Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance of DIF detection methods, when two groups have different ability distributions. Such studies typically have demonstrated factors that are associated with inflation of Type I error rates in DIF detection, such as mean ability differences. However, no study has examined how the direction of DIF is affected by the factors that inflate the Type I error rate. Therefore, this study investigated the possibility that the direction of DIF is systematically detected in an unexpected way, which may result in unexpected detection of DIF advantaging lower ability groups on difficult items. An extensive simulation was conducted to evaluate whether DIF in unexpected directions was observed systematically under the logistic regression approach to DIF detection. Four factors were considered in this study: 1) means of ability distributions, 2) standard deviations of ability distributions, 3) sample sizes, and 4) the magnitude of the pseudo-guessing parameters. Three levels were considered for the ability means, and two levels were considered for the ability standard deviations. Three levels were examined for sample sizes and guessing parameters. As a result, 54 (3 × 2 × 3 × 3) simulation conditions were considered. In addition, items were grouped into five groups depending on their difficulties; very easy, easy, moderate, difficult, and very difficult. The effects of the four simulation factors were evaluated for each one of the five item-difficulty groups. For each condition, 500 replications were conducted. DIF error rates, bias, SE, RMSE, the direction of DIF, and distributions of the biases were examined to evaluate the effects of the four simulation factors. The results revealed that the mean of the ability distribution and the magnitude of the pseudo-guessing parameters indeed contributed dramatically to inflation of DIF error rates, especially for very easy and very difficult items. Moreover, the directions of DIF were all negative for very easy items, but all positive for very difficult items. Finally, limitations and practical implications were discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / August 4, 2011. / Bias, Differential Item Functioning, Logistic Regression / Includes bibliographical references. / Betsy Jane Becker, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Akihito Kamata, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Fred Huffer, University Representative; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member; Insu Paek, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was threefold, specifically: (1) to find out the effects of a learning strategy intervention on students' use of self-regulated learning (SRL), achievement, and course completion in a distance education setting, (2) to find out the effects of a study time management intervention on the students' use of SRL, achievement, and course completion, and (3) to find out whether students with higher levels of SRL's use also have higher levels of achievement and course completion. This study employed a Randomized control-group pretest-posttest design with two independent variables (learning strategy intervention and study time management intervention). Each independent variable consisted of two levels (with and without interventions). Students were randomly assigned into four groups of research conditions: (1) provided with a Web-based Learning Strategy Intervention and a Web-based Study Time Management Intervention, (2) provided with the Web-based Learning Strategy Intervention only, (3) provided with the Web-based Study Time Management Intervention only, and (4) the Control Group. There were three dependent variables examined in this study, namely students' perceptions of their use of SRL, the students' achievement, and their course completion. The students' use of SRL was measured by using five subscales (36 items) of the Indonesian version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, and McKeachie (1991). The students' achievement was measured by using their score on a particular course that they were referring when filling out the questionnaire. The students' course completion was measured with their grade in that course. Students obtained a C or higher were considered as completers, students received a D or E were regarded as noncompleters. There were two waves of data collection gathered at two consecutive semesters in 2011. The total number of valid respondents to the pretest was 321. They were mostly working adults aged less than 40 years old, not married or married with no children or with 1-2 children. Among them, only 94 students responded to the posttest and took the final examination. Even though the intervention(s) did not significantly have any effects on the students' achievement and course completion, the findings partly supported two of the hypotheses. That is, metacognitive self-regulation when studying a particular course was weakly but significantly correlated with the students' achievement,r(94) = .204,p= .048. Moreover, metacognitive self-regulation was significantly related to course completion,r(94) = .369,p< .001. Although the findings showed no significant effects of the intervention(s) in improving the students' use of SRL, students who read the Learning Strategy Intervention significantly had a higher mean score in the use of metacognitive self-regulation when studying a certain course than the control group (p= .047;ES= 1.28). When the interventions were offered to students who took different courses, students who read the Study Time Management Intervention seemed to gain more improvement in their use of metacognitive self-regulation when studying compared to the other groups, although did not significantly exceed the control group. Some practical implications were offered. As well, limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research were discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / April 19, 2012. / course completion, distance education, open university, self-regulated learning, student achievement, study time management / Includes bibliographical references. / John M. Keller, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jeffrey A. Milligan, University Representative; Robert A. Reiser, Committee Member; Tristan E. Johnson, Committee Member.

