No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Adult educators are a growing part of American higher education. Because of their increasing prominence in adult education, it is essential to understand what roles these educators play and what motivates them to remain in the profession despite poor work prospects and conditions. Research to date, however, focuses primarily on the adult learner and not the adult educator. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study was to explore the role and motivation for teaching of adult educators employed as adjunct faculty in an accelerated degree program at a small, liberal arts college in the northwest United States. Purposeful sampling was used to select the five participants for the study. All participants taught in the program for more than five years and were considered to be successful in their positions by peers, students, and administrators. The study employed a preliminary demographic survey to solicit initial background data on the instructors. Other data collection included in-depth, open-ended, face-to-face interviews, document analysis, and classroom observation. The results showed that all five participants identified the following roles and assumed them in the classroom: (a) facilitator, (b) listener, (c) specialist, (d) guide, (e) adviser, and (f) co-learner or colleague. Further results showed that all five participants were motivated to teach in the program for reasons other than monetary compensation. Although participants shared different levels of personal commitment to the institution, they all expressed extensive commitment to teaching, their discipline, and students. Motivating factors for teaching were (a) opportunity to teach part time, (b) love for the subject, (c) opportunity to gain more expertise in the field, (d) opportunity to grow and learn, (e) opportunity to give back, and (f) student success and growth. A major practical implication of this study is that adjunct faculty in an adult education program are motivated to teach for different reasons, but the primary motivation can be seen as altruistic versus monetary and practical. If college administrators want to produce and retain successful adjunct faculty, they must recruit and hire those individuals whose motivation for teaching is altruistic with a desire to enrich the lives of students.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of current education materials on changing maternal smoking attitudes. Children are affected by prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke. Although there are educational efforts to discourage pregnant women from smoking, the practice continues in a significant number of pregnancies. New materials, based on current research, were also evaluated for effectiveness. The theoretical framework for this study was adult learning theory presented by Knowles which makes the assumption that an individual is shaped by environmental systems, that adult learning is affected by previous knowledge they bring to the learning and that adults must have a motive for change. The study sought to determine if mothers are presented with the latest research-based information about the effects of smoking upon their unborn child what extent will it change the attitude of smoking while pregnant. The research design was a quantitative, one-group pretest-posttest design. The target individuals, mothers of young children in a large preschool program, were surveyed with direct questions that yielded measurable data. The surveys were validated by three early childhood experts. The data obtained through the participant surveys were analyzed using a paired an analysis of variance, comparing pretest-posttest responses and demographic variables. The results of the study showed the affect education had on changing the attitudes and that demographic characteristics did not influence that change. Through educating mothers on the long-term negative outcomes of smoking during pregnancy, this study's impact has changed attitudes and understanding and thereby changes their behavior. The result of this research provided educational information that may change the attitude towards mothers smoking during pregnancy.

This study explored the problem of student attrition in beginning courses of an Intensive English Program (IEP) that may affect the sustainability of the IEP. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of continuing students and the factors that influenced their motivation and engagement to persist studying in the IEP. Constructivism and behavioral social learning theory guided this study. The research problem addressed the need for students to remain in IEPs and achieve second language acquisition. The research questions were designed to learn what instructional approaches motivated and engaged participants to persist in successive introductory courses. A qualitative case study design, guided by interpretive epistemology, was used to collect students' opinions, perceptions, and suggestions on their experiences in their first course. The target population was beginners in a second IEP course at a community college. A purposive sample of 16 participants took part in 2 focus groups, individual interviews, and open-ended surveys for data triangulation. Constant comparative analysis using open and axial coding was used to aggregate data themes for inquiry. The findings revealed that poor student engagement, lack of mentorship qualities in instructors, and little inclusion of technology have been persistent reasons for their dissatisfaction. The project, a collaborative professional development effort, was designed for IEP instructors to gain awareness on past and current research about the andragogical framework of student-centeredness which culminated with the cooperative elaboration of a set of best practices. The social impact of the study comes from benefits that sustainable IEP programs could offer to communities with large populations of immigrants and to international visitors to empower them to achieve immersion into English-speaking societies.

