In recent years policy changes have encouraged access to and the participation of adults in British universities. This thesis is a case study which looks at the experiences of non-traditional adult women students in universities. Emphasis is placed on understanding the experiences of mature undergraduate women students in universities from the perspectives of the actors. This is a sociological study. I draw on and integrate three theoretical paradigms: Marxist feminism, Marxism and interactionism. I examine the significance of macro and micro levels in shaping the behaviour, attitudes and experiences of women adult students. Gender and class were important factors in shaping the past and present lives of women in this study. However, in deciding to return to learn the women were actively choosing to change the direction of their lives. An underlying question was to what extent did studying change the way participants perceived themselves as women? Learning and the influence of social science disciplines helped the women to deconstruct and redefine the self. Being a student was influenced by the interaction of structure and agency. The women's student identity was shaped by both their own actions and institutional forces. Adult students are not homogeneous. Younger, single mature women experienced university life differently from older, married women as do full-time students compared to part-time students. The women studied here adjusted to the institutional life of a university through the formation of subcultures. To understand fully the experiences of being an adult student the interactions between public and private worlds are examined. A biographical approach using interviews was employed. A small sample of male mature students was included to identify the extent to which experiences were gendered ones. Despite the struggles the women interviewed valued the acquisition of knowledge and learning in a university environment.

<p> This autoethnography uses the personal journey of the author through Fielding Graduate University's doctoral program in Educational Leadership for Change to study the influence of peer advising and peer relationships in distributed learning environments on student success and program satisfaction. The study reveals that peer relationships and peer advisement opportunities may be needed to counter the high risks for dropping out, extra time in the program, or discontentment.</p>

<p> Secondary students in the United States are now competing in a global marketplace (Wagner, 2010). Any factor which decreases student achievement must be alleviated to permit students to reach their full academic potential. Student achievement has been negatively linked with teacher attrition (Ronfeldt, Loeb, &amp; Wyckoff, 2012): occupational commitment has also been negatively linked with attrition. Occupational commitment, therefore, is related to student achievement and success. </p><p> Ethics is commonly recognized as an integral part of education, yet there is little research on the ethical beliefs of teachers, especially on teachers at the secondary level. Previous research has established connections between occupational commitment and factors such as stress and job satisfaction. However, there has been little research that explores the connection between ethical beliefs and occupational commitment. </p><p> The purpose of the study was to explore potential connections between teachers' ethical beliefs and their occupational commitment. More specifically, North Carolina secondary teachers were surveyed to obtain information about their idealism, relativism, academic department, and occupational commitment. The theoretical framework of the study was a synthesis of ethical position theory (Forsyth, 1980), person-vocation fit, and value consonance (Rosenberg, 1977). The ethical position questionnaire (Forsyth, 1980) was used to measure teachers' idealism and relativism; the occupational commitment scales (Meyer, Allen, &amp; Smith, 1993) were used to measure teachers' occupational commitment. </p><p> The study was expected to confirm relationships between the study variables and to identify ethical beliefs as a predictor of low occupational commitment. In fact, no significant relationships were discovered between the study variables. However, North Carolina teachers were determined to be a homogeneous group of individuals in terms of idealism and relativism. Teachers' academic department had no bearing on teachers' ethical beliefs. This observation was in contrast to previous research which had indicated the presence of subjectbased subcultures in secondary schools. Although unexpected, this finding was significant as it suggests secondary subculture is based primarily on difference in subject matter rather than on teachers' personal beliefs and values. On a more practical level, the knowledge that secondary teachers exist as a homogeneous population of ethical beliefs will enable administrators to more effectively recruit new teachers. Administrators will also be able to better predict faculty reaction to new policies and procedures with an increased understanding of their faculty's ethical beliefs.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to provide insight into teacher perceptions as to if and how professional learning communities (PLCs) promote and support effective professional development in a rural high school. Effective professional development should enhance pedagogy, which is defined as improving educational practices of teachers through opportunities that increase knowledge and improve skills (No Child Left Behind, 2001, Section 9101). A case study approach and qualitative data collection methods were selected for the study due to the real-life context in which the inquiry occurred. Data collection began with surveys in order to acquire a broad view of teachers' perceptions, focus groups provided more specificity to teachers' perceptions, and finally individual interviews afforded the most detailed information. </p><p> The themes that emerged indicated that collaboration is the most important characteristic of a professional learning community in terms of usefulness, flexibility, and professional growth. Most teachers indicated that due to participation in a PLC they had grown professionally and their students had also benefitted. A major theme throughout participant responses was the need for both job-embedded professional development (PLCs) and traditional professional development (workshops, conferences, etc.). Teachers, administration, and board members of similar rural school districts may benefit from this study by understanding teachers&rsquo; perceptions of effective professional development that impacts classroom instruction. </p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Instructional Systems Technology, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2763. Adviser: Thomas Schwen. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 9, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-12, Section: A, page: 4413. Adviser: Thomas M. Schwen.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Language Education Dept., 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 17, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-12, Section: A, page: 4456. Adviser: Sharon Pugh.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1992. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Philip A. Fey. Dissertation Committee: Elizabeth Kasl. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 441-449).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 20, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-10, Section: A, page: 3918. Adviser: Curtis J. Bonk.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 24, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: A, page: 4302. Adviser: Thomas Schwen.