The researcher created, coded, and analyzed drawings, photographs, field notes, diaries, and video recordings to track cognitive events and situative factors encountered in …

Investigating Self-Directed Learning And Adult Learner Readiness Attributes In A Call Center Environment, Mary Suzanne Scott-Muenter

Dissertations

This study investigated the self-directed learning (SDL) attributes of call center employees and explored the impact of an adaptive learning intervention used within the corporate training program. In order to explore the perception of the learners, the self-rated scale of self-directed learner readiness (SRSSDLR) survey instrument was used to gather participant feedback (Williamson, 2008). Qualitative data was collected from the surveys, completion scores were gathered through the LMS system, and performance data focused on trainee proficiency on the job following training. Quantitative analysis was conducted using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and t-tests to determine relationship between the self-directed learning attributes …

Plus 50 Students And Their Experiences With Technology In Undergraduate Classes, Jamillah L. Boyd, Nykea T. Watts-Edwards

Dissertations

As adult learners over 50 continue to pursue higher education, postsecondary institutions should have resources and services available to support this demographic. Previous research often combines Plus 50 students with all nontraditional students 24 years and older, making it difficult to understand the unique needs and learning experiences of older adult students in the academic environment. The use of technology for curriculum has increased significantly over the years and may present challenges for Plus 50 learners as they are introduced to it and learn to navigate it. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Plus 50 …

The Self-Directed Goal Theory Experiment: A Mixed Methods Study Of Personal Development Goal-Setting Programs And Self-Efficacy, Tara N. Strickland

Dissertations

Andragogy is not dead; it may be simply lying dormant until its essential component, self-directed learning, revives it again. The fact is that self-directed learning can be formal or informal. This mixed methods study explored the informal side of self-directed learning, concentrating on self-help (a popularized form of personal development goalsetting). Despite a thriving self-help market, several personal development goal-setting programs focus more on goal achievement, little on goal planning, and even less on the individual. A comparative analysis of autonomous, guided, and self-directed personal goal-setting programs determined if self-directedness maximizes self-efficacy. Additionally, the researcher’s original Self-Directed Goal Theory and …

Fundamental Principles Of Metacognition: A Qualitative Study Of Metacognition, Pedagogy And Transformation, Philip Hulbig

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigated the transformative quality of a metacognitive education. It examined a transformative metacognitive education from both the subjective personal perspective of the student who has gone through the process of transformation and the more objective pedagogical perspective of the professors who work to bring forth such transformational experiences in their students. Through interview and analysis these perspectives were integrated to produce a pedagogical theoretical framework derived from experience and grounded in observations about metacognition across various scientific disciplines. The personal elements of metacognition that promote educational transformation from within the students were contrasted with the pedagogical approaches of …

The Strength Of Self: An Examination Of Self-Directed Learning And Self-Regulated Learning Among Master’S Students, Holley Marie Linkous

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a lack of understanding of the difference between self-directed learning and self-regulated learning. Though both theories have been found to be important learning processes for achieving learning goals, there is little evidence to identify how the two directly compare. Self-directed learning and self-regulated learning can both be defined as learning processes as well as a collection of characteristics of an individual (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991; Efklides, 2011). There are metacognitive components to these learning processes (Saks & Leijen, 2014; Zimmerman & Moylan, 2009). It can benefit scholars to know how these two concepts within a structured, complex, high-demand, …

Students’ Meaning-Making Journeys Towards Self-Authorship Through Self-Designed Gap Year Experiences, Erin Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts …

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 …

What Drives Educators: A Mixed Methods Study On The Impact Of Motivations And Attitudes On Technology Integration Practices In The K-8 Classroom Setting, Janel Ann Reyneke

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rapid pace at which emerging technologies are evolving, many educators fell apprehensive toward shifting their pedagogy to stay relevant with technology adoption practices and 21st Century learning expectations. There is limited research connecting the adoption practices of early and late adopters to individual inherent motivational preferences. The goal of this multi-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods study sought to produce detailed findings of early and late adopters' tendencies and establish a connection to their motivation and integration practices. Additionally, this research sought to discover the impact that attitudes and perceived/actual barriers have on resistance to technology integration.

