This study reports on the results of a research project designed to explore the everyday life experiences of women who work as popular educators. Popular education is defined as education that seeks to promote change; is based on dialogue; begins with an examination of people's everyday experience; employs a highly participatory methodology; and promotes action and reflection. By examining the experiences of women who work as popular educators, this study seeks to understand how women have come to understand themselves as actors in the world and their reflections on education as part of a process of radical social change. Two primary questions framed the research: (1) who are the women who choose to work as popular educators and (2) what has been the nature of their everyday experience. The study examines common themes that emerged from the interviews, and draws out implications so that all practitioners of popular education may reflect on the potential for a gendered analysis of their work. The study was undertaken by conducting phenomenological interviews with an international sampling of ten women who have substantial experience working as popular educators. The information gathered from these interviews is "represented" here in four ways. Autobiographical profiles introduce the participants and provide contextual data on the range of their experience and background. Five selected work profiles are then presented for the purpose of focusing in on everyday practice and experience. With this information as background, the study then examines five themes that emerged from the interview data: identity; social and political activism; participation and organization; power; and resistance and independence. The women's voices are then brought forward once more in a final section entitled reflections. The final chapter of the study looks at the implications of the knowledge brought forward from the women's voices, and posits some initial thinking regarding gender issues in popular education, as well as the potential for further research and study.

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Stewardship, a trust that we have been given to pass our Earth on to future generations so that they may benefit from its wealth as we have, is a powerful concept. The more that people can begin to understand it and harness it in order to set a course for action, the greater will be our cause for hope, and perhaps even optimism, about the future of the Earth and the lives our children will enjoy. Increasingly over the past fifteen years or so, a number of small, community-based environmental groups have embraced stewardship as a core component of their mission. While their approaches to advocacy and action are diverse, and while the foci of their work may vary, these groups hold in common a deep sense of responsibility to preserve and protect the natural resources of their home place. People engaged in the work of these groups, whether as volunteers, paid staff, or affiliates, come from a range of educational and professional backgrounds, as well as life experience. As a result, there may be a number of different reasons why they initially got involved, why they remain involved over a period of several years, and how they address any personal learning needs that arise from their involvement. Nevertheless, patterns may be discerned for all of these dynamics, across educational and professional backgrounds, as well as within and across different groups. Further, there is a potential for meaning perspective transformation from engagement in community-based environmental stewardship. This takes many forms, with the end result a significant change in one's worldview. Through a review of primary source literature produced by each of the three groups included in the study, a series of short, structured interviews with thirty participants (ten from each group), and a series of nine longer, unstructured second interviews with nine of the original thirty (three from each group), data was collected for the study. Data was analyzed first by creating profiles of the three community-based environmental stewardship groups, using the primary source literature and interview responses. Categories within the four dynamics of personal involvement (patterns of initial involvement, patterns of sustained involvement, patterns of ongoing learning, and patterns of transformation) as well as organizational dynamics (patterns of community building, group dynamics) were discerned from the data and analyzed. The results of the analysis offer a number of suggestions for stewardship educators working with community based environmental groups. However, it should be noted that findings from this research are not generalizable—the study was qualitative, and participants were not randomly selected. A number of suggestions for further research are therefore offered.

Changing Patterns is the case study of three staff develoment programs carried out over an eight year span at the John W. McCormack Middle School located in Dorchester, MA. Each of the programs is described in detail in order to illustrate the theoretical framework created by the review of the literature. The review includes two areas: the staff development needs for experienced urban teachers and a definition of early adolescence. The review of the personal and professional needs of experienced teachers facing middle adulthood concludes that staff development in school can meet those needs. The definition of early adolecence is presented because of the importance of teacher training including the developmental needs of the learner. From interviews with teachers who participated in the first year it is clear that teachers generally understand the needs of early adolescents although they do not always address the intellectual needs of their students in a daily instruction. However, teachers do show an interest in participating in staff development programs that offer them some autonomy and responsibility. The incentives most frequently identified for participation in such programs were personal growth, team building among staff members, and usefulness to their students. The power of role models underlined most of what they said and did.

The purpose of this research was to gain an in depth perspective on the practices of vocational programs that serve adults in Hampden County, Massachusetts. Through interviews with staff at selected educational and private industry sites, and through an examination of secondary sources of information such as census data, the following objectives were achieved. (1) The degree of participation of limited English proficient (LEP) students in both education and private industry sector programs was determined. (2) The practices now used to serve LEP students were identified and compared with those of the national Bilingual Vocational Training (BVT) model. (3) The general research base in this area of study was expanded by identifying and examining two additional program characteristics, not usually cited as part of the BVT model. (a) The extent of literacy instruction and the delivery models in use. (b) The use of critical teaching strategies. The study builds on the work done by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education in 1987, in which Friedenberg examined selected vocational programs across the nation using some of the same criteria. The study expands the research base created by that study, and by related studies, by examining closely the situation in Hampden County, and by including the two additional factors: literacy instruction and the use of critical teaching strategies. The author concludes that despite the presence of a large number of LEP adults in the county, virtually no opportunities exist in the education sector for those individuals to enter into a vocational skill training program with BVT features. Some programs are in place for current LEP employees in the private industry sites. Literacy instruction is well integrated with basic skills programs, where they exist. While there is evidence that a problem-posing, or critical approach to teaching would be well received by students, no such approaches were found to be in use in the examined programs. There is an urgent need for direct attention to the skill training needs of LEP adults in Hampden County.

