Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of Demographics And Reported Preferential Learning Modes Of Florida And Non-Florida Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Members, Jung Min Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examined demographic factors and reported preferential learning mode among a sample of Florida Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) members compared to a national sample profile of OLLI members. This study was prompted by an earlier study of OLLI members conducted by the National Resource Center (NRC) for OLLIs, which produced a national profile describing OLLI members. Although there was a national profile for OLLI members, there were no existing profiles of Florida OLLI members that could be used by OLLI administrators and instructors.

This study employed an online survey to compare data between the national OLLI member profile …

Graduate Student Perceptions Of Multi-Modal Tablet Use In Academic Environments, Ezzard C. Bryant Jr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore graduate student perceptions of use and the ease of use of multi-modal tablets to access electronic course materials, and the perceived differences based on students’ gender, age, college of enrollment, and previous experience.

This study used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to identify the constructs that may explain a graduate student’s intention to use a multi-modal tablet in graduate course work. This study administered the UTAUT to 224 graduate students from four different colleges at a regional university. The models developed from the UTAUT explained 80% of the …

Predictors Of Adult Community College Students' Intent To Transfer From The Community College With The Associate In Science, Associate In Applied Science, Or Associate In Arts Degree To A Public University In Florida, Anthony Gemart Hill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors and pre-transfer navigation experiences of community college students enrolled in Associate of Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), or Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees with transfer intent to Florida’s public universities. The population included adult students aged 26 and above enrolled in Florida state/community college AA, AS, or AAS programs. One hundred and seventy-five students from two community colleges participated in this study with a response rate of 10%. The valid data set included 101 respondents, AA (n =17), AS (n =76), AAS (n =4), other …

From Misdiagnosis To Prognosis: Autoethnographic Layered Accounts Of Life With Mastocytosis, Gianina Shamarr Hayes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was an autoethnography authored in the form of layered accounts. It was based on my journey toward a correct diagnosis with the rare, orphan disease known as mastocytosis. The purpose of the study was to utilize my experiences to investigate mastocytosis from the perspective of an individual diagnosed with the disease. Furthermore, I investigated what ways and how much adult education philosophies and principles (e.g., humanistic, behaviorist, and adults’ involvement in learning) may have been salient in my being correctly diagnosed to examine not only the disparities, but also the similarities in the way each physician I encountered …

Global Leadership Competencies In Selected Adult Education Graduate Programs From The United States And Western Europe, Arthur Ray Mccrory

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers in the field of global leadership have reported a growing need for leaders able to perform from a global perspective, and the lack of qualified leadership candidates to fulfill these responsibilities. Adult education graduate programs represent a unique pool of aspirants to help fill this gap. In 2008, the Commission of Professors of Adult Education (CPAE) published Standards for Graduate Programs in Adult Education. Two of these standards addressed the incorporation of globalization and leadership studies into the planning, administration, and evaluation of adult education graduate programs. This study sought to explore the connection between the phenomenon of …

Financial Literacy Continuing Professional Education Cognitive Needs Assessment For Florida Small Business Owners, Pearl Dahmen Para

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the financial literacy continuing profession education cognitive needs of Florida small business owners through exploring their profile. To determine the financial literacy profile, an instrument containing 18 tested knowledge and 5 self-assessed knowledge questions was created. Using a panel of experts, the instrument was developed from previously tested financial literacy questions from several sources.

Data were collected from clients of the West Central Region of the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida. The online survey completed by participants included demographic questions to provide data to profile small …

The Relationship Between Learning Styles And The Choice Of Learning Environment For Hospitality And Tourism Undergraduate Students, Gunce Malan-Rush

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between learning styles and the choice of learning environment for Hospitality and Tourism undergraduate students. An anonymous two-part survey was sent to the instructors of Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management courses (both online and face-to-face) in four schools in the state of Florida. The survey was designed to gather information related to the following three research questions related to MBTI profiles for undergraduate students in attempt to identify differences between students enrolled in online classes and those in face-to-face classes. In order to determine the probability of predicting course …

A Depiction Of Women In Tennessee With Low Literacy Skills And Their Access To Higher Education And Employment, Rebecca Puig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phase one study was conducted using qualitative research methods in order to describe to policymakers and local literacy program experts more completely the current challenges and needs some adult women in Tennessee with low-literacy skills face when pursing higher education or a professional career. In turn, such information can assist them in better identifying appropriate resources and interventions to serve these women.