The task-centered instructional strategy (Merrill, 2009) was designed specifically for the purpose of teaching complex problem-solving skills and emphasizes teaching in the context of a concrete real world task. Nevertheless, unlike other problem-centered instructional methods (e.g., constructivism) the task-centered instructional strategy is a form of direct instruction but in the context of authentic, real-world tasks. Unlike traditional part-task instructional strategies (e.g., Gagné, 1968), which assume that any task can be broken down into a collection of instructional objectives that need to be mastered, the task-centered instructional strategy is content-centered meaning the content-to-be-learned and not the objectives are specified first. Specifically, a progression of complete tasks with increasing complexity is specified and serves as the backbone of instruction. The purposes of the current study were to (a) investigate whether and why a task-centered approach might be superior to a topic-centered approach for problem solving, (b) attempt to reveal emotional and cognitive processes behind complex learning in the domain of technological skills, and (c) provide recommendations for effective training methods while considering individual differences. Rooted in Bandura's (1986) Social Cognitive Theory in which cognitions are assumed to mediate the effects of the environment on human behavior with a continuous reciprocal interaction, in the current model two reciprocal interactions are assumed to be in the heart of task-centered instructions. These interactions that can be viewed as two positive feedback loops include performance-motivation loop and performance-cognition loop. In the performance-motivation loop, the progression of tasks from easy to difficult increases the likelihood of successful completion leading to an increase in self-efficacy, which in turn should influence performance further (e.g., Bouffard-Bouchard, 1990). In the performance-cognitive loop, authentic-tasks, which characterize task-centered instructions, can help the learner construct schemata, which may reduce working memory and lead to better performance, which in turn may further increase schemata construction. Thus, it was expected that task-centered instruction would result in better performance as a result of motivational and cognitive considerations. To achieve the study purposes, two computer-based instructional strategies for teaching Flash were employed. In the task-centered condition, the learners were first presented with three tasks with increased level of difficulty. Each of the three tasks included all the elements of the whole-task, thus, in step one, for example, the learners learned the basics of timeline, texts, and buttons. In the topic-centered condition, on the other hand, no task was presented to the learners up front. Instead, objectives were presented to the learners at the beginning of each topic section. Thus, in the topic-centered condition, each of the three steps referred to only one of the topics. Overall, sixty five students from a large southeastern university in the United States were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. The results revealed that participants in the task-centered condition performed significantly better on part 3 of the module, on the skill-development test, and on the near and far process development tests than participants in the topic-centered condition. In addition, participants in the task centered condition reported significantly higher cognitive load on parts 1 and 2 of the module and significantly lower cognitive load on part 3 of the module than participants in the topic-centered condition with matching differences in completion time. Regarding attitudes, consistent with the hypothesis, participants in the task-centered condition reported significantly lower computer anxiety after the module than participants in the topic-centered condition. In contrary to the hypothesis, there was no significant difference in computer self-efficacy between the conditions. Nevertheless, participants in the task-centered condition reported significantly higher confidence on part 3 of the module than participants in the topic-centered condition. In addition, as expected, participants in the task-centered condition indicated significantly higher level of relevance, and significantly higher level of confidence. Last, self-efficacy was found to be a significant partial mediator of the effect of instructional strategy on skill-development performance, and near and far transfer process-development performance. Overall, findings of this study suggest using the task-centered instructional strategy (Merrill, 2007b) for the purpose of teaching complex problem-solving skills with far-transfer needs and support the proposed theoretical model. Task-centered instructional strategy resulted in better performance while completing the module, which led to an increase in self-efficacy, which then led to better performance on the post-test. The superior performance on the post-test was also likely a result of cognitive considerations including advanced schemata construction in the task-centered condition. This theoretical model can be used to further investigate the cognitive and motivational factors that are in the heart of complex learning. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / November 15, 2011. / complex problem solving, computer self-efficacy, Flash, instructional design, task-centered, topic-centered / Includes bibliographical references. / Tristan E. Johnson, Professor Directing Dissertation; E. Ashby Plant, University Representative; Allan Jeong, Committee Member; Gershon Tenenbaum, Committee Member; M. David Merrill, Committee Member.

