Thesis (PhD (Education Management and Policy Studies)) -- University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 285-288). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.92-96) and index.

Thesis (M.Arch.)(Prof.)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliography. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

<p> The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship of student anxiety, student engagement, and student performance to the retention of students at a proprietary institution. Student anxiety, engagement, performance, and retention have been discussed in previous education literature; however, no such relationship has been investigated when linked to the proprietary institution. The study used the Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory ^TM online survey containing 74 closed-ended questions to measure a planned sample off 100 enrolled students' academic motivation, general coping, receptivity to intuitional services, and educational plans at the proprietary institution. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 22.0) was used to code and tabulate scores collected from the survey. Inferential statistics were used to draw conclusions from the sample tested. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the four research hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that students' engagement and anxiety was not significantly related to students' retention; however, students' performance was significantly and positively related to retention. Further study is recommended for the research by using a larger sample, qualitative and mixed method formats to ensure true record of opinion from the sample, and results from the study should be compared with surveys to find correlation in students' satisfaction. </p>

abstract: In this study, I investigate the digital literacy practices of adult immigrants, and their relationship with transnational processes and practices. Specifically, I focus on their conditions of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their life trajectories, their conditions of learning in a community center, and their appropriation of digital literacy practices for transnational purposes. By studying the culturally situated nature of digital literacies of adult learners with transnational affiliations, I build on recent empirical work in the fields of New Literacy Studies, sociocultural approaches to learning, and transnational studies. In this qualitative study, I utilized ethnographic techniques for data collection, including participant observation, interviewing, and collection of material and electronic artifacts. I drew from case study approaches to analyze and present the experiences of five adult first-generation immigrant participants. I also negotiated multiple positionalities during the two phases of the study: as a participant observer and instructor's aide during the Basic Computer Skills course participants attended, and as a researcher-practitioner in the Web Design course that followed. From these multiple vantage points, my analysis demonstrates that participants' access to ICTs is shaped by structural factors, family dynamics, and individuals' constructions of the value of digital literacies. These factors influence participants' conditions of access to material resources, such as computer equipment, and access to mentoring opportunities with members of their social networks. In addition, my analysis of the instructional practices in the classroom shows that instructors used multiple modalities, multiple languages and specialized discourses to scaffold participants' understandings of digital spaces and interfaces. Lastly, in my analysis of participants' repertoires of digital literacy practices, I found that their engagement in technology use for purposes of communication, learning, political participation and online publishing supported their maintenance of transnational affiliations. Conversely, participants' transnational ties and resources supported their appropriation of digital literacies in everyday practice. This study concludes with a discussion on the relationship among learning, digital literacies and transnationalism, and the contributions of critical and ethnographic perspectives to the study of programs that can bridge digital inequality for minority groups. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2011

<p> Rozelia Kennedy Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the life and work of LaFayette, nonviolence and conflict reconciliation from an adult education perspective. This study explores LaFayette&rsquo;s life from an early age through his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, his contributions to adult education, and his current views on social change. The nonviolence conflict reconciliation LaFayette teaches is based on the philosophy and strategies of Martin Luther King, Jr. During the last 50 years, LaFayette has been kidnapped, threatened, and survived ventures into hostile environments in his effort to teach nonviolence philosophy, strategies, and methods. </p><p> This historical/biographical study used semi-structured interviews to obtain information from LaFayette directly and from a plethora of media, books, and articles about him. Semi-structured interviews were also used to interview his family members and colleagues. </p><p> Despite the numerous awards and recognitions LaFayette has received, he had not been recognized in the field of adult education. Without realizing it, he incorporated some of the theories of adult education such as adult education agencies and categories during his workshop and encouraging institute participants to understand the first principle of the nonviolence training, which is <i>nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people</i>. </p><p> This study began with a review of LaFayette&rsquo;s family ties followed by his spiritual upbringing. It briefly outlined LaFayette&rsquo;s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. LaFayette co-authored material and curriculum for the nonviolence training by codifying and creating a quality standard which has been used in important organizations he co-founded such as the Alternative to Violence Project and The Summer Institute at the University of Rhode Island Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. In addition to these two major institutions, the study included his contributions to adult education in six other institutions. </p><p> This study provides the most comprehensive, current, and overall picture of LaFayette&rsquo;s life and contributions. Education institutions, prisons, and community agencies could benefit from the information provided in this study including information about the nonviolence conflict reconciliation training.</p><p>

