Adult and Continuing Education Commons^™

The Path To Self-Authorship: The Pre-Service Teacher-Writer, Shari L. Daniels Dr., Pamela Beck

Literacy Practice and Research

This literature review examined the relationship between the development of a teacher who writes (teacher-writer) and the phases of self-authorship, “the internal capacity to define one's beliefs, identity and social relations” (Baxter Magolda, 2001, p. 269). The narratives of three teacher-writer-authors show a correlation to Magolda’s self-authorship phases. The purpose of this examination was to explore the question: How might a writing support teachers in personally and professionally? Research suggests new teachers are unprepared for today’s classrooms. Could this unpreparedness may be related to a lack of self-authorship? Might a consistent writing practice propel teachers through the phases of self-authorship …

Adult Learner Attrition Analysis: At-Risk Hispanic Males In New York City Transfer Schools, Jason Joseph Almodovar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adult Basic Education (ABE) initiatives in the United States of America reintroduce high school dropouts to alternative diploma granting pathways. These pathways have one pivotal goal: to graduate high school dropouts. Hispanic males have the highest dropout rates in New York City alone. ABE programs, like New York City Transfer Schools (NYCTS), try to decrease Hispanic male attrition. This study examined Hispanic male high school attrition among other enrolled female and racial subgroups in NYCTS.

This quantitative study consisted of analyses of the 2015 NYCTS cohort (N = 5,205). Logistic regression, chi-squares and crosstabulations revealed that Hispanic male students …

Assessment Of Factors Affecting Dropout Intentions During The First Year In A Modeling School, Mauro Echeverri

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, there has been little research done on student dropout rates in modeling schools. This quantitative study utilizes applied research methods to analyze 138 female students in STAGE, a modeling school, where most students are between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. This study aims to examine why students drop out during their first year of study. The model utilized in this research integrates variables derived from Vincent Tito’s theory of departure, in addition to other variables not included in this theory like the parental support impact on extracurricular activities. Correlations analyses were used to assess the …

Physicians Among Us: The Lived Experience Of Unlicensed Foreign Born And Educated Physicians Present In The Us As They Retrain For Non-Physician Primary Care Roles., Dwight Nimblett

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are as many as 65,000 unlicensed foreign born and trained doctors across the United States who are credentialed in their home countries but unable to practice in the U.S. The primary goal of this study was to describe and understand an understudied human experience: the lived experience of unlicensed foreign educated physicians who are present in the U.S. as they retrain for non-physician primary care roles.

The theoretical frameworks undergirding the study are Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory (TL), also referred to as Perspective Transformation as well as the complimentary perspectives of Otherness and Liminality theories.

Seven FEPs were …

Investigating Individual Difference Among Workplace Incivility And Its Organizational Outcomes In The Chinese Context, Yuejia Chen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of workplace incivility is on the rise. As a workplace stressor, workplace incivility is linked with detrimental outcomes for both individuals and organizations, such as increased intention to turnover, reduced job performance, and job dissatisfaction. The current study gains fresh insights about how targets of incivility interpret and respond to this uncivil behavior as an occupational stressor.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between targets’ perceptions of workplace incivility and its organizational outcomes (i.e., job performance and turnover intention), as moderated by personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness) in the context of China. …

A Life In The Day Of An Adult Literacy Tutor: A Perspective On Tutoring Adults, June Hyjek

Literacy Practice and Research

No abstract provided.

Former Foster Youth And Their Pursuit Of A College Degree, Lori Ann Gionti

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to examine former foster youth as they pursue college. Foster youth are known to attend and graduate college at a rate lower than their non-fostered peers. Understanding more about the journey of former foster youth as they pursue a college degree will help to understand what barriers are faced and what supports enhance their likelihood of enrollment and graduation.

Study #1, a structured literature review, examined the scholarly literature on former foster youth and college. Data were collected through a library database search and Google Scholar. Descriptive, demographic-type information was compiled and …

The Moderating Effects Of Neuroticism And Psychological Contract Incongruence On The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support, Perceived Supervisor Support, And Affective Commitment, Gail M. Hansen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nonexperimental study (N = 279) investigated the moderating effect of the trait neuroticism and psychological contract incongruence on perceptions about the organization, supervisor, and level of affective commitment. Using Qualtrics, a survey battery was administered to supervisors who had completed leadership training at a single institution of higher education located in southern Florida, USA.

