Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1985. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: William L. Deegan. Dissertation Committee: Thomas A. Leemon. Bibliography: leaves 191-200.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, 1992. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-123).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1994. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-266). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Teaching and Training Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Idaho, April 2006. / Major professor: Jerry Tuchscherer. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-191). Also available online in PDF format.

This thesis presents an interdisciplinary study of post-Second World War short-term residential adult education, through an investigation of the Shropshire Adult Education College (SAEC), 1948-1976. This was located at Attingham Park, Atcham, Shropshire, now a National Trust property. George Lowthian Trevelyan, its Warden until 1971, was both an educational pioneer and a charismatic New Age leader. The study, conducted with support from the National Trust, examines the importance of memory, place and space and utilises oral history and archival materials to uncover and re-present the story of one college as a lens on a form of adult education which has enduring relevance. The investigation is informed by class-based, political and cultural perspectives. Since the College’s demise little had been done to evaluate this important experimental period of adult education. This study involved a slow uncovering process, akin to restoration. Although some more robust infrastructural ‘markers’ of the College, such as student-made stained glass windows and some mosaics, remain in situ, others, like the ceiling paintings of night sky constellations, have been erased or removed. For many of the former staff, students and academic tutors interviewed, this ‘painting over’ is a metaphorical deletion of a period of history important to them as individuals, and – as the closing down of a space of post-war reconstruction, creative thinking and renewal – socially significant. Many students and staff found their experiences transformational. Early courses, reflecting Trevelyan’s view of citizenship within a “classless” post-war democracy, embraced an eclectic and diverse range of largely local students. He was, however, an innovator and experimenter: along with literature, music and crafts, architecture and conservation, the curriculum evolved, reflecting and articulating his particular vision of cosmological, spiritual and ecological unity. This utopian thinking spoke of the dangers of rampant materialism and destruction of the earth, but was intertwined with a romantic desire to conserve a British way of life overseen by the hereditary aristocracy. An anthroposophical message, based on Rudolf Steiner’s arcane and esoteric teachings, was central. As the ‘New Age’ became Trevelyan’s focus, divisions emerged between his acolytes and those hostile to the changes – including residential and area-based tutors responsible for mainstream courses, governors and students. Students and tutors on ‘esoteric’ courses were increasingly people with privileged backgrounds, drawn from Trevelyan’s own national network. This led to charges of elitism. Ultimately, though arguably a post-hoc rationalisation, this has been seen as key to the decision to close the College.

<p> While classroom teachers report alarming rates of unpreparedness, and even unwillingness to include diverse populations in the classroom, our nation is continuing along a trend started in the 1990s to include students with disabilities (SWD) in general education settings. This quasi-experimental research study uncovered the impact of completing the required continuing education course in teaching SWD course mandated by Florida Senate Bill 1108 ([SB1108]; The Florida Senate, 2013b), which amended Florida Statute 1012.585 (3) (e) (Process for Renewal of Professional Certificates, 2017) on perceived teacher ability to implement inclusion practices. An online version of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale developed by Sharma, Loreman, and Forlin (2012) was utilized, along with demographic and experiential factors for classroom teachers in the study district to examine their self-efficacy toward inclusion. Analysis of the data indicated statistically significant differences in mean TEIP scale scores for exceptional student education (ESE) and general education teachers. </p><p> Data analyses revealed that almost half of the teachers had a negative view of and did not perceive any benefit from the course. While ESE and general education teachers had similar preparation needs, they also reported areas of concern specific to their subset. Overall, the course did not provide enough continuing education in the areas most needed by the participants. SB1108-mandated course completion was also not found to be an indicator of higher teacher self-efficacy for the majority of teachers. Analysis of the differences in TEIP scale scores found that only elementary school teachers benefited from completing the course, while it had the opposite effect for general education high school teachers and no significant effect for ESE teachers. Differences in TEIP scale scores from demographic and experiential factors accounted for 13% of the variance in the population and was not significant for the ESE teacher subset. One percent or less of the variance was attributed to completion of the required continuing education course. </p><p> Implications include reviewing the legislation&rsquo;s effectiveness for teachers in different areas and grade levels, hiring and evaluation decisions based on TEIP scale scores of applicants and employees, and designing more meaningful continuing education courses. Recommendations for state legislatures, school administrators, designers of continuing education courses, and for future research regarding improvement of teacher self-efficacy for inclusive practices are offered.</p><p>