Le travail enseignant a connu au fil des années une évolution continue qui s’est traduite par une complexification de la tâche et des changements dans les pratiques professionnelles avec des possibles conséquences sur le bien-être pédagogique des enseignants. C’est dans ce sens que cette recherche s’intéresse à l’exploration des relations entre les pratiques professionnelles réfléchies des enseignants oeuvrant dans une école secondaire et leur bien-être pédagogique. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé une recherche de type exploratoire, à dominance qualitative, auprès de onze enseignantes et de deux enseignants d’écoles secondaire de la grande région de Montréal. Afin de documenter leurs niveaux de réflexions au cours de leurs relations avec les élèves et les collègues et les relations entre ces réflexions et les dimensions du bien-être pédagogique chez les enseignants interviewés, nous avons opté pour une approche sociocognitive. Pour la cueillette des données, nous avons fait appel à deux techniques : la technique Q et la technique de l’incident critique. Pour explorer ces liens, nous avons commencé par nous pencher sur le modèle des niveaux de changement de Korthagen et Vasalos (2005), qui ont mis en évidence les interactions entre les réflexions spécifiques concernant six niveaux de réflexions : environnement professionnel, comportements centrés sur l’apprentissage scolaire, compétences de gestion de classe, croyances, identité professionnelles et mission auprès des élèves. Nous avons ensuite exploré le concept de bien-être pédagogique des enseignants. D’après l’ensemble des résultats de notre recherche, le bien-être pédagogique des enseignants des écoles secondaires s’avère à la fois un processus dynamique, dont l’évolution est influencée par ce qui se passe dans le milieu de travail, particulièrement dans la classe, et par les qualités essentielles de l’enseignant, et un construit reposant sur des dimensions spécifiques; trois dimensions ont été retenues pour cette étude : l’autoefficacité, l’engagement et la satisfaction au travail. Les relations pédagogiques avec les élèves constitueraient la principale source de bien-être pédagogique des enseignants. Le fait de croire en l’efficacité de leurs compétences de gestion de classe et de constater que les élèves sont contents d’être dans leur classe et engagés dans leur apprentissage stimulerait l’engagement et la satisfaction au travail des enseignants. Les réflexions sur les caractéristiques et sur le vécu des élèves, y compris sur leur bien-être en classe, et les compétences professionnelles seraient les aspects des interactions avec les élèves qui interagiraient le plus avec le bien-être pédagogique des enseignants. Pour ce qui est des interactions entre les relations de travail avec leurs collègues, elles auraient un impact positif sur le bien-être pédagogique, notamment par l’entremise de réflexions collectives sur les situations ordinaires des pratiques professionnelles. Enfin, malgré certaines limites méthodologiques et conceptuelles, cette étude met en évidence l’existence de liens empiriques entre les pratiques réfléchies et le bien-être pédagogique des enseignantes et enseignants oeuvrant dans une école secondaire. Elle dégage également des pistes de recherches futures sur les influences réciproques entre les pratiques pédagogiques et le bien-être pédagogique, et propose des idées de recherches prospectives. / This research explores the relations between the well-designed professional practices of high school teachers and their educational well-being. To do this, we conducted an exploratory research, with a qualitative dominance, among eleven female and two male high school teachers from the Greater Montreal Area. We adopted a sociocognitive approach to document their levels of reflection throughout their relations with their students and colleagues and their relations with dimensions of educational well-being among high school teachers. We used two data collection techniques: the Q technique and critical incident technique. To explore these links, we started by examining the change level model of Korthagen and Vasalos (2005), which highlighted the interactions between the specific reflections of six levels of reflection: work environment, schooling-centered behaviors, class management skills, professional beliefs and identify and mission with students. We then explored the concept of the educational well-being of teachers. According to the overall results of our research, the educational well-being of high school teachers is both a dynamic process whose evolution is influenced by what is going on in the work environment, especially in the classroom, and by the teacher’s essential qualities, and a construct based on specific dimensions; three dimensions were used in this study: self-efficacy, commitment and job satisfaction. Educational relations with students seem to be the main source of educational well-being for teachers. Believing in the efficiency of their class management skills and noticing that students are happy to be in their class and are involved in their learning apparently stimulates the commitment and job satisfaction of teachers. Reflections on the characteristics and background of students, including their well-being in the classroom, and professional skills seem to be the aspects of interactions with students that affect the educational well-being of teachers the most. As for interactions between work relations with their colleagues, they seem to have a positive impact on educational well-being, namely through collective reflections on the ordinary situations of professional practices. Lastly, despite certain methodological and conceptual limitations, this study highlights the existence of empirical links between well-designed practices and the educational well-being of high school teachers. It also identifies directions for future research on the reciprocal influences between educational practices and educational well-being, and proposes foresight research ideas.