At the outset of career counseling, clarifying the nature of an individual's career problem is vital in order to ascertain the appropriate initial steps of the career intervention (Sampson, Peterson, Reardon, & Lenz, 2000; Spokane, 1991). Identifying and assessing client needs at the beginning of the career service delivery process ensures that services are appropriately aligned with these needs (Gati, Gadassi, Saka, Hadadi, Ansenberg, Friedmann, & Asulin-Peretz, 1996; Sampson et al., 2000; Sampson & Reardon, 1998; Savickas, 1996; Super, 1983). During the initial client assessment it is also important to address mental health issues, as prior research has shown clients having difficulty making career decisions often endorse items such as depression or anxiety (Saunders, Peterson, Sampson, & Reardon, 2000). The Decision Space Worksheet (DSW) is a projective assessment technique that assists clients in understanding the social and emotional context involved in the career decision-making process. In addition, the DSW may also function as a possible indicator of mental health issues out of which a career problem arises (Peterson, Leasure, Carr, & Lenz, 2009). Utilizing the DSW, Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI), and Occupational Alternatives Question (OAQ) at the outset of career counseling could be useful in identifying individuals who are experiencing mental health issues (Lenz, Peterson, Reardon, & Saunders, 2010; Peterson et al., 2009; Walker & Peterson, 2011). This study examines the social and emotional context as portrayed by the DSW in addition to career thoughts and career decidedness as possible indicators of mental health issues in career counseling. Specifically, the question addressed by this study was, "What is the relationship between responses on the DSW and the presence of depressive symptomology?" To answer this question, data were collected for a co-relational study from a sample of 151 enrolled in 8 sections of an undergraduate general psychology course (PSY2012) or psychology of personal and social adjustment course (CLP1001) at a midsized city in a southeastern community college in the United States. No significant positive relationship was found between the DSW total score and the BDI-II score as well as between the respective DSW domains and the BDI-II score. However, there was a contradictory significant inverted relationship between the DSW domain Self-doubt and the BDI-II. Contrary to expectation, Self-doubt statements were negatively associated with depression. The best predictors of depression were found to be the CTI subscales External Conflict (EC) and Commitment Anxiety (CA). There were no significant differences between high and low groups on the BDI-II and DSW responses and no significant differences between the OAQ decided and undecided groups and DSW responses. These findings contribute to the understanding of the DSW's value in assessing the social and emotional context for individuals as they relate to mental health issues, such as depression. Suggestions for modification of the DSW to capture the positive, neutral, or negative value of each statement were provided. The findings of this study implicate other CTI subscales (EC and CA) as significantly capturing unique variation in depression. In addition, these findings support the relationship among the overall CTI and BDI-II scores. Lastly, this study suggests that in non-client populations, who elicit statements on the DSW Self-doubt domain, are less likely to be depressed. Implications for the use of the DSW in non-client populations and recommendations for future research are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / October 31, 2011. / Career Decision-Making, Career Thoughts Inventory, Decision Space Worksheet, Depression, Mental Health / Includes bibliographical references. / James Sampson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Janet Kistner, University Representative; Gary Peterson, Committee Member; Janet Lenz, Committee Member.

