Dissertations / Theses: 'Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory'

1

McNally, John D. "Systematic Development and Validation of a Course of Instruction in Prior Learning Assessment." Scholar Commons, 2010. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3543.

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Many post-secondary schools across the country offer adult working students an opportunity to obtain at least partial credit for work and life experiences in their curriculum through portfolios. The primary goal of this project was to design, develop and evaluate a portfolio course for adult students at a small independent university. Design emphasized adult learning theory and incorporated instructional design best practices throughout. Also significant to the design was the implementation of the Quality Matters ™ Rubric. The project focus was to intertwine the six assumptions of adult learning theory while implementing best practices and effective instructional strategies, and to conduct formative and summative evaluations. The study incorporated a pre-test - post test instrument and satisfaction questionnaire for quantitative data collection. The results of this project are positive based on the evaluation data collected during this project.

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2

Salvant, Abena. "Identifying Barriers to Graduation for Nontraditional Students." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1931.

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Increased enrollments of nontraditional students in U.S. higher education institutions have prompted many college and university administrators to consider student service programs. These programs ensure that support services are available to nontraditional students to cultivate healthy graduation rates among that student population. The purpose of this study was to discover factors that influence nontraditional students to become disengaged or be retained. The study was a qualitative case study with data collected from individual interviews with 10 nontraditional students participating in online and traditional onsite delivery systems at a private, nontraditional higher education institution in the western United States. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Knowles's andragogy theory. The research questions addressed students' perceptions of the role of persistence, barriers, self-direction, intrinsic motivation, delivery systems, learning modality, and academic and support services in their academic success. Data analysis was conducted to identify themes by coding the narrative responses and using member checks to validate data interpretations. Findings derived from the interviews indicated that students believed that they benefitted from a community of support within the university system. A professional development workshop was designed as a project to train university employees on how to create a professional learning community (PLC) to support students. This PLC was designed to promote positive social change by enhancing retention of adult students in academic programs until graduation and create an environment where people work together in a collaborative way within the university to ensure student success.

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3

Conroy, Jacqueline. "Increasing Known Performance Indicators Using Andragogy-Based Models." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5999.

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Variety of training models are used in large retail organizations in South Carolina. Large retail organizations have leaders educating their employees using multiple methods of training without regard as to how adults learn. Leadership of large retail organizations in South Carolina may be investing in training materials, concepts, and facilitation methods that may not have substantive impact on known performance metrics. Knowles' theory of andragogy has been at the forefront of adult education theory as it has led many researchers to explore new methods for adults to learn effectively. A quasi-experimental study was designed to determine if an andragogy based training models have influenced performance of employees measured by existing performance indicators. The data were collected from a t sample of 715 employees before and after an andragogy style training was administered. The data analysis, using paired t-test. showed significant variance in all three dependent variable metrics. Sales and credit card percent to goal metrics showed negative variance and item locate metric showed a positive variance thus providing quantifiable data from andragogy-style training. This study addressed the gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of training adults using adult-learner methods and has the potential to contribute to positive social change by affecting the culture of how employers in large retail organizations are training their employees. Management for large retail organizations could find a higher return on investment the training as well as increased morale; while increasing retailer profits and potentially increasing career advancement opportunities and merit increases.

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4

Henry, George William. "An historical analysis of the development of thinking in the principal writings of Malcolm Knowles." Queensland University of Technology, 2009. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/30346/.

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Malcolm Shepherd Knowles was a key writer and theorist in the field of adult education in the United States. He died in 1997 and left a large legacy of books and journal articles. This thesis traced the development of his thinking over the 46-year period from 1950 to 1995. It examined the 25 works authored, co-authored, edited, reissued and revised by him during that period. The writings were scrutinised using a literature research methodology to expose the theoretical content, and a history of thought lens to identify and account for the development of major ideas. The methodology enabled a gradual unfolding of the history. A broadly-consistent and sequential pattern of thought focusing on the notion of andragogy emerged. The study revealed that after the initial phases of exploratory thinking, Knowles developed a practical-theoretical framework he believed could function as a comprehensive theory of adult learning. As his thinking progressed, his theory developed into a unified framework for human resource development and, later, into a model for the development of self-directed lifelong learners. The study traced the development of Knowles’ thinking through the phases of thought, identified the writings that belonged within each phase and produced a series of diagrammatic representations showing the evolution of his conceptual framework. The production of a history of the development of Knowles’ thought is the major outcome of the study. In addition to plotting the narrative sequence of thought-events, the history helps to explicate the factors and conditions that influenced Knowles’ thinking and to show the interrelationships between ideas. The study should help practitioners in their use and appreciation of Knowles’ works.

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5

Cooke, James C. (James Clinton). "Malcolm Shepherd Knowles, the Father of American Andragogy : A Biographical Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278013/.

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This is a qualitative, single-subject, historical, and biographical study. Malcolm Shepherd Knowles is the subject of this research. The problem of the study is to explore the uniqueness of Malcolm S. Knowles in light of his contributions to adult education and to the andragogical model of adult learning.

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6

Davies, Lindsay. "Adult teaching and learning theory : a psychoanalytic investigation." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2010. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11791/.

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The overarching aim of this thesis is to enhance the theoretical status of post-compulsory education by effecting a non-empirical, psychoanalytic examination of adult teaching and learning theories. The study arises out of the observation that – in comparison with disciplines within the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities - psychoanalytic perspectives are both underemployed in practical contexts and have negligible theoretical impact within this field. The study provides a contribution to educational theory and practice through the development of a postmodern psychoanalytical methodology and its methods. These are operationalised through the development of a suite of tools based on Jung's (1971) the theory of psychological types. This involves the adaptation of Jung's psychological categories into epistemological characteristics that are then used to identify strengths, contradictions and omissions within theoretical material. The resulting Jungian Typological Instrument (JTI) is applied to selected case study topics that reflect contemporary discourses, theories and concepts within the field of adult teaching and learning. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the JTI it is applied to two case study topics and critically examines their theoretical underpinnings. The first of these topics is the 'micro' model of reflection-in-action, which is drawn from Schön's (1983) formulation of reflective practice. The larger, 'macro', discourse of lifelong learning forms the second case study as articulated in the UNESCO report Learning to Be (Faure et al. 1972) and the Green Paper The Learning Age (DfEE 1998). The insights and outcomes arising from these analyses form the evaluation process for the methods. As psychoanalytic approaches are not unproblematic, this investigation incorporates philosophical reflection and conceptual analysis as meta-level evaluation strategies for the methodological level of the study. This dual-level evaluation reveals that the proposed methodology and methods together offer a robust and trustworthy approach to theoretical analysis, which has potential applications for both theory and practice within the adult teaching and learning context.

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7

McManus, Margaret Louise. "Training the trainer knowledge of Knowles'; adult learning characteristics by computer science faculty and students at a Northwest Florida University /." [Pensacola, Fla.] : University of West Florida, 2008. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/WFE0000124.

