The purpose of this study was to understand how learning occupational safety practices occurred for employees outside of and in addition to, what was taught through planned, intentional safety training. The participants reflected upon their personal experiences regarding the work safety practices that they chose to incorporate into their lives during a semi-structured audio taped interview. Data were analyzed using qualitative phenomenological methods to distill the multi-page interview transcriptions into manageable and comparable elements. Theoretical constructs underlying the analysis drew from occupational safety literature and situated learning theories. The analysis found that learning occupational safety practices occur through experience with equipment and within various environments. These safe work practices are easily transferred to other settings where they are negotiated and become part of the workplace repertoire of safety. The participants did not discern non-workplace and workplace safe practices, but saw safe work practices as a conceptual tool that was applied to all settings. The participants used stories as a vehicle for both learning and sharing safe work practices with co-workers. These stories provided a rich, meaningful way to share safety concepts. The participants learned safe practices through the interaction with co-workers, self-selecting mentors who would provide learning opportunities, and they in turn would become mentors for other co-workers. This learning occurred during and within the daily activities of performing their work within communities of practice.

<p>ABSTRACTGILLIAM, JANICE HOOTS. The Impact of Cooperative Learning and Course Learning Environment Factors on Learning Outcomes and Overall Excellence in the Community College Classroom. (Under the direction of Carol E. Kasworm.)This study tested the theory of social interdependence by examining the impact of cooperative learning (CL) in comparison to traditional instructional methods (identified in this study as non-cooperative learning, NCL) on 12 course learning environment factors, learning outcomes, and overall excellence of instruction and courses. It also investigated the relationship of 12 course learning environment factors on learning outcomes and overall excellence of instruction and courses. This study was conducted at a small rural comprehensive community college and utilized over 3000 student ratings of instruction as the primary data. The IDEA Center student rating form (IDEA Center, 1998b) was used to measure these variables. The Questionnaire on the Use of Cooperative Learning (Cooperative Learning Center, 1991) was used to identify faculty who taught courses integrating cooperative learning (CL) and those not integrating cooperative learning (NCL). Quasi-experimental representative design guided the investigation of an experimental group (students in CL courses) and a comparison group (students in NCL courses) comparing course learning environment factors, learning outcomes, and overall excellence of instruction and courses. Student ratings of CL courses were significantly higher than NCL courses on learning outcomes (p-value of .007). Additionally, CL courses were significantly higher than NCL courses on 10 of 12 course learning environment factors and learning outcomes. Six of these ten variables were significant at the .01 level. The difference between student ratings of CL and NCL courses on overall excellence was marginal (p-value of .042). The most significant finding was the impact of course learning environment factors on learning outcomes and overall excellence of instruction and courses, each with p-values of .000. A large portion of the variance in student ratings of learning outcomes (82%) and overall excellence of instruction and courses (88%) could be attributed to the course learning environment factors. This study was one of the first to extensively examine the theory of social interdependence through the impact of cooperative learning on student ratings in a community college. It also investigated how course learning environment factors impacted student ratings of learning outcomes and the overall excellence of instruction and courses. <P>