The findings of the present study provided new insights into the neuroticism scale items, suggesting that depression might be a hidden factor in more than half of the population. Another finding demonstrated that few individuals attribute a psychological contract breach to an honest misunderstanding. …

A Proposed Social Cognitive Career Development Model For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Amanda M. Giust

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental, correlational research tested a hypothesized employment model using the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) for individuals with ID who have completed high school in Miami, Florida, USA. The variables examined in the study were (a) environmental supports and barriers (e.g., family expectations, available community resources) (b) personal attributes (e.g., self-determination), (c) career behavior, and (d) the outcome of employment. Results of the logistic and hierarchical regression models demonstrated that the hypothesized model accounted for 22.3% of the variance in reported employment attainment. In both regression models, the personal attributes variable was statistically significant to employment outcome and the …

It Takes Two: A Basic Interpretive Study On The Role Of Intercultural Communication On Career Development, Rochelle T. Patten

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are encountering a more diverse workforce as the world experiences an increase in immigration and globalization. Some of these employees are immigrants from Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica. These employees speak English with an accent different from the American standard and oftentimes find themselves at a disadvantage when seeking career development opportunities. Current studies on intercultural communication tend to examine the Asian, European, and African American accent in relation to education, business, and career development. There are no studies that explore the role of intercultural communication, specifically the English-speaking Caribbean accent, on career development. The …

The Influence Of Employee Engagement On Discretionary Effort And Job Performance In The Cruise Line Customer Contact Center Workplace, Stephen B. Rodoquino Iii

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This nonexperimental, correlational study examined the relation among job fit,

psychological climate, and employee engagement and discretionary effort and job

performance. An Internet-based self-report survey was administered to a sample of 307

cruise line customer contact center reservation agents. The research hypotheses were

evaluated using correlational and hierarchical regression analytic procedures.

Job fit and psychological climate were linked positively and significantly with

employee engagement and employee engagement accounted for significant variance in

both discretionary effort and job performance. In evaluating the discretionary effort

conceptual model, after statistically controlling for gender, ethnicity and amount of job

experience, the results of the …

Workplace Incivility Toward Individuals With Disabilities, Secure Attachment Style, And Mental Health: Focus On Mediator And Moderator Effects, Mia Heikkila

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the value of workplace civility, civility has been replaced by social exchanges that include statements and behaviors deemed largely unacceptable and undeniably rude. One type of rude behavior that appears innocuous is called workplace incivility, yet incivility disturbs efficient functioning among employees, intensifies work stress, and poses a grave financial hazard to an organization. Literature expressly on incivility toward individuals with disabilities is virtually non-existent, although emerging literature reveals that employees with disabilities are at a greater risk of experiencing workplace mistreatment vis-à-vis employees without disabilities. This quantitative study investigated the role of workplace incivility with respect to individuals …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees In Florida, Racha Sankar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Syrian refugees settled in the United States may experience food insecurity due to different socioeconomic factors that may include nutrition knowledge, language proficiency, women’s education, and perceived stress. The structure and the type of households may also contribute to food insecurity in this population.

The objective of this study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. It also aimed to determine the socioeconomic factors that may attribute to food insecurity at household level.

A comprehensive 228-item questionnaire was administered to N=80 households (n=43 in rural areas, n=37 in urban areas). Families with and without children were …

Persistence Among Emerging Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury In Postsecondary Settings, Ardith A. Clayton-Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study sought to investigate the demographic and socio-psychological factors associated with predicting persistence in postsecondary education among emerging adults with traumatic brain injury. The predicting variables in this study were: (a) gender (sex), (b) socioeconomic status (SES), (c) employment, (d) years of education; (e) age at onset of injury, (f) existence of familial capital/parental involvement, and (g) hours spent studying for a class.