Analogies play significant roles in communication as well as in problem solving and model building in science domains. Analogies have also been incorporated into several different instructional strategies--most notably in science domains where the concepts and principles to be learned are abstract or complex. Although several instructional models for teaching with analogies have been developed, the role of non-examples or contrasting analogies has not been incorporated into instructional models. Research on contrasting analogies as well as the effect of non-examples in concept learning supports the incorporation of contrasting analogies into instructional strategies using analogies. In addition, research on conceptual change has shown that effective instructional strategies in inducing conceptual change produce some form of cognitive conflict in the learner. Taken together, these findings suggest that a conceptual change strategy integrating contrasting analogies (non-examples) that promote cognitive conflict could be effective in promoting conceptual change. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of contrasting analogies on learning and conceptual change. Specifically, this study investigated the effect of instruction including refutational contrasting analogies (situations which are analogous to common misconceptions) on understanding of and reasoning about natural selection. Instruction including refutational contrasting analogies was compared to instruction incorporating non-refutational contrasting analogies (analogies which are neither analogous to natural selection or a common misconception of natural selection) and no contrasting analogies (stated analogies which are analogous to natural selection). Participants were students enrolled in undergraduate education courses and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: refutational contrasting analogies, non-refutational contrasting analogies, or no contrasting analogies. Participants worked through a self-instructional unit on natural selection--an area for which misconceptions have been well-documented. The effects of the analogies were evaluated in terms of student understanding of and reasoning about natural selection. Reasoning about natural selection was identified as transformational reasoning (a common but incorrect view of natural selection) or variational reasoning (consistent with correct understanding of natural selection) and was measured by performance on a posttest. Understanding of natural selection was evaluated by performance on a posttest designed to measure understanding of ten concepts related to natural selection. Analysis of variance showed no differences among groups on either understanding of or reasoning about natural selection as measured by the posttests. However, there were significant differences between groups on the analogy portion of the instructional materials, with the refutational contrasting analogies group answering fewer questions correctly than the non-refutational contrasting analogies group. This suggests that the instruction did not allow participants to reach a level of mastery that may have influenced performance on the posttests. Considerations for the design of instruction and directions for future research are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 2, 2012. / analogy, conceptual change, natural selection / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; K. Anders Ericsson, University Representative; Valerie Shute, Committee Member; Abbas Aubteen Darabi, Committee Member.

Prior studies about preservice and inservice teachers have examined their beliefs in the context of pedagogy and teacher-student interactions. However, preservice and inservice teachers' occupational beliefs have been neglected in the research literature. Furthermore, studies comparing the occupational beliefs of preservice and inservice teachers are almost non-existent. Comparing the occupational beliefs of preservice and inservice teachers is important because both sets of such beliefs may ultimately affect teacher attrition. This study compared the beliefs of 206 preservice teachers with 165 inservice teachers. I examined beliefs about teaching as an occupation and professional commitment. Survey data were analyzed (e.g., frequencies, bivariate correlations, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis) regarding preservice teachers' perceptions of teacher training, socialization, and beliefs about unions. Seven major factors were hypothesized to be associated with preservice teacher's occupational beliefs: (a) control over instruction, (b) collaboration with colleagues, (c) commitment to the profession, (d) instructional preparedness, (e) occupational despair, (f) unions, and (g) professional development. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate factorial invariance between preservice and inservice teacher groups. Results of multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses indicated highly comparable factorial structures of teachers' occupational beliefs for the two groups, although the hypothesized structure fit preservice teachers better. Findings provide strong evidence that the occupational factors of teaching should be included into future preservice teacher training to possibly decrease attrition. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / October 27, 2011. / Beliefs, Comparing Preservice and Inservice, Inservice, Occupational Beliefs, Preservice, Teacher Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Susan Losh, Professor Directing Dissertation; Patrice Iatarola, University Representative; Jeannine Turner, Committee Member; Beth Phillips, Committee Member.

