This dissertation documents a mixed methods doctoral study that accessed a popular online faculty rating system situated in the public domain, to reveal adult students’ perceptions of effective teaching characteristics in three community colleges located in British Columbia, Canada. The study is informed by two phases including a quantitative analysis of attributions and a qualitative interpretive content analysis of 300 randomly selected student anecdotal evaluations of their classroom experiences that were cross-referenced to the empirical research that formally defines effective teaching characteristics. Six attribution themes emerged from the students’ online perceptions: Articulate, Competent, Content-expert, Empowering, Perceptive, and Trustworthy that in their complexity were re-articulated for latent symbolism and problematised through an adult education lens. These findings subsequently led to development of the ACCEPT Model of Student Discernment of Effective Teaching Characteristics. The research findings contribute to a further understanding of students’ ability to discern and report effective teaching characteristics through an online faculty rating system that is informal and less traditional, for the purpose of improving teaching and learning practices in college settings in British Columbia. There are six recommendations provided that will be of interest to administrators, faculty, students, and institutional researchers regarding student evaluation of effective teaching characteristics and adult learning needs.

The out of field phenomenon, that is, educators who teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment. This growing phenomenon in South African schools impacts colleagues, learners, parents, governing bodies and school management. Teaching characteristics that ensure success in classrooms are threatened by the out of field phenomenon. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This problem was investigated by a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the existence of the out of field phenomenon should be recognised in order to provide substantial educator support and sufficient staff development programmes. It is recommended that new evidence-informed knowledge about the out of field phenomenon can contribute to improve effective decision making and policy developing in this regard. / Education management / M.Ed.

The out of field phenomenon, that is, educators who teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment. This growing phenomenon in South African schools impacts colleagues, learners, parents, governing bodies and school management. Teaching characteristics that ensure success in classrooms are threatened by the out of field phenomenon. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This problem was investigated by a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the existence of the out of field phenomenon should be recognised in order to provide substantial educator support and sufficient staff development programmes. It is recommended that new evidence-informed knowledge about the out of field phenomenon can contribute to improve effective decision making and policy developing in this regard. / Education management / M.Ed.