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8

Dawson, Catherine Elaine. "Learning choices : a grounded theory study of adult returners." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 1999. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/3128/.

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This research is a grounded theory study of the learning choices of adult returners. For the purpose of this research, 'adult returner' has been defined as somebody who left school at the earliest opportunity who, after a period away from formal education, has identified a desire or a need to re-enter the system. Forty-three semi-structured, in-depth interviews and three focus groups have been conducted with a total of 58 adult returners at various stages of the returning process. Some adults had just started to think about returning to education, but had not identified an entry route, whereas others were progressing through their chosen entry route, whether in adult education, further education or higher education. A process of theoretical sampling and comparative analysis, whereby data are jointly collected, coded and analysed, was adopted for this research. Using this method, themes and categories were inductively generated from the data. Processes, rather than static accounts, were taken into account by conducting a number of repeat interviews. By doing this it was possible to consider how learning choices might change as adults progress through their chosen entry route. The aim of a grounded theory study is to develop a core-category and a number of related sub-categories. The core category for this research is 'parameters of choice' which describes how adults appear to have their choices framed by a number of parameters which effect the perceived degree of choice available to them. The related sub-categories which have been developed from the data are 're-balancing', 'self-assessment', 'becoming attuned' and 'awareness-raising'. By describing these categories and illustrating how they relate to each other, the research goes beyond other studies which consider easily identified and articulated influences on choice, such as those studies which look at barriers to participation. This research suggests that adults do not consider their choices to be blocked by barriers, but instead see their choices as being framed by a number of constraints. If their first choice is not possible, they will go on to consider alternatives within their existing parameters, or wait until these parameters widen. The research relates the findings to both theory and practice within the field of adult education and in relation to the notion of lifelong learning. In this way, the research serves to enrich at a theoretical and practical level the understanding of adult returners' learning choices.

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9

Gromilovitz, Kathleen. "Perceptions of Faculty Using MyMathLab in Traditional, In-Seat Math Classes." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6209.

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MyMathLab, an online interactive and educational system by Pearson Publisher, was implemented in 2 lower-level, traditional in-seat algebra courses to provide supplemental, instructional support to students in the fall of 2015 at the college under study. After the first year of use, no significant change in student success was reported, although more students passed intermediate algebra without first taking elementary algebra. The problem addressed in this study was that student results suggested there might be benefits to using MyMathLab that should be investigated. Knowles' theory of andragogy was used in this qualitative case study to gather perceptions of 7 2016-2017 faculty selected through stratified purposeful sampling. The research questions explored the benefits and challenges of using MyMathLab to support students in understanding math concepts and the effect on classroom time for instruction. The 3 major themes that resulted from analysis of the data collected through semistructured interviews were additional practice, immediate feedback, and ownership. Student data were used to triangulate and substantiate the findings. The resulting project was a professional development program for faculty using available resources in MyMathLab. Formative and summative evaluations were recommended to collect feedback from participants. The project contributes to positive social change by increasing faculty confidence in using the product to improve student success and increase student graduation rates. The findings of this study may also contribute to positive social change by supporting existing results from previous studies on the use of digital technology in traditional, in-seat math courses.

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10

Weber-Mayrer, Melissa Margaret. "Early Childhood Professional Development: An Experimental Study of Adult Teaching Practices Derived from Adult Learning Theory." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1467133461.

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11

Redman, David James. "Motivation of Adult, Auditioned Community Choirs: Implications toward Lifelong Learning." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6134.

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Knowledge of motivation factors can assist conductors and music educators at all levels in planning and implementation of musical goals. The purpose of this study was to identify motivational factors to join the choir and maintain membership in the choir as well as the role of stress/anxiety in maintaining choral membership. In addition, the role of musicianship was evaluated in terms of music aptitude and vocal ability. Participants (N=135) from four adult, auditioned community choirs participated in this study. Data was collected using Advanced Measures of Music Audiation, Singing Coach, measure of vocal ability and a questionnaire relating to topics of motivation, retention and stress and anxiety contained within the sub-constructs of Cusp Catastrophe Theory. The results of this study identified aesthetic motivation as the primary construct as to why members elect to join the choir. In direct relationship to this motivation, lack of aesthetic beauty and truth was identified as why members would not retain their membership in the choir. Members did not experience stress and anxiety while learning or performing choral music. However, they did agree that some level of stress is beneficial to singing. In this study, no participant suggested that stress and anxiety related to vocal ability would prevent them from achieving their performance goal. Implications from this research may include determining program literature to be presented that is perceived as having aesthetic qualities which will be beneficial for membership and retention of choir members.

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12

Dogan, Emre. "English Language Learning for Adult Immigrant Students in Sweden : Integration, Language, Culture and Learning." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för språkdidaktik, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-87337.

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This is a study of English language learning for adult immigrant students in Sweden, and how it affects their integration into society. The primary aim of this study is to highlight and analyze the problems that adult immigrant students face, based on teachers beliefs, when learning English in a foreign country, and is backed up by various secondary sources in the subject as well as data collected in qualitative face-to-face interviews with teachers from adult education centres designed to help immigrant learn the native language as well as English. The results show the teacher viewpoint on the learning problems, which stem from cultural, lexical and mental blockades. They are analyzed according to the research questions and theoretical concepts, and presented with an accompanying discussion that aims to inform of the reader of the current learning situations.

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13

Scally, Dorothy Butler. "Personal sexual story : a radical vehicle for transformative learning in adult education." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2000. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5184/.

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This thesis identifies personal sexuality as a significant and crucial site for transformative adult learning. Personal sexuality is shown to be an important adult problematic vital for individual and social transformation. Adult education of the radical/transformative tradition professes to respond to adult learning needs through a process of liberative critical reflection. However, the thesis shows that personal sexuality is an adult learning domain which, in fact, is largely overlooked both in theory and in practice by adult education. The study is cross-disciplinary. Its theoretical framework is drawn from theories of transformative learning in adult education together with psychological, sociological and feminist theories of personal development and social relations. Based on original, qualitative case study fieldwork, the findings from the personal and stories of seventy six participants reveal a hitherto secret and complex swathe of interconnecting learning strands. These strands are shown to operate throughout different life transitions and extend to encompass the next generation and the wider community. The issue of communicative competence in relation to personal sexuality emerges as central to participants’ relational concerns, learning, agendas, intergenerational educational roles, work roles and to their capacities for transformative action. Major themes in childhood and adolescent learning reveal patterns of sexual repression and oppression as de facto key constituents in the psycho-cultural construction of personal sexual identity. These themes show that the culture of sexual silence, initiated in childhood learning, is maintained in adult relationships of intimacy and contributes to further embedding oppressive gender relations in the socio-cultural fabric to the detriment of both sexes and of society. Major themes of adult sexual experience are identified as relating to a) self-image and sexual self-esteem; b) the challenges of intimate partnerships and changes in relationships; c) parenting and the inter-generational tendency to reproduce personal sexual learning.