This study focuses on the education of adult students as being more complex than traditional students. Because jobs are more complex, and the growing emphasis on credentials, these factors create a demand for better access to a greater range of educational programs. These demands can be an opportunity for creative institutions to design individualized curricula, new roles for faculty, and new approaches to learning. The (COP) Project was designed to do some of the above in the past. A survey study focusing on participants in the (COP) Project in Springfield, Massachusetts, was conducted. Three questions were addressed: (1) Was (COP) able to attract persons who would not normally have pursued educational careers? (2) Did (COP) provide career ladders for the participants. (3) Did (COP) improve education and career advancement for the participants. A sample of 75 participants were selected from the Springfield (COP) Project based on their availability. A questionnaire was mailed to the participants and a return rate of 50% was achieved. Some highlights of the responses collected were: (1) The participants viewed the (COP) Project participants, instructors, and administrators as being very supportive, cooperative, flexible, and available when help was needed. (2) There was strong evidence of support among the participants. (3) The participants were appreciative of the opportunity offered by (COP). (4) The participants indicated that without COP, their goals would not have been achieved. Generally, there were only positive comments about the (COP) Project. The only negative comments were that the program ended when there were many more people in need. The data indicated a need for more men in the secondary school levels for, role models, and that over 75% of those entering education through the COP remained and pursued advanced degrees. The participants were more secure and comfortable, learning with other adults from similar backgrounds. It is suggested that the work environment is considered a potential learning environment, and that learning is not limited to academic institutions but a lifelong process.

This study examines the relationship between self concept, andragogical orientation, and the impact of a significant life transition in a sample (n = 140) of former professional athletes who retired from football from the 1960s through the 1980s. The research was conducted in the context of designing a career transition program intended to assist the retired athletes move into a post-football career, as a prior survey (Rhodes, 1990) administered to these subjects found that 86% would have participated in a career transition program if one had existed. Self concept was measured using Miskimins Self-Goal-Other Discrepancy Scale-I (MSGO-I) (Miskimins, 1967), with modifications to the personal construct scale. Andragogical orientation was measured using the Adult Learner Orientation Questionnaire, adapted from the Student Orientation Questionnaire (Christian, 1983). Schlossberg's Model for Human Adaptation for Transition (1981) was used to interpret the responses to the MSGO-I instrument's personal construct scales in order to determine the degree of trauma precipitated by retirement from football. The subjects were divided into seven groups, according to the length of time retired from football. Scores were computed for seven measures of andragogical orientation, twelve measures of self concept, ten personal construct scales. The findings indicate that the subjects most recently retired (0-5 years) were the least andragogically oriented, had the least favorable self concepts, and were the most traumatized by the retirement transition out of professional football. The study concludes that the most appropriate instructional format for a career transition program appealing to the most recently retired players is a four-stage process based on a developmental model of situation-specific response to trauma.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of healthcareadministrative-educators and middle managers from three Midwestern hospitals about employer-provided management education for middle managers. The vision of the Chief Healthcare Administrator (CHA) of each hospital is reflected in the vision, mission andstrategic plan. The availability of formal training and development programs for middle managers is evident in the CHA's commitment to education. Using individual interviews of one-hour, the study examined the behaviors of managers and reactions to the experience of ongoing formalized middle-management education.Non-profit institutions selected had over a 250-hospital bed size with a formal department or division of management education. Hospitals chosen were HCIA Sachs designated "100 Top Hospitals" for 1999 or 2000. Each participant signed a consent form. The sample size was a minimum of one administrative-educator responsible for delivering middle manager education, two clinical managers, and two non-clinical managers from each hospital. The administrative-educator selected the interviewees. Managers interviewed had at least three years of management experience. Attitudes and practices varied due to social, political and contextual variables.Respondents were free to withdraw from the study at any time. For verification and enrichment, participants reviewed their individual interview transcripts. Managers described experiences with management education, reported increased levels of confidence, listed helpful resources, and named driving forces to support management education. Findings revealed clinical and non-clinical managers have common learningneeds. For successful management education, administrative-educators address the hospital's social, political, and cultural needs.Interviews were electronically recorded and kept confidential, as well as the verbatim transcriptions of the interviews. After the research process was complete, all tapes were destroyed. Each institution received a summary of the final document.In future years, the anticipated benefit to the participants will be that hospitals utilize the collective information to plan and deliver improved educational programming for the middle manager. This study found common themes among the respondents to develop new ways of thinking to improve managerial performance. Results may direct others to set a standard of managerial competency in healthcare. Healthcare middle managers' learning needs warrant further investigation. / Department of Educational Studies

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Through history popular education has evolved against the backdrop of social movements engaged in the struggle for social change in a variety of contexts. During the past forty years some of these movements have found expression in a wide range of participatory processes with a particular focus on community empowerment. In 1993, in the village of Renton, Scotland, local people created their own housing association, Cordale Housing Association (CHA) and from its inception declared that it would not build houses “for people to live their poverty in” (CHA Mission statement, 1993). Since then the community has acquired local physical assets and created the Renton Community Development Trust (RCDT) focused on eradicating poverty in the village. Based on data collected in the period 2009 – 2011, I examine the community’s claim to social change in the village over the past twenty years. I also discuss the community’s claim to local peoples’ active participation in the process of social change and whether the Renton community experience can be considered a process of popular education. This research is a contribution to the body of knowledge identified with critical social-educational research. It is also a contribution to the debate about the creation of a new socio-economic and cultural model of society based on the values of equity, solidarity and justice.