Thèse de doctorat réalisée avec le soutien financier du Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines (CRSH) du Canada / Problématique : Les milieux de la santé connaissent d’importants changements dans leur fonctionnement avec l’émergence de pratiques basées sur la participation et l’engagement des patients. Appelés à être partenaires, bon nombre d’adultes ne sont toutefois pas en mesure de traiter et d’utiliser l’information en lien avec leur santé en raison d’un faible niveau de littératie. Aussi, les intervenantes et intervenants du milieu cherchent à développer leur compréhension du phénomène et leurs compétences afin de fournir une information accessible à ces personnes et favoriser leur autonomie dans leurs démarches de santé. Or, peu de données empiriques existent quant au développement de ces compétences en milieu du travail. Objectif : Décrire la façon dont des intervenantes et intervenants développent, en cours de pratique, les compétences permettant de soutenir la participation d’une clientèle de faible niveau de littératie à ses soins de santé. Méthodologie : Trente entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisées auprès d’intervenantes et intervenants inscrits dans une pratique orientée vers l’autonomie et la participation d’une clientèle à risque sur le plan de la littératie : 9 en médecine et pharmacie, 9 en soins infirmiers, 9 dans des champs connexes (nutrition, psychologie, travail social, etc.) et 3 agissant à titre de pairs aidants. En s’appuyant sur Le Boterf (2009, 2010), un modèle de développement de la compétence articulant les trois dimensions suivantes a orienté l’analyse des données : 1) la pratique professionnelle et la performance, soit « ce que je fais/les résultats », 2) la réflexivité, « ce que je pense/vis dans ma pratique » et 3) les ressources, « ce que j'utilise pour apprendre/pour agir. » Le traitement des données, via des cartes conceptuelles, a mené à un modèle de développement professionnel en milieu de travail validé auprès de 5 des personnes interviewées, mais aussi à un modèle de bonnes pratiques au regard de l’agir en matière de pro-littératie. Résultats : Les « bonnes pratiques » identifiées reposent sur quatre piliers, soit 1) mettre en œuvre un partenariat dans et au regard des soins dans une perspective « patient » en lien avec la maladie, la langue et l’écrit; 2) porter attention à des indicateurs de la littératie autres que la scolarité; 3) personnaliser la communication; 4) faciliter l’accès et l’utilisation de l’information, notamment par un soutien pour Internet. Les résultats orientent vers un apprentissage professionnel essentiellement autodirigé s’actualisant par une orchestration de moyens pour apprendre, tant structurés que spontanés, dans l’environnement de travail. Les savoirs « experts » liés à une pratique pro-littératie semblaient détenus par les personnes au sein de l’organisation. Les patients intervenant dans les équipes interprofessionnelles se sont avérés des ressources clés pour développer des savoirs au regard de la communication avec une clientèle qui a un vocabulaire et une façon d’apprendre qui peuvent être différents. Retombées : Le modèle de développement professionnel proposé identifie plusieurs cibles pour soutenir et favoriser le développement des compétences en littératie en milieu de travail. Les groupes d’échange et de travail, notamment ceux intégrant des patients, créent des espaces propices à une coconstruction des savoirs nécessaires à une pratique pro-littératie. / Context : Health care organizations and communities are experiencing significant changes with the emergence of practices based on patients’ participation and engagement. Called to be partners, many adults, however, are not able to process and use information related to their health because of low literacy. Hence, health professionals and community stakeholders are expected to develop their practices and their skills in order to reach them adequately so that they take an active role for their health. However, little empirical data exist regarding the development of these skills in a work-based environment. Objective : Describe how health care practitioners develop their skills to support the participation of patients with low literacy. Methodology : Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female workers enrolled in practices oriented towards autonomy and participation of those at risk in terms of literacy : 9 in medicine and pharmacy, 9 in nursing, 9 in related fields (nutrition, psychology, social work ...) and 3 peer support workers. Building on Le Boterf (2009, 2010), a model of competence development articulating the following three dimensions has oriented data analysis : 1) professional practice and performance, that is "what I do / the results"; 2) reflexivity, "what I think and live in my practice"; and 3) resources, "what I use to learn / to act." Data processing, through concept maps, led to a model of workplace’s professional development validated with five of those interviewed and also to a model of good practices. Results : From the