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14

Hancock, Donald H. (Donald Hugh). "Ideas About Adult Learning in Fifth and Fourth Century B.C. Athens." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1986. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330707/.

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The problem of this study was to determine to what extent contemporary adult education theory has similarities to and origins in ancient Athenian ideas about education. The methodology used in the study combined hermeneutics and the critical theory of Jurgen Habermas. Primary sources incuded Aristotle, Plato, Aristophanes, and Diogenes Laertius; secondary sources included Jaeger, Marrou, Dover, and Kennedy. In the analysis of Athenian adult education, three groups of adult educators were identified—the poets the sophists, and the philosophers. The poets were the traditional educators of the Greek people; their shared interest or way of perceiving the world emphasized the importance of community cohesion and health. In Athens in the mid-fifth century B.C., a new group of educators, the sophists, arose to fill a demand of adults for higher and adult education in the skills necessary to participate in the assembly and courts. The sophists emphasized a pragmatic human interest and taught the skill of rhetoric. Socrates and Plato created a new school of educators, the philosophers, who became vigorous ideological opponents of both the poets and the sophists. The philosophers exhibited a transcendental interest or approach to knowledge; the purpose of life was to improve the soul, and the preferred way of life was contemplative rather than active. The philosophers taught the skill of dialectic. Paideia was a Greek word that originally referred to childhood education but which came to mean education throughout the lifespan and the civic culture that supported education. Athenian citizens perceived their paideia to be among their greatest virtues, an attainment which could not be lost to the fortunes of time as could wealth or position. Modern adult education lacks the concern for the communal and transcendental human interests that were important to many ancient Greeks. Modern cultures tend to promote strong individuation of personality and to idealize pragmatic and individualistic concerns. Researchers in the field of adult education often assign to human nature the pragmatic and individualistic qualities of adult learners, but fail to recognize how these features reflect ideologies peculiar to modern American society.

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15

Olbrych, Dawne DeVoe. "Predicting the NCLEX-RN Pass Rate at an Associate Degree Nursing Program." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5579.

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The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rate for an associate degree in nursing (ADN) program was below the national mean, presenting a problem for graduates who failed the NCLEX-RN and could not enter the workforce as registered nurses. Knowles's assumptions of adult learning, Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve, and Zull's neuroscience research served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. The purpose of this study was to identify which academic and time-lapse variables predict the graduate's first-time passage for the NCLEX-RN. Archived academic records and NCLEX-RN results for all 786 graduates from one ADN program who took the NCLEX-RN for the first time in 2015 were reviewed. Binary logistic regression analysis of the data identified multiple academic and one time lag factor as significant predictors for first-time NCLEX-RN passage. Key results included positive relationships between academic variables (prerequisite grade point average [GPA], nursing GPA, cumulative GPA, final course grade in 1 medical surgical course) and NCLEX-RN passage. An inverse relationship was shown between NCLEX-RN pass and the number of nursing component failures and time lag between clinical capstone completion and first NCLEX-RN attempt. Results informed a policy recommendation to provide timely intervention and resources for students at risk, with a goal of promoting success on the first attempt of the NCLEX-RN. Increasing the numbers of graduates who successfully complete the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt and promptly join the nursing workforce will demonstrate positive social change by mitigating the nursing shortage, which promotes safe patient care.

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16

Mati, Shepherd Ayanda. "Critical theory, adult learning and a 'xenophobia': a critical perspective on Umoja wa Afrika's human rights peer education programme." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2011. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_7522_1367480641.

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The impact of global migration on local contexts has spawned new issues and a range of social responses. These include the emergence of &lsquo
xenophobia&rsquo
in the terrain of discrimination and
the subsequent development of popular educational responses to this. As part of popular educational responses, adult education programmes have assumed an important role in changing
people&rsquo
s attitudes. This long research paper presents a critical analysis of how a human rights and counter-xenophobia peer educators&rsquo
programme enables young adults to develop a critical consciousness about human rights and &lsquo
xenophobia&rsquo
. The research focused on learning materials, course content, training methodology and processes of a three-day human rights and counter- xenophobia workshop held by Umoja wa Afrika, a local non-governmental organization, in March/April 2007 at Goedgedacht, just outside Cape Town. The research was based on qualitative
methodology which included an exploration of relevant literature, interviews with participants and facilitators, as well as the researcher&rsquo
s critical reflections. The research was located within a
critical theory framework in the field of adult
learning, and drew from the work of Paulo Freire (1970) and Stephen Brookfield(2005).
The key finding of the study is that the experience of the
workshop enabled participants to develop a critical awareness - but not necessarily a critical understanding of human rights and &lsquo
xenophobia&rsquo
. The participants identified specific factors that
contributed to such awareness. These included the diverse composition of participants, the &lsquo
accompanying&rsquo
facilitation style, and the interactive training methodology. This study makes a
contribution to understanding human rights peer education in the South African context and the extent to which such provision could enable participants to develop a critical understanding of
human rights and xenophobia. This study is an attempt to make an original contribution in this area. As such it adds to literature in applied critical methodology.

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17

Lee, Hung Kun. "A theory of adults' motivations for learning the African drums in Hong Kong." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2009. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10832/.

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This study aims at investigating the adults' motivations for participating in organised learning of the African drums in Hong Kong at the turn of the century: how they participate in related learning, why they take part, and how they have developed varied motivations for learning. Adhering to its constructivist perspective of the social world, this research has adopted a qualitative grounded theory approach and targets at generating a substantive theory about adults' motivations for learning the African drums. Data were collected via open-ended interviews with 82 informants who were sampled according to their conceptual relevance to the evolving theory, and analysed by coding, memoing, and sorting. Results of this research have identified four major categories of motivations: Professional Development, Sheer Interest, Referential Motivations, and Learning for the Sake of Learning. It is also found that the adults do not participate in learning for a single clear-cut motivation, but a mix of different reasons, and that they may demonstrate changes of motivations along with changes in life events and accumulation of knowledge and skills of Afro-drumming. This research has also identified a social process that underlies the development or surfacing of the adults' motivations for learning the African drums. The socio-cultural preconditions, mainly the local performances, multimedia publicity, and education of Afro-drumming, and the individual factors embracing the adult learners’ areas of social functioning, personal backgrounds in music and general education, and reference groups, have interacted to determine the adult learners' motivations. In addition, the findings have highlighted the rising importance of job-related and health-care reasons for adults' participation in music learning in today's world, rendered the teachers and course providers of the African drums strategic implications for widening the coverage of their clientele and creating deep learning experiences for the adult learners, and suggested some directions for future research.

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18

Morgan, Patricia Ann. "The Meaning of the Motherhood Experience to the Work of the Internal Organizational Development Consultant/Manager: Three Case Studies." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27202.