Promoting active learning among students may result in greater learning and more positive attitudes in university-level large lecture classes. One way of promoting active learning in large lecture classes is via the use of a think-pair-share instructional strategy, which combines student participation in class discussions via clicker technology with small group activities. However, simply placing students in small groups does not insure that they will engage in meaningful peer interaction within groups. A group incentive might be one means of increasing the likelihood that students will engage in meaningful peer interaction and thus learn more and have more positive attitudes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two incentive systems, group incentives and individual incentives, on students' learning and attitude in a university-level large macroeconomics course that employs a think-pair-share instructional strategy with clicker technology. However, the results did not support the hypothesis that the students who were in the group incentives condition would perform better than students in the individual incentive condition. The results also did not support the hypothesis that the students in the group incentives condition would have more positive attitude towards (a) the think-pair-share items, (b) partnering and peer discussion, (c) the incentive systems, and (d) the course as a whole. One-on-one student interview data was coded, analyzed, and merged into themes. The main themes were (a) students worked with several partners, rather than just one other student, (b) many students felt they benefitted from the think-pair-share discussions, and (c) some students disliked working with a partner because the partner was not prepared. Based on these findings, suggestions for future research are offered. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / November 17, 2011. / clicker, incentive systems, large classes, think-pair-share / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert Reiser, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jonathan Adams, University Representative; Aubteen Darabi, Committee Member; Tristan Johnson, Committee Member.

IIn recent years, much research effort was devoted to delineate the effects of attentional strategies on exercise-related perceptions and adherence (Basevitch et al., 2011; Connolly & Tenenbaum, 2010; Razon et al., 2010; Razon et al., 2011). Results from these studies paralleled the previous ones suggesting that both associative and dissociative strategies are beneficial, albeit in distinct ways depending on task-characteristics (Lind, Welch, & Ekkekakis, 2009). Less clear, however, remained the extent to which the use of attentional strategies may contribute to design innovative solutions for the primary public health concern of the 21st century; physical inactivity (Blair, 2009). From a dose-response perspective, exercise intensity is a major mediator of physical activity adherence (Ekkekakis, Backhouse, Gray, & Lind, 2008). Specifically, as the workload intensity (and/or time spent on task) increases, the distractive properties of the dissociative strategies are compromised (Lind et. al., 2009; Tenenbaum, 2001), which partly explains the decrease in the perceived exercise-pleasantness (Ekkekakis et al., 2008), and the subsequent ending of the applied effort (Pandolf, 1978). Most recently, the use of cognitive approaches, including imagery use were shown beneficial in allowing distraction from task (Razon et al., 2010; Razon et al., 2011). The current study attempted to investigate the effectiveness of differential imagery use on (1) the perception of exertion and allocation of attention focus, (2) task adherence, and (3) the physiological parameters inherent in physical effort. It was hhypothesized that (1) dissociative imagery would enable reduced perception of exertion and extended distraction from task, (2) associative imagery would prolong time on task, and (3) imagery in general would aid motivation and task-perseverance. 45 students participated in the study. Using a stratified random assignment protocol, 15 participants were assigned to each of the following conditions: 1) dissociative imagery, 2) associative imagery, and 3) no imagery. At session one, participants were first tested for maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) to later perform a handgrip squeezing task at 30% maximal contraction value to volitional fatigue. At session two, participants performed a cycling task at 10% above anaerobic threshold (AT) to volitional fatigue. During task performance, participants assigned to dissociative imagery condition used dissociative imagery while their counterparts assigned to associative imagery condition used associative imagery. For both task, participants' rates of perceives exertion (RPE), attention focus, and time on task was recorded. Additionally, on the cycling task, participants' lactate accumulation (LA) ,and heart rate (HR) were measured. The current findings indicated some support for the benefits of (1) dissociative imagery for reducing perception of exertion and facilitating distraction from task, (2) associative imagery for extending task-adherence, and (3) imagery at large for increasing motivation and perseverance on task. This is important given that imagery's effects on exercise behavior is less known then its effects on elite sport performance, and researchers have long called for additional inquiry of these effects (see Duncan, Rodgers, Hall, & Wilson, 2011; Hall, 1995; Munroe-Chandler & Gammage, 2005). Imagery, through its motivational qualities (Paivio, 1985) potentiates the effects of attentional strategies, thus provides the exerciser with an additional tool to facilitate the physical activity experience. To help individuals adopt and maintain physical activity behavior, imagery and/or imagery-based interventions (e.g. simulated technologies) need to be made available. Suggestions for designing and integrating imagery into the physical activity regimens are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 27, 2012. / Adherence, Attention, Exertion, Imagery / Includes bibliographical references. / Gershon Tenenbaum, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lynn Panton, University Representative; Robert Eklund, Committee Member; David Eccles, Committee Member.

