<p> In learning to be a yoga teacher, the focus is largely on <i>what </i> is being taught, in other words, the physical techniques such as <i> asana</i> (posture) and <i>pranayama</i> (breath). There is substantially less focus on who teachers are as individuals despite research from neuroscience which suggests that <i>who</i> teachers are may be far more important to students' learning than what they are teaching. This thesis dives into the question of who yoga teachers are as individuals through the lens of authenticity. Drawing on transformative learning theory, Jung's theory of individuation, and the stories of eight teachers who have wrestled deeply with this question, this thesis explores the process of developing authenticity in the context of teaching yoga. This study finds that authenticity results from one's journey of individuation, which although personal in nature is supported by relationship to self, Self and other (mentor, teacher, therapist). </p>

<p> Teachers are critical to student learning in the classroom, and just like students, teachers perform better when they are able to make choices based on what is relevant to them. Action research is a way for teachers to systematically inquire and reflect to make necessary improvements in practice for student learning. This study involved teachers who had conducted action research as a component of their Master's in Curriculum and Instruction program at one Midwest college. It examined teachers' perceived lasting benefits of conducting action research, the elements they continue to implement, and the supports of and limitations to continuation of the practice. </p><p> As part of a mixed-method study, a researcher-developed survey was first used. Seventy-seven teachers provided responses to the online survey. Fifteen survey participants volunteered to offer narrative elaboration of their responses in a follow-up telephone interview. </p><p> The compiled data included totals and percentages from the survey and themes and quotations from the teachers' narrative responses. Together, the findings revealed that 98% of the teachers felt they benefited from conducting action research. They perceived the greatest professional benefits of conducting action research to be thinking more reflectively, positively impacting student learning, and inquiring more about their practice. </p><p> Teachers were continuing to conduct action research based on the impact they perceived the practice had on their students' success in the classroom. The elements they continued most often were identifying a focus, collecting and analyzing data, and reflecting on the process. This practice allowed them to learn from evaluating the effectiveness of their implementations and realize there was rigor and relevance to what they were doing. </p><p> With 92% of participants desiring to continue action research, two major factors were given as greatest support for continuation. Teachers desired a combination of collaboration with peers on issues that mattered to them and time in the school day to collaborate and conduct action research.</p>

<p>Every college age student should have the opportunity to attend college and earn a degree, but the fiscal realities for lower income students prevent the majority from attending and the vast majority from completing college, thus perpetuating an intergenerational trend of limited postsecondary education and a likelihood of marginal income and status. Past research studies have shown that, among lower income students, those who receive higher levels of grant funding to offset college expenses are more likely to persist toward completing their educations than those who do not receive the same level of grant funding and thus are forced to rely upon other means, such as student loans or employment, to pay for college. The majority of this research was conducted prior to the recession that began in December 2007 (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2008), which has been more severe and longer lasting than any economic contraction since the Great Depression (Dwyer &amp; Lothian, 2012); more current research is needed to determine whether the educational retention behaviors of lower income students in the current challenging economic climate are positively impacted by grant funding. In this study I used quantitative methods to analyze a specific state policy change to determine whether a significant change in the grant funding provided to lower income students resulted in increased retention rates for these students. This study examines school years from 2006&ndash;2010, thus encompassing the recent financial crisis and affording an opportunity to explore the persistence behaviors of lower income students during the greatest financial crisis of modern times. The ultimate purpose of the study is to provide conclusions from the research to postsecondary policy makers in the hopes of informing policy and supporting continuing funding of need-based financial aid for lower income students. </p>

