Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons^™

Teacher Mentoring As A National Imperative: A Multi-Paper Dissertation, Ramiro Pesina

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

This multi-paper dissertation investigates teacher mentoring as a critical intervention in human resource development designed to address the complex challenges facing the teaching profession, including high attrition rates and the need for sustained professional support. The study is organized into three connected studies: an integrative literature review on technology enhanced mentoring, a longitudinal qualitative study that devises a comprehensive mentoring model covering cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects, and a phenomenological case study in which a formally structured mentoring program in a North Texas school district is analyzed in terms of execution and outcome. Critically important findings indicate that well-crafted mentoring …

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

Solo Faculty Program Coordinators In Student Affairs-Related Graduate Programs, Phillip A. Olt, Mitch Nasser, Louise Michelle Vital, Steven Tolman, James G. Archibald, Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, Blue Brazelton, Rozana Carducci, Michael Houdyshell, Tryan Mcmickens, Cara Meixner, Molly Mistretta, Amy Paciej-Woodruff, Richie Stevens, Ann Wendle, Claude E.P. Mayo

The Qualitative Report

Many graduate programs in student affairs-related subfields employ just one full-time faculty member, who then also functions as the program coordinator. Program coordinator duties and compensation vary widely, but they are generally the person who ensures all aspects of the program function. Research shows that fulfilling these responsibilities in addition to teaching, research, and service is difficult; however, this study sought to expand on that literature to understand what it was like to coordinate a HESA program as the only full-time faculty member isolated in that subfield at the institution. We utilized the hybrid qualitative methodology of phenomenological polyethnography, wherein …

A Comparative Analysis Of Professional Development Perceptions Among Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial And Generation Z Teachers, Lynsey R. Reynolds

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERCEPTIONS AMONG BABY BOOMER, GENERATION X,

MILLENNIAL AND GENERATION Z TEACHERS

Lynsey Ratzlaff Reynolds

This quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey study examined differences in perceptions of professional development among Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, and Generation Z secondary teachers employed in one northwest Arkansas school district. Using the researcher-developed Teacher Professional Development Perceptions Survey, data were collected from N = 145 certified secondary teachers in grades 6–12 during February 2026. Four research questions guided the study, each concerning a distinct construct: perceived relevance of professional development to instructional practice, perceived efficiency of professional development …

What Keeps Teachers: A Systematic Review Of Induction And Early-Career Teacher Retention In Rural Schools, Bobbie Jean Mcdonough

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Teacher retention remains a persistent challenge in United States education, particularly in rural K–12 public schools. This systematic review synthesized empirical research on induction and early-career teacher retention in rural United States settings published between 2000 and 2025. Guided by a postpositivist framework and aligned with PRISMA 2020 standards, 56 studies met inclusion criteria following structured database searches and multi-stage screening. Findings across the included studies indicate that retention was most consistently associated with induction, mentoring, professional learning, responsive leadership, collegial relationships, and teachers’ integration into their school and community, with no single support appearing sufficient in isolation. Across research …

Bridging Gaps In Data Utilization: An Evaluation Of The Rural Utah Data Symposium, Paul A. Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Rural Utah Data Symposium, an event designed to address data-driven decision-making among rural leaders. The symposium features expert-led presentations on the rural economy, healthcare, housing, mobility, broadband, and wellbeing. Data were collected through an online exit survey with a 67% response rate (n = 35). Attendees rated presentation quality, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction. Findings show high ratings and positive learning outcomes, demonstrating the symposium’s value in empowering informed decision-making. Recommendations include increasing interactivity among attendees, broadening content scope, and expanding statewide representation to further support data utilization in rural Utah.

Human-Centered Leadership Coaching For School Redesign & Career Connected Learning, Monica White

Bank Street Education Center

Focusing on the Bank Street Principal Innovation Fellowship’s first cohort, this report examines how coaching supported principals as they implemented FutureReadyNYC, the district’s career-connected learning initiative. Through case studies of four principal-coach pairs, the report identifies an emerging leadership coaching model—including key principles, practices, and outcomes—that contributed to meaningful school-level progress and offers insights for school systems seeking to use coaching to strengthen principals’ capacity to lead complex change.

A Study Of Apprenticeship Program Expansion Into Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Colby Webb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Despite substantial policy investment in apprenticeship expansion, fewer than 0.4% of the American workforce participates in registered apprenticeship programs, with adoption rates remaining particularly low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This qualitative multiple-case study examined the rationale, structure, implementation, and sustainability of formal apprenticeship programs across 11 SMEs representing manufacturing, woodworking, healthcare, energy, and food processing sectors. Three supplemental interviews with workforce development intermediaries and state-level apprenticeship support organizations provided contextual insight into regulatory processes and institutional supports. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and analyzed using iterative thematic coding in MAXQDA. Findings reveal that SME …