<p>ABSTRACTLUNNEN, KAREN YUNDT. Students' Perceptions of What Employers Consider Desirable Abilities, Attributes and Qualifications for Physical Therapists in Today's Workforce. (Under the direction of Don C. Locke.)In today's workforce, characterized by change and increasing competition for jobs, it is important for educational programs, students and practicing physical therapists to be aware of the qualities that are valued by employers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of physical therapy students about the abilities, attributes and qualifications that are desired by employers of physical therapists in today's workforce. Further, the study compared the perceptions of students with those of employers based on an earlier study of employers with a similar survey instrument.The population surveyed was students nearing completion of their second year of study in each of the seven physical therapy programs in North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC). Students were asked to respond to the survey from the perspective of an employer of physical therapists in today's workforce, and to indicate the relative importance of items (grouped as abilities, attributes and qualifications) on a six-response Likert scale ranging from Not Important (1,2) to Important (3,4) to Essential (5,6). The student survey contained the same core questions as an earlier survey of physical therapy employers from clinical settings in NC and SC, allowing comparison of the two populations. Analysis of the students' responses resulted in rankings of abilities, attributes and qualifications. The three most valued abilities were: (1) manage time effectively, (2) problem-solve/think critically, and (3) abide by rules and regulations. The three most valued attributes were: (1) ethical behavior, (2) integrity, and (3) a positive attitude. The three most valued qualifications were: (1) broad-based knowledge and skills, (2) an advanced master's degree in physical therapy, and (3) membership in the American Physical Therapy Association. Employers had the same top three abilities as students, but flexibility was above a positive attitude in the ranking of attributes, and manual therapy certification was above an advanced master's degree in the ranking of qualifications. Additional analyses examined the correlation between students' perceptions about the relative importance of the various abilities, attributes and qualifications and the amount of prior clinical experience (in weeks) that they had. <P>

<p>Metcalf, Ronald Carroll. Certified Nursing Assistants in long-term care facilities: Perceptions of their initial training program. (Under the direction of John M. Pettitt) Throughout the country, long-term care (LTC) facilities are faced with the challenge of providing residents with the essential care that this growing population deserves. One of the biggest challenges is the critical shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) within the LTC industry. These essential frontline workers provide 90% of the care needed by residents living within these facilities. CNA training programs struggle to provide the LTC industry with well qualified care providers. This critical shortage is compounded by a career track that has maintained an excessively high turnover rate. Effective training programs could have a positive impact on this situation by preparing individuals with quality, realistic experiences during their initial training. Therefore, educators and regulatory agencies must be aware of the connection between the entire learning experience and the development of the CNA?s clinical care skills.Following an extensive literature review, a 45-item questionnaire was developed to determine if a relationship exists in the perceptions by the CNA of their initial training program and (1) the number of months since graduation; (2) the county they were employed; and (3) the type of state-approved training program they attended. The questionnaire was administered to 222 CNAs in eight LTC facilities within four counties of Western North Carolina.CNAs identified the instructor as having an important role related to the elements of effective teaching/learning. Interestingly, some CNAs felt that the length of the training program was ?too short? in relation to the skills needed to care for residents living in LTC facilities. Other CNAs reported that the ?clinical skills? was of most value to them, as related to the number of months since graduation. CNAs also identified components related to overall job satisfaction and the highest-ranking item was the ?ability to work as a team?; followed by the ?number of residents I care for each day?. This study will provide a foundation for future research in using an established questionnaire regarding CNA?s perceptions of their initial training and will provide individuals with the needed information to address job satisfaction for CNAs working in LTC facilities. <P>

<p>Nurse educators have identified that historically nurses have not been preparedto care for dying patients. Research also has identified that nursing students haveanxieties about death, dying, and caring for dying patients. Several factors have beenidentified as affecting nurses', nursing students', and medical students' attitudestoward care of the dying. Factors addressed in this research will be death education,and death experience. As part of a national movement to improve end-of-life (EOL) care, schools ofnursing are starting to implement EOL education in their curricula. This researchlooked at one component of EOL education, which incorporates experiential learningusing Quint's (1967) model of death education and transformative learning theory.The educational experiences were geared to help students understand the skills neededto competently and compassionately care for the dying; those behaviors include: (1)responding during the death scene, (2) providing comfort, (3) responding to anger, (4)enhancing personal growth, (5) responding to colleagues, (6) enhancing the quality oflife during dying, and (7) responding to the family (Degner, Gow, & Thompson,1991). The study examined the long-term effects of an educational experience todetermine if a one- time educational experience provides sufficient, lasting effects in a6-week format.Results of this study indicate that education can have a positive effect onnursing students' attitudes toward care of the dying. Nursing students in the treatmentgroup had a significant positive increase in their attitudes toward care of thedying after the treatment. It was also noted on the pretest that those students who hadprevious experience in caring for dying patients had a statistically significant higherpositive attitude toward care of the dying than those who did not have previousexperience in care of the dying. The attitude change increased slightly after a 4-weekperiod. The use of the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) educationpackage along with experiences at hospice, the funeral home, the anatomy lab and roleplay help facilitate transformative learning in nursing students.<P>