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The dissertation focuses on understanding the mothering experience of three internal organizational development consultant/managers who perceive that their experience informed their professional functioning. The questions that guided the study were: (a) What is the mothering experience of the internal organizational development consultant/manager who perceives that her experience informed her professional functioning? and (b) How does the mothering experience inform the professional functioning of the internal organizational development consultant/manager? A case study method using the grounded theory method of data analysis produced three narratives that suggested how the mothering experience influenced consulting and managerial functioning. Three themes emerged; namely: â being fully present,â â protecting by fighting for trust and safetyâ , and â bringing a caring stance.â In two of the cases, however, some contradictions were embedded in the data, suggesting a possible â idealized perception.â The ideology of the good mother is suggested as one explanation for the potential discrepancy between the co-researchersâ beliefs and self-reports of actual functioning in the three roles of mother, consultant, and manager. A larger construct of â careâ emerged, however, and related to the â ethic of careâ in organizational practice.
Ph. D.

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19

Popova-Nowak, Irina V. "In the Sandbox| Individuals and Collectives in Organizational Learning as Sense-Making through Play." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3610791.

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This study was conducted to develop a grounded theory of connections between individual and collective (group and organizational) levels of analysis through the examination of play and sense-making as integral parts of organizational learning (OL) by relying on the meta-paradigm theoretical framework. The study employed grounded theory as its methodology, and its participants included 23 employees of Company A, a U.S. consulting company, who were selected using purposeful maximum variation criterion-based sampling. One semi-structured 30-60-minute interview was conducted with each participant by phone or face-to-face.

In this study, OL took the form of sense-making through play that was a social and linguistic process of organizing the information flux and coping with uncertainty that expanded knowledge and practices within the organization. The source of flux and uncertainty was the interaction of multiple social worlds and sub-worlds (such as Company A, its project teams and clients, partnering organizations, etc.) that disrupted practices and discourses within them. Uncertainty and information flux caused confusion, discomfort, anxiety, and stress in individuals, who paused in order to bracket the flux and suspended existing knowledge, discourses, and practices. Individuals then created new knowledge, practices, and discourses while developing intersubjectivity, and validated them with multiple social worlds. The results of OL as sense-making through play were captured in collective practices that linked knowledge and action and incorporated multiple social worlds.

OL as sense-making through play occurred in the ludic space of sandbox, or a physical, social, and mental space that brought together work and play, and had a dichotomy of stability and change. OL as sense-making through play had four dimensions (intuition, improvisation, experimenting, and having fun) that were responses to specific situations of the interaction of social worlds. These dimensions reflected the dichotomies of tacit and explicit knowledge and their exploration and exploitation, and shared several characteristics (situatedness in the interaction of social worlds, adaptive instantiation of other social worlds, leaping between social worlds, abductive thinking, and focusing on results). The connections between the levels of analysis of OL as sense-making through play were non-linear, multi-directional, and situationally-specific with discontinuities and interruptions so that individual sense-making through play did not necessarily become collective.

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20

Lawson, John A. "An exploration of the interrelationship between pneumatology, theological anthropology and adult education theory in Christian learning." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.431988.

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21

Boese, Nancy M. "The effects of bilingualism on adult multitasking abilities the myth and merit of "brain boosting" /." Online version, 2008. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2008/2008boesen.pdf.

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22

Taylor, Rosema Jackielyn. "Reducing High-Risk Young Adult Offenders' Attrition From Reentry Programs." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5135.

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Reentry programs have been demonstrated to reduce recidivism. These same programs experience high attrition rates that degrade effectiveness and reduce capacity. Recidivism rates are reported as over 77% after 5 years from release which negatively impact society, victims and the released offenders. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine recently released offenders' insights regarding attrition from reentry programs to provide program administrators with themes that may be useful in addressing attrition. Social learning theory was used to frame the study. Audio recordings were collected during semistructured interviews with 21 reentry program participants. The recordings were transcribed and organized by stage and individual participant. The data was then coded to develop emergent themes about attrition. The themes were unawareness of reentry programs, inefficient learning processes, and lack of cooperative relationships. The themes that offer insight into the self-reported feelings were optimism turns to frustration when learned skills do not provide the expected outcomes and willingness to inform others about the reentry program. Results may provide reentry program administrators with insights to improve the design and execution of reentry programs to facilitate completion by high-risk offenders, which may lower the risk of recidivism.

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23

Grimm, Tammie. "Holistic and holy transformation : the practice of Wesleyan discipleship and transformative learning theory." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/holistic-and-holy-transformation-the-practice-of-wesleyan-discipleship-and-transformative-learning-theory(4fed1896-e567-4cab-8327-af9213f1811c).html.

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The subject of this thesis is the nature of Christian transformation as understood through the process of discipleship in the Wesleyan tradition and United Methodism in particular. A basic premise is that contemporary discipleship efforts are perceived as ineffective in spite of the numerous strategies that exist within the field of Christian education. The contention of this thesis is that the current situation is rooted in a failure to address the holistic and integrated nature of Christian transformation, which from a Wesleyan perspective is understood as the process of sanctification. This thesis explores a more holistic vision for discipleship, drawing upon methodology proposed by Richard Osmer to do theological reflection as it engages Wesleyan theology and transformative learning theory (TLT), a contemporary adult educational theory. The result is a contribution to the field of Christian education that has implications for disciple making ministries in the local congregation. Alasdair MacIntyre's theory of practice is developed as a means of accounting for the present incoherence within discipleship ministries, and to resource the development of a more holistic approach to the process of Wesleyan discipleship. As a result, discipleship is conceived of as a single complex practice comprised of four inseparably related and integrally connected dimensions: virtues, disciplines, ethos and telos. The theoretical framework also provides insight into contemporary discipleship efforts by systematically isolating each component and investigating the particular emphasis that is stressed, thus truncating the practice of discipleship. Putting this framework into conversation with TLT provides a way for theological reflection that can broker a cross-disciplinary dialogue between TLT and Wesleyan discipleship. The resulting discourse discerns which relevant aspects of TLT can be appropriated within a Wesleyan context and how TLT contributes to the field of Christian education. Contributions that Wesleyan discipleship can make to the field of TLT are also explored. The thesis develops an educational theory that views discipleship as a single coherent complex practice that is consistent with the process of sanctification in the Wesleyan tradition. Such a theory overcomes the current situation that results in isolating various discipleship efforts by prompting the field of Christian education to consider discipleship as sanctification that transforms persons and their contexts in holistic ways.

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24

Dyke, Martin. "Reflective learning and reflexive modernity as theory practice and research in post-compulsory education." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2001. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/2732/.