K-8 …

A Descriptive Exploration Of A Self-Directed Professional Development Approach, Derek R. Riddle

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teachers, who are deemed the greatest in-school factor of student success, are often invited or mandated to engage in some form of professional development (PD) to continue in improving their practice. However, an empirical understanding of how teachers learn from PD offerings remains elusive and incomplete. Often teachers report not learning from the models where they have little autonomy. While there is small body of research on teacher-driven models, there is a lack of sufficient evidence on whether these models enhance teacher learning and ultimately their practice. Therefore, this study employed grounded theory methods coupled with a descriptive research approach …

Cultivating Engagement Through Student-Centered Learning In A High School Media Art Class, Dyane Goldman

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Student-centered-learning is a broad term for an approach to education where students are independent, self-directed learners (Krueger, 2014). This active environment is invigorating, energizing and filled with students deeply engaged in the work at hand. Educators are leaning towards embracing methods that foster independence in their students and in turn, these methods are proving to be effective in cultivating an atmosphere of engagement in all types of learners.

This study assessed implementation of opportunities for self-directed learning, and evaluated student interest and engagement in classroom activities. A review of the literature indicates that adapting this approach can be effective in …

Relationship Between Health Literacy And Self-Directed Learning Readiness Of Older Adults, Robin Justice Dennis

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the health literacy level of older adults, age 65 and older, and the self-directed learning readiness score were correlated. After data cleaning, the number of cases was below the recommended rule of thumb. Deletion of cases indicated by the analyst of the self-directed learning readiness score (SDLRS-ABE), and imputation of missing data on the shortened test of functional health literacy (STOFHLA), limited the number of usable cases for analysis and presented a limitation to this study. A Pearson Correlation was then performed to determine any correlation between the scores on …

A Qualitative Study Examining The Learning Orientations Of Adult Doctoral Students In A College Of Education Using Houle’S Typology As A Framework, Kristeen Tiffanee Bulluck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Houle conducted one of the first studies about adult learner participation. In 1961, Houle wrote The Inquiring Mind, which describes three distinct learning types: goal-oriented, activity-oriented, and learning-oriented learning. For more than fifty years, The Inquiring Mind has been read, referenced, and reviewed. Several scholars during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s have added dimensions to Houle’s typology including: Sheffield (1964); Burgess (1971); Boshier (1971); Houle (1983); Gordon (1993); and Brockett and Donaghy (2011). What is missing in the current research is that no one has synthesized all of the literature and directly asked learners of today if the …

Learner-Directed Vs. Instructor-Provided Curriculum Among Undergraduate Students, Christopher D. Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been little or no research on the use of a Learning Object in the field of religious studies. The purpose of this research study was to assess undergraduate student knowledge gain outcomes between instructor-provided and learner-directed methods, which is the independent variable, using asynchronous, online, narrated PowerPoint presentations compared to undergraduate student knowledge gain using an online learning-objects unit, in a college-level world religions survey course at St. Petersburg College. This study assessed undergraduate student knowledge gain outcomes between instructor-provided and learner-directed methods among 90 college undergraduate students and determined whether there was a significant difference in the …

An Alternative Pathway To College: A Qualitative Case Study Of An Adult Learner In An Online Competency-Based Education (Cbe) Bachelor’S Degree Program, Fang Chen

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

My dissertation research investigated an adult learner’s experience in an online competency-based education (CBE) bachelor’s degree program. The purpose of my study was to understand how CBE was transforming the practices of traditional post-secondary education and how CBE was serving the needs of students, particularly nontraditional adult students in higher education.

The methodology used in this dissertation research was a qualitative case study. The participant was an adult learner enrolled in an online CBE bachelor's degree program at a public institution. My case study used a series of face-to-face interviews, document analysis, participant-guided web tours, and participant observation to collect …

Internet-Based Behavior Of It Professionals: Implications For Online Ergonomic Education To Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Priyadarshini Pattath

Theses and Dissertations

INTERNET-BASED BEHAVIOR OF IT PROFESSIONALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ONLINE ERGONOMIC EDUCATION TO PREVENT WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

By Priyadarshini Pattath, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Director: Dr. Robin Hurst, Assistant Professor of Adult Learning, Teaching and Learning,

School of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences of medium of ergonomic education and views about self-directed online training modules to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in computer professionals and understand their perspectives and experiences about online health information seeking using a …

The Learning Projects Of Municipal Elected Officials, Rebecca Campbell Smeltzer

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the learning projects related to the governmental role of a selected sample of elected municipal officials in a geographic region of a Southeastern state. The study includes the revision of Tough’s (1975) learning projects interview schedule and the addition of eight demographic items.