Understanding Support And Success: A Cross-Group Analysis Of Student Support Services And Nontraditional Graduate Student Experience, Erica Shudt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study explored how nontraditional graduate students perceive their experiences with student support services within a Research 1, public university. The purpose of this study was to understand how these services impact their overall academic experience. Findings from semi-structured interviews with nontraditional graduate students and student support staff using a qualitative approach revealed four themes. These themes included (1) a shared emphasis on connection and belonging, (2) flexibility as a foundation for support and success, (3) individualized student-centered support, and (4) the acknowledgement of nontraditional student support identity. Both groups identify that meaningful support is within relationships with faculty and …

A Phenomenological Study Into The Experiences Of Introverted Teachers, Bambi A. Hamel

All NMU Master's Theses

Behavior management has long been a challenge for teachers in general, but there has been a lack of research on behavior management through the lens of personality type, such as introversion. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the strengths and skills of introverted teachers to facilitate positive behaviors in their classrooms, as well as challenges they encountered. In a semi-structured interview, five teachers from a school district in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan were presented with a specific set of questions (See Appendix C) targeting their experiences in behavior management as introverted teachers. The results highlighted the teachers’ unique traits …

Ignite Collaboration For Interactive Meetings, Kelli Erwin

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning

This article explores how intentional design, inclusive facilitation, and purposeful tools can transform meetings into interactive environments that foster collaboration, creativity, and meaningful outcomes. Designed for educators, instructional leaders, and organizational facilitators, it provides practical strategies to elevate meetings through collaboration, interactivity, and purposeful design.

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Evaluating The “What’S Up Down South” Economic Summit: Accelerating Growth And Expanding Impact, Paul A. Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 2025 What’s Up Down South economic summit, a platform for regional economic development. Data were collected through an online exit survey with a 30% response rate (n = 176), incorporating quantitative ratings and open-ended feedback to assess learning outcomes and program quality. The evaluation examined attendees’ perceptions of keynote and breakout sessions, overall satisfaction, and suggestions for improving the event. Findings indicate that the summit delivered valuable economic insights and programming while citing opportunities to improve speaker diversity, event logistics, and data collection. These insights will guide future planning to sustain the summit’s …

A Cancer Education Needs Assessment: Informing Middle-Aged Female Patients About The Relationships Between Obesity And Women’S Health Concerns In The Reproductive System, Breast, And Endometrial Health, Batul Mirza

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Obesity significantly impacts women’s health, particularly among middle-aged women, by increasing the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, endometrial, and reproductive system cancers. This study examines the educational needs of this demographic group regarding obesity-related cancer risks and explores effective intervention strategies. Obesity-induced mechanisms – hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance – drive cancer susceptibility, emphasizing the need for targeted health education. The study employs a qualitative design, which includes interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and surveys of middle-aged women. The goal is to assess awareness, perceived barriers, and preferred learning methods. Findings suggest that with many …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence In Education To Drive Cross-Sector Innovation, Brent Terwilliger, John Faraca

Publications

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes educational practices, particularly in technical fields such as uncrewed systems, robotics, and aviation/ aerospace, its integration raises promise and complexity. This exploratory study features an investigation of the impact AI tools adoption has on instruction, curriculum support, and workforce preparation, with a focus on online learning environments. Drawing from pilot survey data across aviation and aerospace education stakeholders and hands-on evaluation of AI video production platforms, findings reveal diverse applications, perceived benefits, and critical concerns, including ethical, pedagogical, and institutional challenges. Additionally, the analysis explored how AI-enabled education intersects with broader industry and government innovation …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

Understanding And Engaging In Equity Work: A Phenomenological Action Research Study Of Community College Esol Instructors, Emily E. Packer

Dissertations

Community colleges (CCs) are regarded as accessible and affordable pathways to higher education and financial mobility, offering significant potential to promote educational equity (Fink et al., 2023). These institutions enroll the largest number of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in adult education; however, CC ESOL students face lower rates of degree completion and transfer compared to their non-ESOL peers (David & Kanno, 2021; Fink et al., 2023; Raufman et al., 2019). While research has examined factors contributing to low CC ESOL student persistence and interventions to improve overall CC student outcomes, research on specific efforts to support …

Exploring The Efficacy Of The Comprehensive Institutional Model (Cim) In A Post-Covid-19 Hyflex Higher Education Environment: An Instrumental Case, Pamela Mccray

Theses & Dissertations

This instrumental case study examined the efficacy of the comprehensive institutional model, a pre-existing conceptual framework addressing the challenges of HyFlex teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 environment at one private university in South Texas. The model was constructed using longitudinal data from a two-year pilot study (2021-2023) and focused on improving teaching effectiveness, investing in instructional technology and infrastructure, supporting graduate students’ academic needs, and executing institutional sustainability actions across three stakeholder groups: administrators, faculty, and graduate students. The study also addressed key gaps in the literature, including the lack of tested HyFlex models in real-world settings. A qualitative, …