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To what extent does reflective learning in education meet the needs of learners in a reflexive modern society? The thesis constructs a late-modern case for reflective learning in post-compulsory education. It is argued that reflective learning connects with a key concept in contemporary social theory - that of reflexivity. The arguments are developed through the following key questions. • To what extent does reflective learning in post compulsory education correspond with the needs of learners in late-modernity? • What are the key characteristics of late-modernity? • Can the application of reflective learning by practitioners improve student learning in post-compulsory education? • What are the conclusions for teaching and learning in post-compulsory education that flow from this analysis of social theory and educational practice? Enlightenment and contemporary modernity is explored through a review of literature on social theory and philosophy. The second part of the thesis is concerned with praxis the testing of theory in action. Case studies in action research are used to examine how teachers seek to promote reflective learning in their practice. This exploration of theory and practice is then used to present the overall conclusions and make recommendations for future action. In many ways this thesis revisits the territory and thinking of John Dewey, It seeks to connect educational praxis to the wider social context, but from a late-modern perspective.

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Dobre, Adrian. "Acculturation Through Education : A qualitative study on learning strategies of adult immigrants in Romania." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-131139.

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The purpose of the thesis is to examine how adult immigrants in Romania describe the learning strategies that have helped them integrate in the new culture. To be able to draw conclusions about migrants' learning strategies and what has made them work, I have looked at the experience of five immigrants who speak Romanian and who have successfully integrated in the Romanian culture. The study employs a qualitative methodology, information has been collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis and a framework approach to data analysis. The key findings of the thesis are that integration through education, specifically through language learning, takes place more effectively if migrants are driven by intrinsic goals or if they internalize the extrinsic rewards that they expect upon completion of their goals. These findings can be put into practice to form better strategies and actions steps in organizational programs that aim at integrating migrants. They can also be brought to the knowledge of migrants looking to successfully integrate, to make them aware of how their choices and goals, even those apparently unrelated, can impact the outcome of their integration efforts.

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Betts, Benjamin W. "Changing the model of workplace e-learning : a platform to facilitate autonomous social e-learning for adult learners : innovation report." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/59108/.

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E-learning has a significant blind spot (Dalziel, 2003). The predominant existing model of delivering instructional 'Courseware' via a Learning Management System (LMS) is expensive to produce and often isolating; eschewing many seminal lessons concerning the importance of social context in a learning scenario (Dewey, 1938). Following a review of literature, a new method of facilitating workplace Elearning was devised, focused on user-generated content and the notion of a more social E-learning experience. This new method has subsequently been dubbed the Curatr Learning Cycle (CLC). To encourage user participation, a technique known as gamification was harnessed; the use of digital game-like progress measures in a non-game context. A software platform was devised to enable the new approach to be tested in the real world. Following positive testing results, the software platform received a wide commercial launch and became known as ‘Curatr’. Using the CLC as a template of the actions that need to be facilitated for an effective social E-learning experience, organisations can create workplace E-learning that is quick to deploy, low cost and highly effective. The CLC and Curatr represent a potentially disruptive innovation to the workplace E-learning marketplace, with the possibility to displace earlier technology and existing methods. Since its launch, Curatr has been recognised nationally and internationally as a disruptive innovation in workplace E-learning. The software has led to the commercial turnaround of its parent organisation and has been deployed to businesses globally. Research conducted as part of this project has led to the publication of journal articles, book chapters and conference papers.

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Herbert, Carmen. "The relationship between childhood exposure to substance use and substance use as an adult." University of the Western Cape, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4897.

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Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW)
It is a common fact that drug and alcohol abuse has become a complex problem with children in South Africa. There is also a risk that children of substance abusers will become substance abusers themselves. The aim of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between childhood exposure to substance use and substance use as an adult. The theory that was implemented in the study was the Social Learning Theory. The participants were obtained from an outpatient substance abuse treatment centre. A cross sectional study design was used whereby 192 participants were requested to complete an adapted version of the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence scale. The results of the study show that 48% of the respondents experienced exposure to substance abuse which they witnessed as a child. The results of the study indicated that past exposure to substance abuse accounted for a mean of 2.47. Respondents also responded in terms of exposure to parent/s that abused substances, which had a mean of 2.12. The results illustrated that there is a significant positive relationship between past experiences of substance abuse and current experiences of substance abuse within the total sample (r=.39, p:0.01). The study showed that for gender a positive relationship was found for males (r = .23, p:0.01) and for females (r = .34, p:0.01). In terms of family structure there was a significantly positive relationship, which for one parent was (r = .23, p: 0.05) and for two-parent families was(r = .38, p: 0.01). In conclusion early intervention strategies for children who are at risk and who are exposed to substance abuse, should be implemented.

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Tanner, Lori Kristine. "Case Study of the Challenges Faced by Adult Students Enrolled in an Online Blended Distance Learning Program." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1176232114.

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Arizmendi, Wayne Clinton, and arizmendi@fastmail fm. "Relative truths regarding childrens learning difficulties in a Queensland regional primary school: Adult stakeholders positions." Central Queensland University. School of Education, 2005. http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au./thesis/adt-QCQU/public/adt-QCQU20060510.112803.

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This study explored the discursive subject positions that 18 parents, teachers and administrators involved with children identified as experiencing learning difficulties in a Queensland regional primary school between September 2003 and August 2004 drew upon to explain the causes of those childrens learning difficulties. The study used a post-structuralist adaptation of positioning theory and social constructionism and a discourse analytic method to analyse relevant policy documents and participants semi-structured interview transcripts to interrogate what models were being used to explain a student's inability to access the curriculum. Despite the existence of alternative explanatory frameworks that functioned as relatively undeveloped resistant counternarratives, the study demonstrated the medical models overwhelming dominance in both Education Queensland policy statements and the participants subject positions. This dominance shapes and informs the adult stakeholders subjectivities and renders the child docile and potentially irrational.

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Schwartz, Harriet L. "Thankful Learning: A Grounded Theory Study of Relational Practice between Master’s Students and Professors." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1247833338.

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Klunk, Clare Dvoranchik. "Workplace Devaluation: Learning from Experience." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27337.

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Many successful professionals, recognized for their experience, knowledge, competence and commitment to their field, experience a contradiction when they realize that their contributions are no longer valued by decision-makers in their organizations. Professionals, regardless of gender, position, education, race or profession, who experience workplace devaluation agree that this experience devalues their contributions and demeans their sense of self. This study illuminates the professionals' perspective of workplace devaluation through their experience. Within the framework of grounded theory methodology, this research examined three research questions: (a) What is the experience of professionals' workplace devaluation? (b) How did professionals learn from the experience? (c) What did professionals learn from the experience? The unit of analysis is the professional within an organization. Four participants were selected who (a) had several years experience with their organization; (b) were previously valued by the organization; (c) were current in their field; (d) had experienced workplace devaluation; and (e) were able to articulate insights, thoughts, and emotions on their experience. Multiple interviews with each participant provided the data. A comparative, iterative analysis of the data yielded: (a) a seven-phase process of the experience; (b) six constructs embedded in the process, and (c) four categories of learning. The dialogic interview method facilitated the participants' apperception, reflection, and progress through the process. Three emotions--fear, powerlessness, anger--and their interaction with the other constructs (autonomy, communication, personalization, authority, and recognition) influenced coping strategies and actions taken by each participant. The four narratives explicate the interrelationships of the findings. Three major conclusions are: (a) A rich description of the workplace devaluation experience offers a glimpse into the complexity of this topic and into the professionals' "lived world." (b) The learning process, grounded in the data, depicts how these four professionals used the power of their emotions to create balance within themselves as they attempted to explicate their situation of workplace devaluation. (c) The results indicate that greater learning occurred in organizational knowledge and intrapersonal knowledge for these professionals. Questions for further research are noted along with practical suggestions and recommendations for the praxis of adult educators, decision-makers, and professionals.
Ph. D.