Participants were selected by using a random number generator to choose 12 cities from seven population groups, creating a stratified sample of 68 elected officials, 41 of whom agreed to be interviewed. Demographic information revealed that the participants were a mix of mayors (26.8%), vice-mayors (19.5%), and city …

Self-Directed Learning: A Potential Predictor Of Technology Integration Confidence Among Preservice Teachers, Jeffrey L. Beard

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-directed learning (SDL) and the confidence to integrate technology into the classroom among preservice K-12 teachers enrolled at a large southeastern university. The intent was to determine the extent to which SDL is related to technology integration confidence and, further, to what extent SDL predicts technology integration confidence. In this study, the Personal Responsibility Orientation—Self-Directed Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) (Stockdale, 2003; Stockdale & Brockett, 2010) was used to measure levels of learner self-direction. Additionally, the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS) (Browne, 2009) was revised (TICS-R) and was used to measure …

A Mixed-Method Study Of Mobile Devices And Student Self-Directed Learning And Achievement During A Middle School Stem Activity, Scott Bartholomew

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students, many argue for and against the inclusion of these devices in K-12 classrooms. Arguments in favor cite instant access to information and collaboration with others as positive affordances made possible through mobile devices. Self-directed learning, a process where individuals take charge of their learning and decide what they will learn, how they learn it, and how they assess their learning, has been identified as an increasingly important trait for K-12 students. The relationship between mobile device access in K-12 education settings and student self-directed learning has not been explored. …

Personal Learning Environments For Business Organizations, Denise Wunderlich

Wayne State University Dissertations

This exploratory, mixed-methods case study investigated supervisor/manager-level employees in a hospital health care organization to examine how they created and used personal learning environments (PLEs), what internet/Web 2.0 technologies were used to solve work-related problems (or for professional development), and what strategies were engaged to meet learning goals. Research questions addressed: what internet/Web 2.0 technologies were used to find and retrieve information, build networks, collaborate, and create and share knowledge; what triggered employees to use internet/Web 2.0 technologies to solve work-related problems; how they evaluated information found; how they determined completion of learning goals; how much confidence they had in …

How To Help Students Develop Projects Independently For Self-Directed Learning, Evelyn Kerstein Sears

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiential learning in adult education is on the rise. A small private college in the southeast United States initiated a program that required 3 experiential learning projects to be completed in addition to coursework. The problem was that less than 8% of students had independently developed their first project. Instead, they completed a project proposed by faculty. This situation resulted in student dependency on faculty rather than promoting self-directed learning. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding about how to help students develop independent projects for the self-directed learning program. Experiential and self-directed learning theories formed the …

The Relationship Between Hope And Self-Directed Learning In The Workplace, Vicki Martin Dieffenderfer

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between self-directed learning and hope in the workplace. Participants completed two self-directed learning instruments, the Survey of Adult Learning Traits (SALT) (Hogg, 2008) and the Learner Self-directedness in the Workplace Scale (LSWS) (De Bruin & De Bruin, 2011), along with two hope scales, the Hope Trait Scale (Snyder et al., 1991) and the author-generated Workplace Learning Hope Scale. Correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regressions were used to test the relationship and differences between self-directed learning and hope, specifically within the domain of workplace learning. All instruments utilized in this study displayed sound internal consistency reliability. The …

Understanding Faculty And Non-Traditional Student Perceptions Of Self-Directed Learning In A Practical Nursing Program, Carmen Marie Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify and investigate nursing faculty and student perspectives of self-directed learning in a practical nursing program. It also explored the degree to which student's perceptions of self-directed learning exhibited factors consistent with that of critical thinking. This study is important because self-directed learning and its critical thinking elements are essential in providing safe, competent, effective, and efficient nursing care within practice and education. Using an explanatory case study design the practice of self-directed learning within a practical nursing program was examined through the use of: classroom observations, interviews with nursing faculty, nursing students, and document …