Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons^™

College Teachers' Perceptions About Teaching Global Competency, Izabela Agata Majewska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National and international organizations emphasize the importance of teaching global competence in American higher education as a way of preparing students for the rigors of a globalized workforce. Lack of nation-wide educational initiatives aimed at providing institutional guidelines for assessing international relations (IR) courses for this skill acquisition requires colleges to rely on their own resources and ingenuity. Presently, no course assessment methods for gauging global competency attainment exist at Florida College. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of instruction and learning of global competence. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was the conceptual framework that guided this …

Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter substances other than alcohol is becoming a prevalent issue; therefore, it is important to identify factors that may help predict risk for this abuse. Some demographic and situational factors have been identified for traditional 4-year college students. However, less is known about community college students, who enter college less academically prepared and may be still enmeshed with family and peer groups from high school. In this correlational study, predictors of substance abuse other than alcohol were explored among a convenience sample of 118 students from an American community college. The research question was developed based …

Effect Of Attendance On The Performance Of Day And Evening Students, Kerry-Ann Alicia Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several studies posit a positive relationship between class attendance and student performance. Grades for students enrolled in Introduction to Management during the fall 2015 semester at a community college in Jamaica revealed that evening students on

average scored a grade higher than students enrolled in the day sections. Lecturers noted day students missed more classes than evening students but the relationship between attendance and performance was not known. The purpose of this correlational study was

to determine the relationship between attendance and performance, measured by grades. Guided by Knowles's theory that adults are self-directed, this study was designed to explore …

Perceptions Of Employees And Supervisors Of A Skills Training Program, Lincoln Calcavecchi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders know that training improves worker performance, but training is often initiated without considering employees' work task requirements. This instrumental case study was conducted to understand the perceptions of employees who completed a skills training program and those of supervisors. The conceptual framework was andragogy, emphasizing self-efficacy and self-direction, motivation, and goal setting for adult learners. The guiding questions addressed the perceptions of employees about their self-directed participation in the skills training program and its relationship to work tasks and supervisors' perceptions of employees' participation in that program. Semi-structured interviews with 8 individual employees and a focus group with …

Perceptions Of Nursing As A Career By African American College Students Attending Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Brenda Marie Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies and official organizations have indicated that African Americans are underrepresented in the healthcare workforce and that patients belonging to minority groups feel they are treated slightly differently in healthcare settings. Limited research examines perceptions of the nursing profession among a variety of demographic groups, and exploratory investigations into the perceptions of nursing as a career by African Americans are limited. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to explore perceptions of nursing as a career by African American students who attend an undergraduate program at a historically black college or university (HBCU) in an attempt to further …

Nursing Faculty's Integration Of Quality And Safety Competencies As A Curricular Framework, Florianne Mereigh-Frederick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The call to better prepare nurses in safety and quality performance resulted from the concern of the Institute of Medicine regarding egregious gaps and errors in U.S. hospitals that resulted in serious injuries and patient deaths. Quality and safety education for nursing (QSEN) competencies were set forth in 2005 to enhance nursing curricula and nursing students' preparation for practice; however, QSEN's integration and implementation have been gradual and inconsistent. This qualitative interpretive study was guided by Senge's principles of the learning organization and Benner's professional development model. Using face-to-face interviews, the perspectives of 9 full-time nursing faculty members at 2 …

The Relationship Between Formal Evaluations And Online Adjunct Faculty Teaching Practices, Euwanna Antoinette Heard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased enrollment of adult learners in colleges and universities that offer online

programs has provoked a need for skilled online adjunct faculty. Administrators at online

universities in the Mideastern region of the United States have sought to better

understand the relationship between formal evaluations and teaching practices of the

online adjunct faculty. Guided by the theory of adult learning, the purpose of this study

was to determine the relationship between formal evaluations of the teaching practices of

online adjunct faculty and their professional development. A correlational study was

completed to determine the association between online adjunct faculty's perceptions of …

Factors Affecting Employee Persistence In An Online Management Development Certificate Program, Todd D. Chester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important approach to prepare new managers for increased responsibility is participation in online management development programs; however, there is a lack of information about the factors that affect employee completion of these programs. This study addressed how chief executive officers (CEOs) can implement these programs to rapidly develop new managers who are qualified to serve in the leadership roles left behind by many retirees. This qualitative descriptive case study explored employees' perceptions about persistence in an online management development certificate program at a U.S. nonprofit organization. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Rovai's composite persistence model provided the conceptual framework for …

Employee Perceptions Of Effective Training Strategies, Stephen Lindsay Satterfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The following study was undertaken because there was a need to establish whether training information at a local guarantor was relevant to employees and clients. Utilizing transformative learning theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore what the guarantor's employees and management require for new account advisors by conducting open-ended interviews with the guarantor's employees. The guarantor's director secured collections contracts and a long-term enrollment advising contract with a new online university. For the guarantor to have trained account advisors, managers must know what kind of training is necessary. Secondly, the university enrollment is growing, and that could …

Academic Challenges And Success Strategies Of Students With Dyslexia Seeking A Two-Year College Degree, Mary Joyce Taylor-Talley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dyslexia is a learning disability that hinders a person's ability to process elements of reading and writing. Although younger students with dyslexia often receive remedial education and accommodations, dyslexic college students may not receive assistance targeted to their individual needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to ascertain the challenges that might impede the academic success of college students with dyslexia and identify strategies used by academically successful dyslexic students at a 2-year college. Knowles's theory of informal adult education and self-direction provided the conceptual framework for the study. Using a case study design, 10 current college students …