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Griswold, Wendy. "Transformative learning in a post-totalitarian context : professional development among school teachers in rural Siberia." Diss., Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/454.

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Kauser, Frederick L. "Supporting Workplace Learning: Supervisory and Peer Support Effect on Novice Firefighter Informal Learning Engagement." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483582046599161.

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Tai, C. N., and 戴靜妮. "An instructional-design theory guide for producing effective self-learning multimedia programs for training adult learners in the HangSeng Bank." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B29614399.

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Yagodzinski, Elizabeth. "Formative Research on an Instructional Design Theory for Online Learning Communities: A Higher Education Faculty Development Case." NSUWorks, 2012. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/341.

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The steady and consistent growth of online learning and the rapid development of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis and blogs have led to innovative methods of training and instruction. As a result, continuing research is needed to develop and validate instructional design theories and models that support teaching and learning in today's technology-rich learning environment. The goal of this research was to refine the Creating Online Learning Communities for Adults (COLCA) instructional design (ID) theory by using the theory to design an online faculty development course. A formative research design guided the investigation. Formative research seeks to identify improvements for an instructional design theory based on a designed instance of the theory, in this case an online faculty development course in Web 2.0 tools and techniques. This research is a designed case applying the COLCA instructional design theory to an online faculty development course. Data sources included course documents and observations, email messages, and participant interviews. These data were used to determine which methods prescribed by the COLCA ID theory work well, what methods could be improved, and in which specific situations each method works best. As an original contribution to the discipline of information technology as applied to teaching and learning, this study sought to improve upon an instructional design theory currently in its early stages of development and informs the design of online learning communities for adults. This research is important to continued growth and advancement of contemporary instructional design theories that provide support for emerging technologies, adult learners, and online learning methods that facilitate the development of online learning communities and communities of practice.

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Carleton, Karen Anne. "The Lamplighter: Strategic Leaders' Views on Leadership." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27592.

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The vast quantity of leadership literature discusses factors that may contribute to leader development. However, strategic leaders—defined as those individuals in key positions at the organizational apex—are a subsection of the research that deserves more attention. In particular, what sets these leaders apart or enables them to excel is an area of particular interest and is explored in this dissertation. The purpose of this study was to understand the process of leadership development, specifically through the experience and beliefs of successful senior leaders. The study addressed the following questions: 1. How do strategic leaders for the federal government describe effective leadership? 2. How do they explain the development of effective strategic leadership? 3. How do the described behaviors of strategic leadership compare to the Executive Core Qualifications established for civilian federal government leaders by the Office of Personnel Management? To answer the research questions, the study employed grounded theory as the primary analytic procedure. The subjects interviewed were from areas of the federal government dealing with national security, predominantly Department of Defense. Both military and civilians subjects participated. Data were analyzed qualitatively and a conceptual model of strategic leadership behavior was developed. Finally, implications and suggestions as to how to foster the development of such capacities are offered. The findings show, as did earlier behavioral research, that the two aspects of task and relationship are important to successful leaders. In this case, both functioned predominantly in the leaders' behavior, but under the fabric of their contextual experience built on their own self-efficacy and relations with others. It follows that more attention paid to developing self-mastery and strong relationship skills are in order. Since studies on military leadership vice civilian federal service are more likely, the findings were examined in relation to the established qualifications for senior civilian leaders, revealing a gap. While the qualifications for senior executives are behavior oriented, the research indicates a need for stronger focus on personal development, growth as an individual, and contributions made to the development of others. The relationship aspect of leadership does not receive the proper emphasis.
Ph. D.

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Lu, Cheng-Wei. "Activity theory as a basis for negotiation training in adult English-as-a-foreign-language instruction." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2959.

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The project offers Taiwanese teachers who work with adults a new concept of teaching crosscultural negotiation skills as part of their EFL instruction. It also presents Taiwanese teachers with a method of analyzing their educational practice to encourage more active and engaged teaching with a useful curriculum and its corresponding assessment.

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Crawford, Amy Kristen. "Self-Determination Theory and Middle School Mathematics Teachers: Understanding the Motivation to Attain Professional Development." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1499267230576956.

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Gillespie, LaVerne. "Trust in Leadership| Investigation of Andragogical Learning and Implications for Student Placement Outcomes." Thesis, Lindenwood University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3619163.

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Purpose. The investigation sought to determine the significance and or the effects of an ex post facto staffing intervention involving the addition of a Regional (mid-tier) team of instructional leaders as a viable and sustainable solution for increased operational effectiveness year over year, and, if there could be implications on employment outcomes. Furthermore, to determine whether this staffing intervention of adding a Regional (mid-tier) team of instructional leaders affected the primary Andragogical factors used for instructional effectiveness and did the change create a conducive condition for learning for Career Services Leaders from the perspective of Andragogy.

Design/Methodology/Approach. Mixed-method research utilizing the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory (MIPI) originally designed by Henschke (1989), modified appropriately. This study will compare the gap between the Regional Director (RD) and the Director (D) scores on the MIPI to measure possible contributions to employment placement outcomes and determine primary Andragogical factors used for instructional effectiveness for Career Services Leaders.

Findings. Regarding the influence of Andragogy on placement outcomes for 2011 compared to 2012, the conclusions were as follows: There was no significant relationship of note, however, observably, the wider the gap, the lower the placement rate for 2011. However, the 2012 Employment Rate (ER) indicated that there was a moderate, negative relationship between the gap in Andragogical instructional perspectives and employment rates. The leader learners were operationally effective as a result of the instruction they received from the instructional leaders. The research results support this point, since 2012 employment rates related to the Andragogical gap indicating trust, and both 2011 and 2012 employment rates were dependent upon the region from which they were generated.

Practical Implications. In higher education for-profit environments involving leadership development, instructional leadership staffing paradigms form the rationale for increased performance and operational effectiveness.

Originality/Value. The results of this study provided empirical validation for the decision to restructure the Career Services leadership model for continued implementation and sustainability in higher education leadership settings.

Keywords. Andragogy, Leadership, Career Services, Instructional Leadership, Adult Learning, Trust in Leadership, Regional Directors, Middle Management.

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Wilson, Edwin L. "A study of the cognitive styles and learning preferences of Fire Service officers." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1999. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/287/.