Data were obtained from a secondary dataset collected by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center longitudinal database. There were 2436 participants with TBI in the study. Ages ranged from 16 …

A Phenomenological Study On Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulated Learning Strategies And Their Link To Persistence In Hispanic College English Language Learners, Gabriela Defrancisco

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In adult education, studies have been done in the areas of persistence, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategies and the Hispanic population. However, this study was unique in its attempt at examining the link between the self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies in the persistence of Hispanic college English language learners. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experience of 1^st generation Hispanic English Language learners during their first year at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

The researcher conducted 14 semi-structured interviews of their experiences both as immigrants learning the English language and first-generation college students by utilizing a phenomenological framework. …

Development Of A Transfer Of Training Measure For Law Enforcement, Daniel Costa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Training in the workplace has become a valuable tool that has been linked to improved employee performance and overall organizational outcomes. The field of law enforcement is particularly impacted by the transfer of training given its complex and dynamic nature. Despite its significance, there is a lack of research in law enforcement and therefore of available instruments to measure the transfer of training. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess seven components that can influence the transfer of training in law enforcement: trainees’level of motivation/ curiosity, peer support, supervisor support, opportunity to use, …

What Factors Influence Affirmative-Action Students' Achievement In Brazilian Federal Universities?, Gabriela Martinez Gillespie

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine what personal and family characteristics, pre-college factors and environmental variables, contribute to affirmative action student success in Brazilian federal universities, as measured by the final college exam. In 2012, Brazil implemented an aggressive and controversial quota-system in federal universities which reserved half of the incoming class spaces to students who graduated from public high schools, followed by prioritization based on income and race. The study used secondary data collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Education; the population includes 6,557 graduating students from the sampled federal universities majors who completed the 2016 ENADE exam (final college …

The Validity And Reliability Of An Adapted Problem-Solving Inventory (Psi): The Exploration Of Paradoxical Problem-Solving As A Means To Manage Organizational Conflict, Salma A. Hadeed

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method research was used to develop and validate an adapted survey that incorporates the paradoxical problem-solving concept under the context of social conflict theory, and to provide employees and employers more creative techniques to manage organizational conflict. One aspect of social conflict theory, problem-solving theory, focused on how individuals respond when confronted with unfamiliar tasks (Newell, Shaw & Simon, 1958a).

A concurrent mixed methods design was used to determine validity and reliability evidence. This study consisted of four phases. Phase one was a qualitative phase that utilized 11 experts, examining for validity evidence of test content. Phase two …

Examination Of Black Men's Perceptions Of Personal Finance And Lived Experiences Developing Financial Literacy And Building Financial Capability Through The Lens Of Institutional Racism, Jonathan B. Abdullah

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined Black men’s perceptions of their personal finances and their lived experiences developing financial literacy and building financial capability through the lens of institutional racism. Institutional racism was used as the conceptual framework to examine the participants lived experiences. Institutional racism works to disadvantage minorities and simultaneously provide privileges to Whites through organizational and institutional policies, practices, and treatment (Unzueta & Lowery, 2008).

Purposive sampling was used to obtain 16 participants for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data from the participants and were analyzed using the Moustakas’s (1994) Modification of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method of …

An Exploration Of Names In Social And Professional Settings For Persons With Ethnically Identifying Names, Paige Whitney Johnson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overarching purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to explore the perspectives and experiences related to names in social and professional settings for persons with ethnically identifying names. The first paper was an integrative literature review. The second paper was a qualitative study utilizing the phenomenological approach. Both studies utilized self-presentation theory, while Study #2 added social penetration theory and social identity theory. Self-presentation theory posits that people put forth a public face to show that they possess desirable characteristics to observers. Social penetration theory is centered on the concept of self-disclosure and the notion that people carefully construct …

Desarrollo Del Lenguaje Y El Pensamiento Utilizando La Literatura Infantil, Maria Ximena Barrera, Carmen Medrano

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Sin lugar a dudas, el lenguaje juega un papel definitivo para fomentar el desarrollo del pensamiento en los niños. Este proceso es fundamental en los primeros tres años de vida. Por esta razón, se ha llevado a cabo una investigación que promueve un cambio en la forma en que las maestras diseñan oportunidades de aprendizaje para sus niños, al tiempo que fomentan el desarrollo del lenguaje receptivo y expresivo en conexión con el desarrollo del pensamiento. Con este propósito, se utilizan libros infantiles de alta calidad literaria para inspirar no solo el interés de las maestras sino también el de …

Self-Coaching With Ai: Developing Thinking Skills, Thinking Dispositions, And Well-Being, Olivier Malafronte, Isla Reddin, Roy Van Den Brink-Budgen

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Being motivated by the need to address the challenges of our Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous world, we strive to create tools to improve people’s lives and help them become more resilient, resourceful, self-confidant, and successful.