Adult Public Library Patrons' Perceptions Of An Academic Library E-Learning Resource, Lavonia.Lonzo Lonzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Americans lack the skills required to use public access computers and the Internet at public libraries (PLs). Staff members of a PL in the Midwestern United States provide basic computer training to support patrons' Internet and public access computer use. However, adult patrons who are beyond the basic skills level and those with sensory-disabilities are underserved. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to understand how an academic library's information literacy e-resource affected the PL's adult patrons' learning based on the perceptions of adult patrons at a PL. Kling's social informatics served as the study's conceptual framework and …

Understanding E-Learning As Professional Development For Rural Child Welfare Professionals, Linda S. Kingery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ongoing professional development is an integral part of a child welfare agency's strategy toward the provision of services to children and families involved with a child welfare intervention. Electronic learning (E-Learning) is popular as a fiscally responsible and flexible way to deliver such trainings. There is a gap in the research addressing the problem of how child welfare professionals are motivated to engage in the E-learning process. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of child welfare professionals regarding their motivation to use an agency provided E-learning program. Eight child welfare professionals employed by a …

Adult Language Instructors' Experiences Regarding Vocabulary Instruction And Synformy, Homeira Bahadorani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Language instructors play a decisive role in adult language learners' learning and retention of vocabulary through planning, selection, and teaching of vocabulary and strategies. However, some professional language schools lack extensive teacher-training programs that prepare instructors with the skills required to select and teach vocabulary, which results in a gap in practice. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher-related factors in beyond Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 2 vocabulary instruction to adults in a classroom setting in intensive language-training programs. The conceptual framework consisted of the theory of noticing hypothesis, synformy, and the comprehensible input hypothesis. Research questions …

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment In Higher Education In Barbados, Debbie Samantha Bovell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross's chain of response theory, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Knowles' theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed …

Psychosocial Impacts On Young Adult Haitian Immigrant Students In The United States, Lucien Eugene Pierre, Ph. D.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many young adult Haitian immigrant students (YAHIS) move to the United States

hoping to achieve better lives. This growing population faces many challenges when

acculturating to a new country and educational system. Some obstacles include

inadequate family and social support, language barriers, limited education, distinct

cultural values, a lack of academic materials, a shortage of Haitian teachers, and

inadequate educational programs. These psychosocial factors often prevent Haitian

immigrants from succeeding in U.S. schools. This study explored YAHIS' experiences of

acculturation and education as they relate to these psychosocial factors. Qualitative

phenomenological techniques, guided by Adlerian theory, revealed the assumptions, …

Technology Preferences Of Multiple Generations In The Workplace Classroom, Esther Lynn Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differences in race, ethnicity, gender, and age have shaped the most diverse workforce in recent years and have also influenced the workplace learning environment. Variability in age created several generations that presented an instructional challenge in the workplace for trainers who have not recognized and understood generational differences. The purpose of this study was to investigate how employees in 4 generations differed with respect to attitudes toward instructional approaches using technology in the workplace classroom. A theoretical framework incorporating Knowles' learning theory of andragogy guided this study, which used survey research methods within a quantitative design. The sample of 731 …

Perceptions About Hands-On Art Making By Non-Art Major Online Students, Gayle Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As higher education moves increasingly to online and hybrid programs, more students will be taking art appreciation courses virtually. The research that exists on student perceptions related to hands-on art making suggests that active creation is valuable in fostering creativity, inspiring knowledge, and supporting and motivating students. The purpose of this case study was to explore non-art major, college-level students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of an active learning component within an online art appreciation class delivered at a public university in the southeastern United States. Three research questions were developed to explore the students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of this …

Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Awareness of the sustainability of our natural resources is a continuing concern. Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) workshops ensure educators' have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, these workshops have rarely been monitored. Specifically, it appears no researchers have focused on the reflective experiences of an EAE PD workshop on educator participants at least 5 years after participation. This basic qualitative study used telephone interviews of 8 past participants to explore whether and how they perceive their behavior changing in relation to natural resources conservation years after …

College Instructors' Perceptions On Coteaching, Theresa Da Costa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coteaching is a teaching strategy that requires 2-teachers to collaborate in developing a course syllabus, selecting materials, and assessing students' work. The research problem, addressed in this study, was an appeal to educate the diverse adult population whose needs could not be addressed through traditional instructions at Rex College. Because of a high number of enrolled adult students, coteaching at Rex College was used to improve student success for academically underprepared students in a Set for Success program. The purpose of this study was to examine the coteaching strategies used at Rex College so that teaching guides and/or professional training …

Perceived Factors That Influence Adult Learners' Persistence And Retention In Adult Basic Education, Evelyn Idoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining students, particularly in the 16- to- 24-year-old category, is a constant challenge for adult basic education programs nationwide. Educators need to understand factors that affect adult learners' experiences, have a better understanding of ways to motivate adult students in a nontraditional school setting to enhance their engagement, and apply research-based techniques and targeted, practical strategies to improve student persistence. The primary objective of this case study was to investigate the perceived factors that students considered influential on their persistence and retention in adult basic education programs. Knowles's andragogy theory and Tinto's persistence theory were the theoretical frameworks for this …