In recent years, a focus on individual student needs has set the stage for tailoring educational interventions to address issues of students who are not working up to educational proficiency standards outlined in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Luckily, this change also opens the door to meeting the needs of students who are not working to their potential in the classroom. A report commissioned for the U.S. Department of Education (1993) reports that gifted students have already mastered 33-50% of material to be studied in a school year before the year even starts. Unfortunately, these same students spend the majority of their school days in regular education classrooms without modifications or accommodations to the curriculum. In addition, research indicates that gifted students allowed to work on additional material instead of maintaining the pace of the rest of the class actually performed better on end-of-the-year testing in math and science than gifted controls that did not pursue additional work (U.S. Department of Education, 1993). Further, the gifted students who engaged in independent study performed no differently in other subject areas. The implication is that one method of improving student math and science performance is to allow for accelerated and/or enriched curricula. RtI establishes differentiated curriculum as the standard, rather than the exception, and could be used as a method to address the issue of American student underperformance in a scientific and systematic manner by focusing on early engagement leading to increased student motivation. Recommendations for use of RtI with the gifted are beginning to emerge in the literature (Hughes and Rollins, 2009; TAG, 2009; Brown and Abernathy, 2009), though no specific procedural guidelines have been published that guide the adaptation of the RtI model to meet the needs of gifted students. This paper applies the problem-solving method central to RtI to the gap between American student performance and world economic demands. It goes on to offer a potential remedy to the problem: a specific procedural guide for implementation of the RtI model with gifted students that was presented to both practitioners in the schools and experts in both RtI and Gifted Curriculum and Instruction for initial validation and qualitative feedback. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / December 5, 2011. / Development, Gifted, Guide, Procedure, RtI / Includes bibliographical references. / Steven Pfeiffer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Angela Canto, Committee Member; Frances Prevatt, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to determine how self-regulated learning within an informal blogging community supports professional growth for the tenure-track professors that participate in the community. Using a naturalistic case study design, six tenure-track bloggers were interviewed and their blogs and corresponding comments were examined in order to develop an understanding of the bloggers and their professional growth experiences and opportunities. Findings indicate that these professors were creating their own personalized professional growth opportunities within this blogging community of practice. Four conditions that fostered self-regulated learning in this community emerged: trust, support, reciprocity, and identity. The most common self-regulated learning strategies and processes that occurred in this study among these bloggers were goal setting, performance monitoring, and self-reflection. The bloggers actively engaged and participated in the community of practice and in activities such as knowledge brokering and sharing of advice, experiences, and support, which led to an increase in professional knowledge for each of the bloggers. As members of this community, the bloggers also gained new and valuable perspectives on the tenure process, often outside of their disciplines and universities, and it provided them with a unique way to participate in professional growth. These findings provide evidence that a subset of some tenure-track professors is finding just-in-time support, knowledge, and professional growth opportunities via this community-driven yet individualized approach. Although this study focused on individual bloggers rather than on the community of practice, the bloggers were examined within the context of the community, and it was because of their community involvement that learning occurred. The outcome of engaging in self-regulated learning and participating in this blogging community of practice was personalized professional growth opportunities for these bloggers. Tenure-track professors must seek and choose the professional growth opportunities that best meet their needs, and highly personalized professional growth can work in certain instances such as this. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2013. / November 5, 2012. / community of practice, informal learning, professional development, professional growth, self-regulated learning, tenure-track professors / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stacey Rutledge, University Representative; Robert Reiser, Committee Member; Linda Schrader, Committee Member.