<p>SHARPLES, RUSSELL HORTON. The Importance of Leadership Competencies: Perceptions of North Carolina Community College Presidents. (Under the direction of George A. Baker III) This research investigated the relationship between certain institutional characteristics and perceptions of North Carolina community college presidents about the importance of leadership roles, values and emotions, and skills. Those characteristics were the size of the institution, the growth rate of the institution, and the geographic setting of the institution. The perceptions of three groups of presidents were studied. One group consisted of the presidents of large community colleges and the presidents of small community colleges. The second group consisted of the presidents of high enrollment growth colleges and the presidents of low enrollment growth colleges. The final group was comprised of presidents of urban community colleges and rural community colleges. Fifty-one of the 58 presidents participated in the study, a participation rate of 87.93 percent. The participants completed the Leadership Competencies Assessment Instrument, responding to 30 specific leadership competencies by estimating the degree of energy they expended in addressing each competency, and by estimating their effectiveness in addressing that competency. The means of responses from the first set of presidents in each group was compared to the means of responses from the second set of presidents in each group using the t-test for the difference between means. It was hypothesized that, for each of the three groups, there were no differences in perceptions about the importance of leadership roles, leadership values and emotions, or leadership skills. The results of the tests indicated that there were no differences in perceptions in any of three groups about which leadership roles, values and emotions, and skills were most important. It was recommended that future research address expanding the study population to include other community college systems; conducting future studies using different methodologies in order to increase validity; and additional study of individual leadership competencies and how they affect presidential leadership perceptions.<P>

<p> <p> From the evolution of the first colleges, residence halls have been viewed as more than a place to eat and sleep. The Oxford and Cambridge models offered residential settings where students and faculty lived, ate, and studied together (Rowe, 1981). The living-learning residential model emerged from the present day American university?s desire to practice learning as a part of living. <p> The Educational Resources Information Center defines living-learning programs as "Residential facilities of higher education institutions designed to enhance students ' educational experiences by enabling them to integrate their academic activities with their ordinary living activities "(ERIC, 1982, p. 143). Riker (1965) and Rowe (1981) created eight components that give living-learning program administrators a broad based foundation on which to build living-learning program curricula.<p> Twenty living-learning program administrators listed how their programs incorporate Riker (1965) and Rowe's (1981) components and then prioritized the curricula on these lists. A three round Delphi surveying technique was used to structure this process. In the first round of the process administrators generated lists of program curricula that exist at established programs across the country. Rounds two and three of the process were a tool for building consensus on the most heavily valued living-learning program curricula. <p> Results indicate that curricula providing opportunities for students to pursue an academic life style were most valued by the group of twenty administrators. Specific curricula that were valued include active learning experiences, student involvement and participation in programs, student accessibility to faculty, and spaces that facilitate discussion and study. <p> <P>

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: James A. Whitson, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Idaho, 2006. / Abstract. "April 18, 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-167). Also available online in PDF format.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Minnesota, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (72-77 leaves) Also available on the World Wide Web as a PDF file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [58]-62).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Oregon State University, 1980. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

<p>This Research sets out to understand the participation experiences of a selected group of adult learners at one of the partner institutionsof the online Intercontinental Masters in Adult Learning and Global Change. The study offers an understanding of adult learners' experiences of success and persistence in relation to online study within a higher education context, and also offers insights into what may costitute successful learning communities. In relation to literature, , the student perceptions obtained via the study largely affirm what 'successiful' can mean to a group of postgraduate adult learners in an online learning environment. This stidy also contributes to the ongoing conversation in terms of the unique experiences of students in one particular cohort of the programme.</p>

Train-the-trainer is an educational method extensively used by organizations for capacity development. Despite the wide spread use of this method, there is little information regarding its use, role in educating adults, and participant perceptions of its utility. Healthcare service providers’ perceptions of a train-the-trainer educational method was investigated in this qualitative study. A focus group methodology was used. Content analysis revealed themes about participant perceptions. The overall theme identified was the need to address location-specific challenges, specifically, recognition by the trainer of the context of communities and programs in which the training occurs. Organizations using this method need be flexible and willing to revise the training plan based in adult learner needs. Service providers recommended that the provision of strategies and examples for transfer of learning into practice was critical as was the tailoring of train-the-trainer workshops in length, facilitation style, resources, and delivery modality to community capacity and needs. / October 2008

Achievement of the teacher trainees