Adult educators have been identified in the academic and policy literature as crucial to the success of national and regional strategies to deliver quality teaching to adult learners who require new knowledge and skills to meet changing social and economic needs. However, the majority of adult educators are part time practitioners who frequently lack any formal training or specialized expertise for teaching adults (Andersson, Köpsén, Larson and Milana, 2012; Jarvis, 2004). Across the world, limited attention is given to their professional development, leaving the majority of them to assume this responsibility by themselves. This is the case in Cyprus. The Cypriot adult education sector is characterised by part-time practitioners with low pay, limited professional development opportunities and uncertain career prospects. The professionalization of the sector and the development of adult education as a recognised profession has not been a priority. This study used a mixed-methods approach rooted within the pragmatic paradigm. This allowed a range of opinions to be heard, analysed and interpreted, and for some conclusions to be drawn regarding the ‘essential features’ of professional development and how these can contribute to the professionalization of the adult education sector in Cyprus. Questionnaires and group interviews were used to understand the perceptions of adult educators regarding their professional development and to identify emerging issues relevant to their professional identity and to the professionalization of the adult education field in Cyprus. Policy-makers and academics were also interviewed. The findings demonstrate the high levels of motivation that adult educators have to participate in professional development both to improve their teaching competences and to meet the needs of their learners. They reveal the personal fulfilment that adult educators gain from their work, despite their low professional status and uncertain prospects. The research shows that adult educators seek professional development focused upon classroom-based and didactical skills that can make them better teachers of adults. The establishment of a supportive environment, identification of adult learners’ needs, acknowledgment of adult educators’ prior experience, placing the learner at the centre of the teaching process, reflective practice and experiential learning, are seen as important components of professional development. The research findings have important implications for policy and practice in Cyprus. They inform recommendations for systematizing the adult education sector, defining its philosophical framework and priorities, and establishing a responsible body to monitor the professional development of adult educators and the sector in general. There are implications for practice; that the developmental needs of adult educators can be met through systematic professional development provision and that this should draw upon key stakeholders (adult educators, academic organizations and professional development providers) for its design. Finally, the research contributes to professional practice and academic discipline by providing a better understanding of adult educators working in this sector, the challenges they face, how they define their professional identity and their perceptions on how to improve their professional future. By offering insights into professional development and professionalization from the perspective of adult educators, it is hoped that the research can contribute towards positive change for adult education in Cyprus, to the advantage of educators and learners, and thereby to the advantage of Cypriot society in general.

<p> This multiple case study examined the methods by which school leaders determined and planned teacher professional development, as well as what teachers perceived as their professional development needs and how they believe school leaders take those needs into account. The study took place at two suburban elementary schools (1 traditional public, 1 public charter) in the Charlotte Metro area. The analysis of qualitative data provided by school leader interviews revealed the process by which school leaders determined professional development for teachers in their respective schools. Descriptive quantitative data was gathered through teacher questionnaires about their professional development needs/desires and their perceptions on how school leaders took those into account when planning professional development. In both schools, leaders indicated they try to balance school and district needs with the needs of individual teachers when planning teacher professional development, and teacher perceptions of how leaders determine professional development were generally aligned with leader reports. While the majority of teachers at both schools communicated an overall satisfaction with professional development, teacher respondents at the traditional public school expressed higher levels of agreement to being satisfied with professional development and that their needs were being met. Implications of the study&rsquo;s findings include a focus on teacher collaboration as an integral part of professional development, as well as the need for teacher input in the professional development planning process.</p><p>

In this dissertation, I offer a theoretical concept to guide educational program development during refugee transition. The premise behind the concept is that women, as a category of people, routinely experience wide-ranging, often culturally sanctioned, forms of violence and discrimination. In 1995, one in every 130 people in the world are refugees and displacees. Of these, 80 percent are women and their dependents (Women's Commission, 1993). I suggest that a point of entry to combat female-directed injustice is during the time of greatest cultural disruption in the refugee experience. Three factors build together to create this potential. Most refugees migrate from a "developing" country to a "developing" country. A comparison of the global pattern of refugee migration and the pattern of female illiteracy indicate a marked correspondence. Coupled with the fact that most refugees are female, the first factor is that the typical refugee will be a female with a history of unequal access to education. The second factor is that during refugee transition, which I define as the times of greatest cultural disruption in the refugee experience, traditional norms are in flux. The refugee is propelled into places where traditional patterns of social interaction are ruptured and not yet reestablished. In this environment of basic survival, a woman performs roles shaped by necessity rather than the social norms of her home culture. The third factor is that during refugee transition women cross traditional gender roles. Research indicates that women may actually "gain" from refugee flight. The new environments call upon women to expand beyond traditionally restrictive roles to develop a wider, and more influential, range of public skills and responsibilities. I suggest that the convergence of these factors during refugee transition creates a potentially rich, and unusual, learning environment for women. For further analysis, the concept is applied to a case study of Iranian refugees in Turkey.