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This research examines the relationship between Cognitive Style and Learning Styles of senior officers in the Fire Service and their preferences for different training delivery methods. Data has been gathered from students attending courses at the Fire Service College, in particular those attending the Divisional Command Course (DCC), which is a personal and professional development course for officers aspiring to a senior role in the Fire Service. Three data gathering instruments were used in the research, the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) (Riding, 1991), the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) (Honey & Mumford, 1982), and a questionnaire specifically designed to gather students’ preference ratings across a range of 14 training delivery methods. The research examines the psychological and educational derivations of models that underpin the CSA and LSQ instruments in order to help clarify the construct systems used to describe both cognitive and learning style; and to examine their relationships with other psychological constructs. Further exploration of the relationships between cognitive and learning styles attempts to answer the question as to whether they have similar attributes and also whether the instruments have any practical predictive utility in predicting suitable delivery methodologies for training. The data findings suggest that the officer students formed a homogeneous group with regard to cognitive style on the ‘wholist–analytic’ dimension, the tendency for bias towards the analytic end of the scale, but were evenly distributed on the ‘verbaliser–imager’ dimension. The sample exhibited a more normal distribution of type with regard to learning style (using the LSQ), although there was a tendency for them to be more ‘reflector’ orientated than a standardized group in the general population. The sample group showed preferences for certain delivery methods that encouraged interactive participation in the learning process but these did not appear to show any significant correlation with either cognitive style or learning style.

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Coalter, Vicki. "Second chance learning and the contexts of teaching a study of the learning experiences of further education students with few qualifications /." Thesis, Connect to e-thesis, 2008. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/122/.

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Donnelly, Jilian K. "Understanding Educational Choice Processes of Retired Professional Hockey Players." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2014. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/260106.

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Educational Administration
Ed.D.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the processes and influences that underlie the choice of retired elite athletes to further their education and assume the adult learner role. In the current study, focus was applied specifically to professional ice hockey players who were in a period of retirement from active play. Elite athletes often retire at a time when most other professions are just beginning or reaching a level of stability. Research suggests that many retired elite athletes experience a difficult transition to an early retirement from athletics that is fraught with depression and unemployment. A select number of these elite athletes choose to further their educations after their careers have expired. The literature suggests that some of these retired elite athletes find educational programming a valuable coping strategy in the often traumatic post-athletic career adjustment. Unfortunately, this choice is made by only few athletes. It would be desirable to encourage more retired athletes to consider and engage in educational activities; however, currently, there is only very little knowledge on the processes underlying athletes' choice to participate, or not to participate, in education in their retirement years. Using a theoretical framework that includes adult learning theory and adult development theory, in conjunction with expectancy-value theory of motivation, the impact of individual characteristics and environmental opportunities on post-athletic career choices made by professional athletes may be better understood. The primary instrument for data collection was a personal interview with ten retired professional hockey players, conducted over a consecutive six-month period resulting in significant data. Utilizing the constant-comparative method for data analysis, common themes were identified as indicators of educational engagement: Informal Mentorship, Head Injury Related Retirement, and Pre-Transition Planning. In addition to these themes, the findings reflected an alternative adult developmental model possibly unique to professional hockey players. The findings of this study are valuable to the larger conversation regarding adult learners, adult development, and elite athlete career transition.
Temple University--Theses

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Van, Reenen-Le Roux Valdi. "Adult learning and social reconciliation: a case study of an academic programme at a Western Cape Higher Education Institution." University of the Western Cape, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/2891.

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Magister Educationis - MEd
Heterogeneous school communities are becoming more apparent under local and global conditions. A school community is more diverse and similar, not only racially but also in respect of economic, cultural, national and ethnic identities. Schools would require leaders who are mindful of the need for conflict sensitivity and social reconciliation within a globalising classroom.Through the lens of critical constructivism, I investigated the extent to which a higher education institution achieved the aims of the ACE in School Leadership, a continuing professional development programme. I relied upon a qualitative research approach to gather rich descriptive data from interviews conducted with nine school leaders who had graduated from the ACE School Leadership programme. The Literature Review is based on readings regarding critical constructivism, globalisation, conflict‐sensitivity and reconciliation.I found that the programme expanded the school leaders’ basic knowledge about conflict sensitivity and social reconciliation, but not sufficiently in terms of developing a critical consciousness to deal with conflict effectively. I concluded that conflict‐sensitive schools required school leaders that produced knowledge critically through a rigorous process of engagement and reflection. The ACE School Leadership programme had limitations in the extent to which it could prepare and equip school leaders in this regard.
South Africa

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Thornton, Kimberly. "Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge and Use of Andragogical Principles." Thesis, Walden University, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=13812056.

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Early childhood education (ECE) teachers often lack the experience and skills to provide children with supports necessary to foster academic and social skill development. Professional development can improve ECE teachers’ skills, but ECE trainers often lack understanding of adult learning principles, known as andragogy. Knowles’ conceptual framework of andragogy was used to explore the knowledge and use of andragogical principles of 8 ECE trainers selected via criterion-based purposive sampling. The research questions focused on ECE trainers’ knowledge and use of andragogical principles. Three cases, each consisting of 2 or 3 live professional development trainings for early childhood educators, were used in this study. Data sources included (a) observations of ECE trainings, (b) semi-structured interviews with ECE trainers, and (c) content analysis of ECE training materials. Thematic analysis revealed that although participants were not formally trained in andragogy and were unfamiliar with the associated verbiage, most had a strong grasp of andragogy and used andragogical principles to drive the development and presentation of their training materials. The 3 main themes that emerged were (a) lack of training/background in andragogy, (b) training strategies employed, and (c) training design. Findings from this study provide an original contribution to the limited existing research on the professional development of early childhood educators and expand the existing body of research on andragogy. This study contributes to social change by revealing that trainers may benefit from formal andragogical training, which may then improve the education provided by ECE teachers to young children.

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Akrivou, Kleio. "Differentiation and Integration in Adult Development: The Influence of Self Complexity and Integrative Learning on Self Integration." online version, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view.cgi?acc%5Fnum=case1214318290.

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Guastella, Rosaria. "The influence of conflicting role obligations on nontraditional student baccalaureate degree attainment." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2009. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1019.

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The purpose of this research study was to investigate the phenomenon of the conflicting roles, such as parent, spouse, employee, caregiver, and community member/volunteer, associated with the lives of nontraditional college students and to reveal how these conflicting role obligations influence these students' persistence toward the attainment of an undergraduate degree. This study provides a brief history of adult education in the United States as well as the study context, a continuing studies division of a privately endowed research institution located in the southern United States. The participants in this study were nontraditional students who were also recent graduates of this continuing studies unit. This study drew upon the literature of nontraditional students in higher education, as well as literature on role theory, adult development theory, adult learning theory, and student persistence theory. This study used a phenomenological qualitative approach as a means of discovering the lived experiences of nontraditional students as these experiences relate to the conflicting roles of nontraditional students and their decision to persist toward the attainment of a bachelor's degree. Several important findings were discovered. In order to negotiate their conflicting roles, these students used several strategies as a means of helping them to balance their roles. This study also found several motivational factors that prompted nontraditional students to pursue a bachelor's degree at this time in their lives. The obstacles and challenges that these students confronted were also revealed, and in order to overcome these obstacles and challenges these students relied on several support systems. The reputation and prestige of this university was also found to be an important factor in the students' decision to attend college at this stage in their lives. Additionally, the various forms of assistance that this continuing studies unit provided encouraged students to persist.

