Adult and Continuing Education Commons^™

White, Working-Class Adult Male Students In Higher Education: The Effects Of Working-Class Identity On Educational Success, Terence Lynn

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study situated in grounded theory aimed to identify the forces that impede or support white working-class males in pursuing, adapting to, and remaining in higher education and making meaningful progress in their educational goals. Utilizing a feminist ecological perspective, the researcher was able to outline and provide context of the white working-class male experience in America. The primary research question guiding this study involved the ways in which white male working-class identity affects white working-class males’ return to higher education. An inductive approach involving Relational-Cultural Theory allowed for an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of 10 …

Examining The Experiences Of The Hearing Officer In The College Student Conduct Process, Gregory Mantolesky

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Student conduct is one of the most important aspects of student life on a college campus. The staff members who serve as conduct hearing officers play an important role in helping students recognize their rights and responsibilities in the campus community and overcome poor decision making. There is a need to study the experiences of hearing officers to inform the development of consistent and effective training for those performing this role on college campuses. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological dissertation was to understand the lived experiences of the hearing officers, specifically in regard to the training that they …

The Application Of Adult Learning And Development Theory In The Undergraduate Classroom, Jennifer Flewelling

Educational Studies Dissertations

Instructors in higher education may have a limited knowledge of ways adults learn and develop. That lack of theoretical understanding may have inhibited the pedagogical practice of faculty in the undergraduate classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore how university instructors described their understanding of adult learning and development in undergraduate settings, and to identify factors that influenced the design and implementation of instructional practice as reported by undergraduate faculty. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 95 university instructors in Northeastern Massachusetts. Follow-up interviews were …

Acknowledge Us: An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Female Army Veterans In Undergraduate Programs, Jennifer O'Neil

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the lived experiences of female United States Army veterans who have enrolled in an academic undergraduate program post discharge. As higher education continues to be an important transition point for female veterans, understanding the lived experiences of this population provides higher education administrators and faculty the opportunity to create and implement services and programs that will appropriately assist this population in their educational journey. Using a phenomenological methodology (Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2015; van Manen,1990) thirteen female veterans across five different eras (Vietnam, 1980’s peacetime, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan) took part in …

Exploring Meteorology Education In Community College: Lecture-Based Instruction And Dialogue-Based Group Learning, Jason Paul Finley

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study examined the impact of dialogue-based group instruction on student learning and engagement in community college meteorology education. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare lecture-based instruction with dialogue-based group instruction during two class sessions at one community college in southern California. Pre- and post-tests were used to measure learning and interest, while surveys were conducted two days after the learning events to assess engagement, perceived learning, and application of content. The results indicated that the dialogue-based group instruction was more successful in helping students learn than the lecture-based instruction. Each question that assessed learning had a higher score …

Restorative Practices: Graduate Students' Perspectives Seen Through A Transformative Learning Lens: A Dissertation, Craig W. Adamson

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation explores students’ learning experiences in a newly accredited graduate school focused on Restorative Practices Theory, which enables people to restore and build community collectively. This exploration was conducted using a Transformative Adult Learning Theory lens in order to understand graduate students’ perspectives regarding their learning experiences. Data were gathered using a qualitative and quantitative mixed method concurrent nested strategy design (Creswell, 2003). Fifteen total participants at multiple phases of graduate study made up the sample, including both current students and alumni. Participants were involved in a semi-structured interview, submitted a previously completed course reflection paper and gave permission …

Power And Authority In The Student-Instructor Relationship In A Restorative Practices-Based Graduate Program, John W. Bailie

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study examined power and authority in the student–instructor relationship in a restorative practices–based graduate program. This qualitative investigation utilized a narrative approach. Ten alumni of the International Institute for Restorative Practices master’s degree programs were engaged in a one-time face-to-face interview and document review of their final master’s degree capstone papers. A listening guide voice-centered method was used as the primary data analysis method. This study found that participants used highly consistent language when describing the teachers and professors who were most meaningful to them, regardless of life stage. The second finding was that participants had meaningful personal experiences …

Oasis From Learn-To-Earn: Adult, Working-Class, Liberal Arts Graduates Make Meaning Of Their Learning Careers At Harvard, Suzanne C. Spreadbury

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn from 18 adult students, all of whom grew-up working class and many of whom were living working-class lives as adults, the meaning of returning to school and earning a liberal arts degree from an open-enrollment program. Harvard Extension School (HES), which is part of a selective, elite institution: Harvard University. The educational research in the US is sparse on adult, working-class, liberal arts, students. Indeed, these students' experiences go mostly undocumented due to the agreed upon conclusion that adult students, in general, and working-class students, in particular, are more interested in job …