<p>For over a decade, the nursing profession has increased enrollments and established new education programs in response to the national nursing shortage. The profession has focused on increasing the numbers of new graduate nurses prepared to replace the nation's aging nursing workforce. Considering the expense of this educational process with close supervision requirements, limited clinical spaces, and high attrition rates, this exploratory mixed methods study examined mentoring as a success strategy to retain nursing students in school. This study of nursing students enrolled in an associate's degree program in one California community college explored mentoring from the students' point of view. The study explored the personal perceptions and meaning attributed to the mentoring experiences of one group of nursing students. </p><p> Using focus group interviews, the qualitative phase of this study identified the characteristics and shared experiences of 20 volunteer participants. In the second phase, 112 student volunteers (57% response rate) completed an online survey developed from an analysis of the focus group interview data. The respondents' demographics were representative of the four semester nursing program student body. The survey findings affirmed that the participants perceived mentoring by a registered nurse beneficial and useful. Coaching and encouragement from a nursing professional as well as peer support had a positive impact on the program outcomes of retention and program completion. </p>

This work outlines the history of Access Courses and explains the National quality assurance framework established to co-ordinate standards within such provision. The National Framework consists of a number of Authorised Validating Agencies (AVAs) who have been empowered to validate Access provision subject to various quality assurance mechanisms. The quality assurance requirements of AVAs are generalised and the effects they have, in terms of costs and benefits, to a number of stakeholders are detailed. Key stakeholders identified are the providing institution, students, and higher education institutions. The general principles of cost-benefit analysis are outlined along with case study examples. A computer-based model is produced with the capability of manipulating the generalisable costbenefit factors to accommodate local conditions and could therefore be used as a decision support aid by the three key stakeholder groups. The application of the model beyond the case studies is also discussed. The problematic nature of applying cost-benefit analysis to the quality assurance mechanisms of Access Courses is also considered. Areas where further research is required are outlined.

<p> This phenomenological case study of finding meaning explored the developmental nature of Pepperdine University&rsquo;s Doctor of Education in Organization Change (EDOC) program through graduates, who as students, found deep, visceral, and life changing meaning. The primary request of participants, identified as co-inquirers, was to: describe in as much detail as possible how meaning was found through their participation in the EDOC program. Detailed storied descriptions from 10 graduates were gathered through interviews. Anecdotes were gathered by email from other graduates concerning the meaning found, relational experiences, and vivid program experiences. In my analysis of data, I explicated the structure (the relationship among the most invariant constituents of the phenomenon) and meaning (implications) from their lived experience. Though particulars differed, the interview data revealed a structure surrounding each of the ten co-inquirers as being (a) self-aware learners who joined the program with assumptions concerning the challenging nature of the learning experience; (b) a socially constructed environment that facilitates the formation of relational sets and community engagement; (c) deep and rich dialogic relationships among participants within the learning community; (d) co-constructed learning through collaboration with faculty and fellow students; (e) abundant free-space in learning enabling the transcendence of boundaries to personal growth; (f) an immensely helping and caring environment; (g) significant opportunities to challenge and broaden worldviews through program experiences; and (h) consistent validation of progress toward personal, educational and life goals. In coming to understand the phenomenon for finding meaning, I used descriptive phenomenology and given my presence as a student in the program being studied, I offered my own observations. I framed propositions from the study&rsquo;s findings for progressive educators and organization development professions. Meaning found led to life changes such as improved personal and professional effectiveness, a deeper sense of self and self-worth, a clearer view of the world, and an ability to enact what had been taken from the experience; a significant educational outcome in addition to cognitive competencies, field knowledge and application. Those who have experienced the program came away with a deeper sense of purpose and far reaching capabilities to serve.</p>