In a digital world, we must understand how to efficiently connect to digital systems. Connecting “with AI” doesn’t mean spending more time on digital devices, but spending time in a deliberate way with purpose and intentional learning outcomes.

As a society, we want to see graduates with emotional intelligence and reflective skills in order to address global economic and social issues. As for jobs …

Creating Artful Thinkers - Transforming Research Into Practice, Onsite To Online Learning, Julie A. Carmean, Sara M. Lesk

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

National Gallery of Art educators Julie Carmean and Sara Lesk propose presenting about their process of transforming research into practice through creating the National Gallery’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), specifically for K-12 educators, using the pedagogy of Harvard’s Artful Thinking Routines and the National Gallery’s art collection. This free, international, online learning experience aims to democratize the opportunity for teachers to bring critical thinking through art to their students around the world. Participants will experience a combined onsite/online demonstration of one of their MOOC modules by, first, engaging with a work of art, using an Artful Thinking routine; …

Children’S Story Book On Thinking: Tita And Toto’S Thinking Adventures, Margarita Christofidou

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

The aim of this poster is to present a children’s story book on thinking. Specifically, through the adventures of Tita and Toto on earth, the author aspires to analyze what thinking is all about. At the same time, this story book uncovers the complexity of the Visible Thinking approach as it explains in simple words how certain conceptions of thinking can be implemented in real life situations. The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance people’s understanding how to apply a variety of thinking tools in multiple contexts.

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Non-Academic Factors That Cuban Female Non-Native English Speakers Perceived To Have Been Principal Influences On Their Successful Attainment Of A Baccalaureate Degree In The U.S., Nelson Magana

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cubans arrive in the U.S. with more formal education than other Latino immigrants, and they arrive to communities with long standing networks of support. Though their baccalaureate degree attainment is better than their non-Cuban Latina counterparts, Cuban women still lag behind White, non-Latina women. The qualitative study aims to explore the principal influences and non-academic factors that 15 adult Cuban non-native English-speaking women in South Florida attribute to the successful attainment of their baccalaureate degree.

There are many differences among the various immigrant Latino communities in the U.S., and Cuban women are largely absent from the research. Nearly 75% of …

Professionalization Of Academic Advising, Craig M. Mcgill

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to better understand the professionalization of academic advising. Advising can claim several features of widely-agreed upon professional components, but the question of whether academic advising constitutes a “profession” has caused much debate. Three primary obstacles stand in its way: advising is misunderstood and lacks a consistent unifying definition; there has not been a substantial literature to define the content and methodologies of the field; and there is insufficient empirical research demonstrating its effectiveness. Two studies were conducted.

Study #1 was a structured literature review of higher education, student affairs, and academic advising …

Institutional Ethnography: Utilizing Battered Women’S Standpoint To Examine How Institutional Relations Shape African American Battered Women’S Work Experiences In Christian Churches, Ursula Tiershatha Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the collected papers dissertation was to critically examine the individual and institutional conditions that shaped battered women’s work experiences in church organizations. The studies in the collected papers shared the provision of using a methodological and analytic tool, institutional ethnography (IE), that offers a strategic and comprehensive means of investigating issues related to institutions and institutional processes that merge a macro and micro view. The first paper was a conceptual paper that emphasized the socio-political context in which adult vocation education is practiced and shared a practical means of using IE to uncover the interconnected and interdependent …

Achievement Motivation Attributes Of International Students Attending A Postsecondary Institution, Paula Chernoff Epstein

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and compared the causal attributes of achievement motivation for academic success possessed by international students to those causal attributes of achievement motivation by other legal immigrant student groups attending a postsecondary institution. In this study, F-1 international students have obtained permission from the federal Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services to attend Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, Florida. There were two additional groups of students selected to participate in this study: Permanent Resident students and Others comprised of asylees, refugees and paroles, which are specific categories of legal immigrant students.

From the …