Data were collected through a cross-case analysis of two individual case studies and five interviews with three adult learners and two literacy program experts. Artifacts (e.g., flyers) were also collected, but provided no substantial contribution to the …

A Case Study Of Four Female Electrician Technicians In A Male-Dominated Occupation, Maniphone S. Dickerson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons the four female participants decided to pursue electrician technician training, their perspectives of the apprenticeship program, their perceptions of successful employment in a male-dominated occupation, and differences in treatment based on their gender. The exploratory questions that guided the study were: what led the females to make the decision for applying to the electrician technician apprenticeship; what was the nature of the education and training experiences of the participants in the electrician technician apprenticeship program, what were the participants’ perceptions of being successful in advancement within the workforce as a …

An Investigation Of The Perceived Development Of The Life-Long Learning Skills Of Division I Student-Athletes, Andrew T. Goodrich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the perceived development of life-long learning skills of Division I student-athletes and their non-athlete general student peers. Using grade point averages and graduation rates, athletics administrators are constantly evaluating the academic performance and growth of student-athletes by comparing their results with those of non-athlete general students. Though these traditional metrics are useful in many ways, there is little research on the self-reported development of life-long learning skills.

Due to a changing global economy, employers are less concerned with the knowledge students possess at graduation and are more interested in a student’s …

Technology Literacy Skills Needed In Further Education And/Or Work: A Delphi Study Of High School Graduates’ Perspectives, Christina Louise Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technology and the importance of computers in education have been recognized since the educational reform movement of the 1980’s. Change that acknowledged a need for high school students to: understand the computer as an information, computation, and communication device; use computers for personal and work-related purposes; and understand the world of computers, electronics, and related technologies (A Nation at Risk, 1983, p. 26). The study, A Nation at Risk recognized our nation’s lack of computer technology skills and since, the standards in education have changed to design curriculum and integrate technology to better prepare high school students with necessary ready …

Learning Preferences Of Commercial Fishermen, Robert W. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study surveyed 435 commercial fishermen across eight coastal regions of the United States where commercial fishing takes place. The regions of the study included: Northeast Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Southern Pacific, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Participants were asked to complete the Commercial Fishing Worker Survey (CFWS), which is a survey instrument consisting of an approved, adapted version of the Index of Learning Styles instrument (ILS) combined with a demographic section which included questions designed to obtain data regarding the four variables of the study: age, education level, captain's license status, and method of fishing. …

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Of Adult Education English For Speakers Of Other Languages And English For Academic Purposes Teachers, Christy Michele Rhodes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the culturally responsive teaching practices of adult education ESOL and EAP teachers in the state of Florida. Using Ginsberg and Wlodkowski's Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching, an online survey of 17 teaching practices was developed and validated. In the survey, participants assessed how frequently they used each practice and how important they believed each practice was to their teaching on 5-point frequency scales. The sampling frame consisted of teachers from 15 colleges, 2 universities, 8 school districts, and Bay Area Regional TESOL (BART) and resulted in 134 responses.

Results indicated …

Aligning Human Resource Development With The Strategic Priorities Of Healthcare Organizations: The Cfo Perspective, Carla Breedlove Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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Affective Components Perceived To Be Important In Today's Global Society From A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Helena H. Wallenberg-Lerner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Global competencies, with differences in terminology by various researchers, had been frequently investigated, primarily from an American-biased perspective. Little or no defining research existed that identified requisite, universally agreed upon global competencies, or identified what affective components were perceived to be important cross culturally.