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<p> Many professionals became childcare directors with little or no experience, training, supervision skills, or knowledge that supported teachers. Without those necessary skills that assisted childcare directors in providing a supportive environment, there was a greater chance for teachers to leave their positions, affecting the quality of care provided. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions childcare directors had regarding the effectiveness of transformational leadership skills taught in Strengths-Based Coaching^&reg; training as well as identify the challenges they faced integrating the transformational leadership skills within their center. There were three sources of data collected in the study: (1) individual interviews with 12 directors; (2) focus groups with 22 teachers who worked with the 12 directors since 2008; and (3) focus groups of eight Professional Development Specialists that consulted or coached the directors at their centers since 2008. Prior to implementing the study, a pilot study was conducted. Although 33 directors were initially identified, the final population for the pilot study was 27 directors; however, only three directors from Kansas City, Missouri, and one from St. Louis, Missouri agreed to participate. Interview questions were adjusted for clarity after the completion of the pilot study. Answers to the research questions were obtained by triangulating data gathered during interviews and focus groups. Findings showed transformational leadership skills taught in Strengths-Based Coaching^&reg; were effective due to better relationships and communication between staff and directors. Results indicated lack of time to practice and needing additional employees were issues that hindered directors from implementing leadership skills learned in Strengths-Based Coaching^&reg; to its fullest potential. Recommendations for educational practice included: Strengths-Based Coaching^&reg; training be expanded to other directors, offer a refresher course, provide additional resources, such as a coach, newsletter with coaching tips, and quarterly meetings for directors. Recommendations for further research included: gather additional qualitative data to measure support provided by directors, extend the population and conduct a cross-comparison analysis, collect quantitative data at different increments after the training, and conduct a longitudinal study to determine the effectiveness of transformational leadership on the organizational climate within childcare centers.</p>

<p> Students in developmental education face three types of barriers: institutional, situational, and affective. Current interventions focus on addressing institutional barriers; however, continuing low success and retention rates indicate a need for additional measures. Bandura's theory of academic self-efficacy provides a way to address the affective barriers faced by this student population. This study examines the impact of a series of three five-minute student success videos, based on the social modeling aspect of self-efficacy theory and developed using the Dick and Carey instructional design model, on the academic self-efficacy, retention, and success of developmental education students. A quasi-experimental research design was used to examine the effectiveness of the social modeling intervention. </p><p> Results from this study indicate that an intervention designed using academic self-efficacy as an underlying theory and the Dick and Carey model of instructional design as a creation and implementation guide did not have a significant impact on the academic self-efficacy of students enrolled in developmental education courses. Moreover, the intervention did not have an impact on success and retention rates. Additional analysis indicates that academic self-efficacy was not a significant predictor of either student success or retention. Further research regarding the link between academic self-efficacy and student success and retention at the developmental level is necessary. </p>

<p> Even though proprietary colleges and universities continue to gain market share in the higher education landscape, negative perceptions about proprietary institutions remain including reliance on contingent faculty to meet fluctuating student enrollments. Little research about the experiences of contingent faculty teaching in proprietary settings exists, and even less research exists about the unwritten expectations, or psychological contracts, contingent faculty bring with them to the employment relationship with an institution. As heavy use of contingent faculty continues, campus administrators need a more comprehensive understanding of how to best manage the expectations, benefits, challenges, and resources of this type of employment relationship. </p><p> This qualitative inquiry study collected data using open, semi-structured interviews, then analyzed data using phenomenological research methods to better understand what contingent faculty teaching at urban, proprietary institutions experience. This study also used the organizing framework of psychological contracts in order to apply the findings into recommendations for campus administrators working with contingent faculty. </p><p> The results of this study indicate that a contingent faculty member's early experiences with an institution significantly determined the way the psychological contracts with the institution were formed and maintained in later experiences. For most, once the initial relationship was formed, little experienced afterwards changed the relationship with the exception of major changes regarding institutional focus and/ or position within the institution. </p><p> Consistent with the literature, contingent faculty perceiving their overall experiences and relationship with the institution as positive had longer tenure with the institution, identified more with the institution, and exhibited more organizational commitment behaviors. Contingent faculty perceiving their experiences as negative tended to have shorter tenures with their institutions, did not identify with the institution, and exhibited less organizational commitment behaviors. However, even though organizational practices and experiences varied greatly, two types of experiences and perceptions remained consistent. First, participants were surprised and disappointed in student level of preparation for college academic work yet expressed commitment to their students' success as greater than their commitment to institutional expectations. Second, participants expressed overall satisfaction with teaching experiences, and began to identify themselves as teachers, regardless of prior professional affiliation or relationship with the institution.</p>