Double, Double, Toils And Troubles: Analyzing The “Magical” Relationships Between University Leaders’ Personality Traits And Their Self-Efficacy In Leadership Situations, Fay Ludvine Boudreaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This present study investigated the relationship between higher education leaders’ personality traits and their self-efficacy in leadership situations. A total of 151 leaders employed across the nine institutions within the University of Louisiana System completed a survey that prompted them to identify their personal values, traits, and skill sets, as derived from the online Pottermore quiz, the official Harry Potter Hogwarts House sorting instrument. This niche personality metric was chosen to cater to higher education’s evolving landscape, as it welcomes an influx of Millennials into leadership positions. Participants’ responses were eventually recoded to “sort” them into their respective Houses: Gryffindor, …

Human-Centered Leadership: Cultivating Purpose, Empathy, And Collective Growth, Becky Evers-Gerdes, Bryan Matera

Essays in Education

Human-Centered Leadership is a transformative approach to leadership that emphasizes purpose, empathy, and collective growth, redefining success by prioritizing individual well-being and organizational inclusivity.

At the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), leaders spearheaded the MAPE Local 1002 Community of Practice to integrate these principles, fostering leadership practices that align personal values with organizational goals. Facilitated by a local assistant superintendent and outside consultant, the initiative utilized action research and a Lunch and Learn framework to empower participants to reflect, listen, co-design solutions, and embrace iterative leadership cycles.

Key themes emerged, such as balancing empathy with accountability, promoting inclusivity, and addressing …

Navigating The Academic Terrain: Examining The Challenges And Success Factors Of Student Veterans In Higher Education Institutions, Katherine Reyes, Corey Idleburg

Education Division Scholarship

This study investigates the academic experiences of student veterans, addressing specific challenges they face in higher education. Using Schlossberg’s adult transition theory, it explores the effects of invisible barriers, enrollment trends, and institutional factors on veteran student success, leveraging the VA’s GI Bill Comparison tool to examine public versus private school support. Findings underscore the need for targeted resources, faculty training, and institutional awareness to foster a supportive and inclusive environment that enhances veteran students' academic success and sense of belonging.

Redefining Success: Insights From Lebanese Women Leaders In Higher Education, Lina H. Safa

Education Division Scholarship

This presentation explores how Lebanese women leaders in higher education define and measure success, emphasizing their innovative approaches and transformative impact. By examining personal narratives through a phenomenological lens, the study reveals how these leaders navigate cultural challenges, offering insights into leadership dynamics in a patriarchal society and contributing to global discussions on gender equity and academic leadership.

Finance 2024-25, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

IPEDS

IPEDS Report created by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

Developing Problem-Solvers: Cultivating A Scientific Way Of Thinking In Early Learners, Sarah Oeltjenbruns, Matthew J. Weyers, Maya Fogarty, Bryan Matera

Essays in Education

Adopting a science mindset in the early education years is critical for supporting critical thinking, curiosity, and systematic inquiry in students, setting a foundation for lifelong learning and problem-solving. This mindset, which values continuous learning and persistence, enables students to approach challenges across disciplines with a scientist’s curiosity. Through approaches like the Socratic method, problem-based learning, and hands-on activities, educators can enhance students' critical thinking and collaborative skills. By creating opportunities for inquiry-based learning, such as entry events, the See Feel Think Wonder protocol, and the Question Formulation Technique, teachers cultivate curiosity and guide students toward self-directed exploration. For example, …

Examining And Exploring Online Instructors' Professional Development Experiences, Attitudes, And Perceptions In A Post-Secondary Education System, Jena R. Hartley

Dissertations

Effective professional development for online instructors is critical to student and organizational success. The online instructors’ knowledge transfer on workplace performance outcomes positively or negatively impacts student and organizational success. This study explored online instructors’ professional development experiences, attitudes, and perceptions. The research questions guiding this study were: What are the online instructors’ experiences and attitudes about professional development? How do online instructors perceive the quality and impact of professional development experiences? How do the online instructors’ experiences, attitudes, and perceptions impact knowledge transfer and workplace performance outcomes? Participants in this study were from one post-secondary system in Mississippi. The …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Principals' Perspectives Of The Impact Of Faculty Engagement, Self-Efficacy, And Resiliency On First-Year African American College Student Retention, Hattie Marie Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study examined principals’ perceptions of the impact of faculty engagement, student resiliency, and student self-efficacy on the retention of first-year urban and rural African American college students. The aim of the study was to determine why students from this demographic leave their higher education institutions after the first year. In the United States, about 30% of students, regardless of race or ethnicity, drop out of college after the first year. Further, given 6 years, about 50% of students drop out before obtaining a degree. Researchers have identified African American students as having a high college dropout rate. This …

Continuing Legal Education For The Newly Barred Attorney: A Law School’S Responsibility For Generation Z In The Workplace, Adrian Carpenter-Mckinney

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

No “Robot Lawyers” Just Yet: The Role Of Continuing Legal Education In Fulfilling The Duty Of Technological Competence, John G. Browning

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.