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Dehnicke, Dorothee Christine. "An analysis of the University of Stellenbosch Business School personal leadership development journey and camparing it with recent literature on adult learning theory." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95668.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This work provides a comprehensive overview of the theories on adult learning. For each approach, the applicability for a leadership development programme is discussed. If available, examples for the use of a certain theory in a leadership course as part of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme are provided. An overview of the Personal Leadership Development Journey (PLDJ) of the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is provided. The structure of the programme demonstrates the application of certain adult learning theories. Interviews with the alumni of the programme show how successfully the adult learning theories are practised and to what extent students have found them useful. Gaps in these interviews are pointed out with reference to the theories on adult learning. As an example, there is a certain body of literature on transformative learning as a subcategory of adult learning. In this case, two different theoretical approaches are explained, of which one is a more general discussion on adult learning and the other is focused on leadership development. Then an example of the application of this theory at the Institut Européen des d’Administration d’Affaires (INSEAD) shows how other business schools employ the theory in practice. In this case, the practical example is a leadership course as such, not a general MBA programme. The reason for this is that examples which match the situation at the USB exactly can not always be found. In the interviews, alumni of the USB were asked how the PLDJ impacted their professional and their private life. So indirectly, students were asked if a transformative learning process had taken place and how they would describe it. The analysis of the results is used to point out the strength of the programme as well as gaps, which could be addressed for future improvement.

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Anderson, Jillian Rene. ""Yes, and...!" assessing the impact of theatre-based improvisational training and a simulation on work group behavior /." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1217826279.

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Liljeström, Monica. "Learning text talk online : Collaborative learning in asynchronous text based discussion forums." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Pedagogiska institutionen, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-34199.

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The desire to translate constructivist and sociocultural approaches to learning in specific learning activities is evident in most forms of training at current, not least in online education. Teachers worldwide are struggling with questions of how to create conditions in this fairly new realm of education for learners to contribute to the development of a good quality in their own and others' learning. Collaboration in forms of text talk in asynchronous, text based forums (ADF) is often used so students can participate at the location and time that suits them best given the other aspects of their life situation. But previous research show how collaboration in forms of text talk do not always evolve in expected quality, and how participation sometimes can be so low that no discussions at all take place. Perhaps it is time to move on and make use of the variety of user-friendly audio-visible technologies that offers conditions for collaboration similar to those in the physical environment? Is there any point to use ADF for collaboration, beyond the flexible opportunity for participation it allows? If so, why, how and under what conditions are it worthwhile to use ADF for tasks meant to be worked collaboratively on? These questions were the starting point of the studies in this thesis that was researched through two case studies involving different techniques and data samples of various natures, with the aim to understand more about collaborative text talk. The research approach differs from the vast majority of studies in the research field of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) where many studies currently are conducted by analysis of quantifiable data. The first case study was conducted in the context of non-formal learning in Swedish Liberal Adult Education online, and the second in the context of higher education online in Sweden. The studies in the thesis were made on basis of socio-cultural theory and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected from questionnaires, interviews and texts created by students participating in tasks that they jointly resolved through text talk. Some results were brought back to the students for further explanation of the results. Findings from data analysis were triangulated with other results and with sociocultural theory. The results indicate that students can create knowledge relevant to their studies through text talk, but can feel restrained or dismiss the activity as irrelevant if important conditions are lacking. Collaboration through text talk makes individual resources accessible in a specific place where it can be observed and its validity for the purpose of the task evaluated by others. Students with good insight in what they are supposed to accomplish seem be able to consult relevant guidance for this evaluation, from teachers, textbooks, scientific articles and other valid experiences important to their studies, and thereby contribute to learning of the quality they studies are meant to produce. Text talk also increases teachers’ possibilities to identify what the guidance the study group needs when evaluating the gathered resources and through their own active participation provide support in the students “zone of proximal development”. Contributions offered to the CSCL research field is the identifications of important mechanisms related to learning collaboratively through text talk, and the use of case study methodology as inspiration for others to try also these kinds of strategies to capture online learning.

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Leal, Tatiana Rodriguez. ""I sometimes question myself" : the learning trajectories of four senior managers as they confronted changing demands at work." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:aee78997-8e76-48b8-baf5-e60e54c2c328.

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This study explores the learning trajectories of four senior managers at the Royal Mail as they confronted new demands at work. These four managers worked at the Royal Mail during the years prior to, and during its privatisation, when it was also undergoing an intense modernisation. Theoretically, I took a sociocultural approach, drawing on Vygotsky (1998), Edwards (2010), Holland et al. (1998), and Sfard and Prusak (2005), among others. I was also provoked by Alasdair MacIntyre's characterisation of the manager and his understanding of practice, which emphasises human ourishing. Data was collected through iterative unstructured and semi-structured interviews, and by work shadowing the managers. Methodologically, I developed a useful interview protocol to capture stories about work and a more nuanced understanding of what mattered to participants. I also built a conceptual framework that draws theoretically from a sociocultural understanding of learning and development, as well as from MacIntyre (2013) and Taylor (1989). e model emerged from the dialectics of theory and empirical data. The research shows that as the Royal Mail underwent organisational change, the managers had to navigate situations of misalignment between what mattered to them and what mattered to other members of the organisation. Such situations of misalignment brought about new demands. As they confronted the demands, the managers realised the need to close a gap between who they were and who they were expected to become. Gap-closing efforts were characterised as a process of learning and development that involved intense identity work. In the process, the managers had to work through a series of contradictions, which can be expressed in the form of questions: Who am I really? Who should I no longer be? Who do I resist becoming? And, who do I struggle to become? Gap-closing was given by a dialectic between the managers' commitments and identi cations, and the stories of what was good in the gured world of managing at the Royal Mail. Contrary to some of MacIntyre's suggestions, I found that the four managers in the study, Linda, Eric, Margaret and Julian did question themselves about some of the ends they pursued. ey also exhibited varying degrees of agency, and did establish a distance with the impositions of their institutional realities. In the eld, I found instances of moral debate, the exercising of virtues and the managers' very human efforts to live a worthy life and to ourish. Yet, I also found empirical grounds for some of MacIntyre's claims. As the managers navigated misalignment, they used an array of strategies intended to persuade others in a manipulative way, sometimes treating ends as given, and sometimes eluding moral debate. The study contributes to the literature of learning and development through its original theoretical approach that draws from both sociocultural and MacIntyrean ideas.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory'

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