This research study answered the following questions:

1. What affective components are perceived to be important from a cross-cultural perspective?

2. Are there differences in these perceptions of affective components from a cross-cultural perspective?

The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which individuals in different GeoCultural regions view and identify affective components …

Perceptions Of Workplace Mentoring Behaviors For Lifelong Career Development, Lynne A. Key

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to investigate the importance of mentoring functions and behaviors for lifelong career development as perceived by protégés. The population included individuals in middle to late adulthood (age 40 years and older) who reported they had been a protégé in at least one mentoring association perceived as beneficial to their lifelong career development; and were either employed or had been employed as a middle manager, senior manager, C-level executive, business owner, or member of a profession. The sample was obtained using a chain-sample method; 67 Ambassadors completed an online survey and each invited 10 contacts to complete …

A Case Study Understanding Employability Through The Lens Of Human Resource Executives, Carmeda L. Stokes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine HR executives' perspectives on employability enhancement for employees and how it is operationalized in their workplace. The exploratory questions that guided the study were, What are the perspectives of HR executives regarding employability enhancement for employees, and In what ways and under what conditions is organizational support of employability enhancement demonstrated through workplace learning initiatives? The conceptual framework for this study is based on Clarke and Patrickson's (2008) list of assumptions concerning employability as the premise for the new employment contract.

Data collected consisted of background questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, …

The Relationship Between Attitudes And Perspectives Of American Sign Language University Students Towards Deaf People, Beth Lilessie Cagle Brightman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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Effects Of Virtual Reality On The Cognitive Memory And Handgun Accuracy Development Of Law Enforcement Neophytes, Richard A. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of virtual reality training on the development of cognitive memory and handgun accuracy by law enforcement neophytes. One hundred and six academy students from 6 different academy classes were divided into two groups, experimental and control. The experimental group was exposed to virtual reality training for a period of 8 hours. The control group was exposed to the traditional, non-interactive training that occurred on a gun range, also for a period of 8 hours. After exposing the groups to their respective training, a counter-balance technique was utilized to expose …

Assessment Of Numeracy Levels Of Mine Workers In South African Chrome Mines, Antonie Christoffel Smit, Andile Mji

Numeracy

The aim of this paper is to assess and report the numeracy levels of unskilled and semi-skilled workers in three South African chrome mines in order to inform adult education practitioners of the need for greater efforts to educate mine workers. The target population consisted of 1,053 workers; the final sample was 873 participants who voluntarily agreed to partake in the study. The results presented here highlight three main findings: (1) that only 12 individuals (1.4%) were found to be numerate, (2) that female participants scored better than their male counterparts, and (3) that the numeracy level of participants older …

An Examination Of Self-Directed Learning Readiness In Executive-Level Fire Officers, Steven G. Knight

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-directed learning readiness in executive fire officers in relation to the independent variables of personality type, educational attainment, and professional designation. This research utilized a quantitative design.

This study utilized the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) with a sample of 250 professional firefighters. The total sample was divided equally between executive-level fire officers and firefighters at 125 each from professional departments in the Southeastern United States. Results were that the mean SDLRS score for the executive-level fire officers was 233.7 and significantly higher than the …

Caregiver Training: Increasing Generalization Of Parenting Skills Through Teaching Caregivers To Recognize Child Behavior, Mary Rachel Sawyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of a behavioral parent training program for increasing the accuracy of trained skills; however, few studies have examined the extent to which those skills generalize to the natural environment (i.e., the home) and are used with the target individual (i.e., the child). In addition, little is known about the direct effect that caregiver implementation of the skills has on child behavior. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to (a) assess caregiver accuracy with implementation of three parenting skills, and (b) assess subsequent effects of the parenting skills on child behavior. Results demonstrated …

Perceptions Of A Learning Organization And Factors Within The Work Environment That Influence Transfer Of Training In Law Enforcement, Yvonne Olive Hunter-Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine law enforcement officers' perception of factors within the workplace that influence transfer of training and their perception of the organization being a learning organization. The study actually had three parts. First, it intended to investigate the perception of law enforcement officers regarding factors within their work environment that influence or impede the transfer of training process (specifically, organizational support and transfer climate/culture). Second, it intended to determine the perception of law enforcement officers concerning the promotion of their organization's learning practices, learning culture, and the continuous learning environment at an individual, …