<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>

This dissertation describes a qualitative, participatory action research study conducted in western Massachusetts from the spring of 1997 through the spring of 2000. The study investigated the educational experiences of a group of fifty-five low-income female students in one western Massachusetts community using interviews, focus groups, writing activities, and surveys. The study examined how participants were affected by contemporary social and economic issues, particularly by the policies commonly known as “welfare reform” that were legislated in the United States in 1996. Welfare reform created new challenges in the lives of many low-income women and their families by severely limiting the amount of assistance recipients are eligible to receive in their lifetimes and restricting their access to education and to the supports needed in order to pursue education. All of the study participants were raising families, were current or former welfare recipients, were either enrolled in graduates of Adult Basic Education programs, and the majority were Puerto Rican women who spoke Spanish as their first language. Thus, the main contexts framing this study were welfare reform and adult literacy, as well as the implications of race, language, gender, and class on low-income women's educational experiences. Because the study employed a participatory action research approach, participants were full partners in all aspects of the research, including its design, methodology, analysis, and a variety of presentation activities. The study described in this dissertation explored three key topics in order to understand the educational experiences of participants: the wide range of meanings participants associate with education; the impact of welfare reform on their learning and achievement; and the variety of ways they made use of and created support systems in order to reach their goals as parents and learners. Finally, an important aspect of the study was that it employed metaphor analysis in two ways: (1) as the study's main tool for analyzing data and (2) as an innovative pedagogical strategy for the writing classrooms in which much of the data was generated. Thus, in addition to the study's findings related to participants' educational experiences, the study also generated findings related to educational practice.

With the growth in the adult student population over the past few decades, better serving this student population has become a focus of many institutions (Altbach, 1999; Witt, Wattenbarger, Gollattscheck, & Suppiger, 1994; Cohen & Brawer, 1996). In addition, studies show that introductory English courses function as gatekeepers to persistence towards a degree (e.g., Sommers & Saltz, 2004; Michaud, 2011). Given the importance of English composition to adult learners’ success, the purpose of this study was to explore and understand how adult learners in an introductory English composition course experience and understand the classroom. The study was designed under the conceptual framework of andragogy, which upholds a model of adult learning (Knowles, 1984; Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005), as a lens through which to examine data. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, in keeping with a constructivist stance, allowed for a deep exploration of the phenomenon as a lived experience that adhered to the tenets of van Manen’s (1990) research approach. A community college campus site served as the site of data collection, and one course, ENG 111, English Composition I, figured as the course considered the shared phenomenon. Nine adult learners, defined as those students aged 25 and above, participated in two semi-structured interviews, one at the start of each term and one at its completion. The interviews solicited their individual understandings of their experience, allowing for a rich collection of narratives. Using thematic coding in keeping with van Manen’s (1990) methodological approach of interpreting of spoken narratives as text, the narratives yielded individual themes, which were then compared across cases to generate larger themes that represented the shared understandings of all participants. These overarching themes were: (1) Applying background experiences to learning attitudes and approaches, (2) Navigating outside responsibility conflicts, (3) Appreciating supportive and equitable interpersonal relationships, and (4) Experiencing greater confidence in academic writing. While the study design sought to elicit deeper understandings of a particular phenomenon and so cannot be generalizable (Creswell, 2007), the findings nevertheless suggest conclusions and recommendations that provide useful direction and insight to this student population and future research, which close this study.