<p> Leadership in the 21^st century continues to be an ongoing concern and challenge for leaders and followers alike. According to the Servant Leadership Theory (SLT), individuals with a natural desire to serve have the potential to become servant leaders, lead unselfishly, and demonstrate leadership through authenticity, humility and trustworthiness that focuses on the one-on-one relations with the follower (Greenleaf, 1977). The following research questions guided the study: (1) What are the servant leadership behaviors of GED graduates? (2) To what extent are the servant leadership behaviors of GED graduates affected by their selected demographic characteristics? </p><p> The study took place in South Texas. The GED participants (n = 75) were scholarship recipients of the Education is Our Freedom GED College Scholarship Program (EIOF). A 2-part survey instrument, the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), was developed by the researcher. The first part was designed to measure the servant leadership behaviors, utilizing a previously published instrument. The second part was designed to collect the selected demographic characteristics of the respondents. A web-based version of the SLQ was used for the purpose of data collection, utilizing Qualtrics survey software. A series of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze and report the data. Due to non-experimental nature of the study, no causal inferences were drawn. </p><p> The respondents were predominantly Hispanic and female, likely to be attending a 4-year university full-time and employed part-time. A typical participant was 27 years old. Analysis of the data showed that the study participants demonstrated agreement with serval leadership behaviors. Specifically, Conceptual Skills and Emotional Healing were ranked the highest, followed by Behaving Ethically, Creating Value, Helping Others Grow, Empowering Others, and Putting Others First. The behaviors were not impacted by the overwhelming majority of the respondents&rsquo; selected demographic variables that were investigated in the study. The three exceptions were age in association with Helping Others and years of attending college&rsquo;s associations with Empowering Behaviors and Putting Others First. </p><p> The study&rsquo;s findings are helpful in offering practical implications. For example, servant leadership training sessions can be developed for GED graduates to add to their leadership skills. Through practice of servant leadership behaviors, GED graduates may contribute to the society by giving of their time, energy, and resources to serve others. Practicing servant leadership may facilitate higher education, afford leadership opportunities within school and community, and ultimately provide a better quality of life. The GED graduates who exhibit and maintain leadership skills through authenticity, trustworthiness, and humility may likely to become exemplary servant leaders.</p><p>

<p> The insurance industry is onboarding large numbers of new employees as the baby boomers retire. At the same time, the industry is shifting to more analytical and agile processes requiring significant upskilling. Many companies are too small to build their own training programs. Existing national associations can help but students currently prefer classroom training, requiring expensive travel and accommodations. We need to significantly improve student satisfaction with online courses to improve the affordability of and demand for training. The Community of Inquiry framework is commonly used to design and evaluate online courses that increase student satisfaction. The framework shows teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence as essential elements that combine to build productive educational experiences. The Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale (MAAS) is a well-researched scale that quantifies an individual's awareness of and attention to the present. Combining questions from the Community of Inquiry framework and the MAAS Scale with questions on satisfaction, this study used a quantitative approach with a descriptive research design. Employees in the insurance industry that have taken online courses from national carriers were surveyed, to identify how a student&rsquo;s mindfulness tendencies moderate the relationship between the Community of Inquiry scores and their satisfaction with online courses. The study concludes that industry courses would benefit by increasing cognitive presence through improved teacher and social presence. The study concludes that mindfulness may affect student&rsquo;s future use of online learning but could not be determined to impact student&rsquo;s satisfaction with online courses. The study provides findings and recommendations for online course changes and for future research.</p><p>