data, "good practices" emerged as based on the following four pillars that required to : 1) implement a partnership in health care within a patient’s perspective in terms of his or her disease and spoken/written language; 2) pay attention to indicators of literacy other than education; 3) personalize communication; 4) facilitate access and use of information, including support for Internet. Results show a professional development, mainly self-directed, together with structured and spontaneous learning within the work environment. Knowledge "experts" associated with "good practices" in health literacy seemed held by people within the organization. Patients involved in interprofessional teams appeared to be key resources to develop knowledge in terms of communication with an adult who has his own vocabulary and way of learning. Applications : The proposed professional development model identifies several targets in the workplace to support and promote skills development towards literacy. Exchange and working groups, including those incorporating patients, create spaces conducive to co-construction of necessary knowledge for effective practice in literacy.

This study explored the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs to determine how they aligned to research-based best practices for school leaders. The research questions that guided this work were: To what degree are the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities addressed in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs? How do the leaders of the nontraditional principal preparation programs view the degree to which their competencies include the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities? A multi-case study analysis was conducted that compared the competency frameworks of four nontraditional principal preparation programs. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), New Leaders, New York City Leadership Academy (NYCLA), and Teaching Trust were the nontraditional programs selected for this study. Leaders from the four organizations were interviewed. The findings from the research illustrated that a majority of the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities were included in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs. The study revealed that four of the McREL 21 were not included in any of the competency frameworks. Another finding was the lack of focus on talent management and personal dispositions in the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities. Nontraditional principal preparation programs are a growing avenue for principal preparation, as such their use of research on principal success was promising.

Content-based language instruction has gained widespread acceptance as an effective approach in a range of educational settings for adults and children. It is premised on the belief that language and content are inextricably linked and that learning is enhanced through an integrated approach. Yet the nature of the relationship between content and language, and how integration can be achieved in the content-based language classroom, continue to be points of divergence for both researchers and practitioners. One approach to this question draws on research in form-focused instruction (FFI), which describes various instructional options that draw learners’ attention to form in primarily meaning and content-based classrooms. While widely accepted that FFI has a positive impact on language learning outcomes in a variety of contexts, FFI research in content-based language programs for adults has been limited. This study investigated the effect and effectiveness of FFI in a content-based language program designed to prepare adult newcomers to Canada for employment in a specific workplace sector. Two groups of adult learners participated in the study. One group of 16 adults received content-based instruction integrated with FFI while the other group of 20 adults received the same content-based instruction with a focus on meaning only. A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test design was adopted for this comparative study in order to measure language and content outcomes. Language measures included an error correction task, a cloze task, and oral production tasks. Content outcomes were measured via content tests. In addition, a retrospective awareness protocol was designed to assess learners’ awareness of language and content in their instruction and to explore the relationship between this awareness and language development. ANOVA and ANCOVA results indicated that there was no advantage for the participants receiving form-focused instruction on language outcomes but a significant benefit on the content knowledge tests. Analysis of the retrospective report data indicated that the participants were able to identify the focus of the instruction they received. However, no relationship between awareness of language and language development was found. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and in terms of their implications for content-based language instruction.