Changes In Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Physical Activity, Nutrition, And Social Support For Middle School Students Using The Afit App As A Suppliment To Instruction In A Physical Education Class, Thomas Andrew Watterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Finding ways to improve nutritional and physical activity components with today's adolescents is a significant problem. The obesity epidemic is over 10 years old and little research has been done on successful interventions that motivate today's students using the latest technology. A total of 140 middle school students and four physical education teachers participated in a 4-week study using a newly created application (AFIT app) for supplemental teaching in and out of the classroom. Combining a theoretical framework of Self-Determination and motivating strategies implored in today's mobile technology, significance was found using the PACE (2001) instrument in fruits and …

Factors That Promote Transformative Learning Experiences Of International Graduat-Level Learners, Alex Kumi Yeboah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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What Do Professional Conference Planners Consider The Most Important Elements For Continuing Professional Education Conference Planning?, Virginia B. Phillips

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many adults attend and rely on continuing professional education (CPE) throughout their careers, and CPE is big business for associations. One way associations deliver CPE is through educational conferences. While adult education theories and frameworks offer developmental and operational guidance and advice, there is little practice data to understand what meeting planning professionals actually do as they implement adult education conferences in practice. The purpose of this study was to identify the elements that practicing meeting planning professionals in associations utilize in CPE conference planning and which elements are considered the most important. This study accessed a senior group of …

The Relationship Between Statistics Self-Efficacy, Statistics Anxiety, And Performance In An Introductory Graduate Statistics Course, William Ray Schneider

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between statistics self-efficacy, statistics anxiety, and performance in introductory graduate statistics courses. The study design compared two statistics self-efficacy measures developed by Finney and Schraw (2003), a statistics anxiety measure developed by Cruise and Wilkins (1980), and a course performance measure. To view self-efficacy from two perspectives, the Current Statistics Self-Efficacy (CSSE) assessed student confidence in their ability to complete specific statistics tasks in the present, whereas Self-Efficacy to Learn Statistics (SELS) assessed student confidence in their ability to learn statistics in the future. The performance measure was the combined …

Self-Directed Learning Characteristics Of First-Generation, First-Year College Students Participating In A Summer Bridge Program, Jeffrey Drummond Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to advance understanding of self-directed learning characteristics of first-year, first-generation college students participating in a summer bridge program. Understanding the experience of these students in higher education can lead to the development of programmatic and pedagogical strategies to better meet the needs of this at-risk student population.

This study was conducted at the University of South Florida (USF), a large, public research university in Tampa. Participants were recruited from the Freshman Summer Institute (FSI), a summer bridge program for first-generation students at USF.

Theoretical frameworks from higher education and adult education literature merged to …

An Analysis On The Experience Of Mentoring Support In A College Alternative Teacher Certification Program, Debra Voutsinas Kilgore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore how college alternative teacher certification (ATC) participants experience mentoring support. The goal was to obtain a rich and deep understanding of the nature of the mentoring experience in a college ATC program through the perspectives of mentees and their mentors. The ATC program was the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI).

Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Eight individuals participated in the study, four were mentors and four were EPI students. A triangulated set of research methods for data collection and analysis was used, including member checks, validation forms, and peer reviews. All the interviews …

Perceptions On Collaborative Learning: A Case Study Of Female Community College Instructors, Marilyn Christine Armstrong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the 1980s, academic assessments called for "the ability of individuals and groups to talk, listen judge, and act on issues of common interest" (Morse, 1989, p. 30). More recently, corporate research findings, Are They Ready to Work? Employers' Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (The Conference Board, Inc., Partnership for 21st Century Skills, The Corporate Voices for Working Families, & Society for Human Resource Management, 2006), report the workplace is seeking college graduates with skill in collaboration (e.g. build diverse relationships, negotiate, manage conflict). While the interest in …