Accelerating technological and social innovation drives the need for graduates ready for self-directed lifelong learning. Self-directed learning (SDL) projects are now an integral part of many formal undergraduate programs across the disciplines. A Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) based on Grow’s Iterative Staged Self-directed Learning Model was introduced into a second year Information Systems course to raise awareness of the need for SDL and enable students to drive their own learning. The study evaluates the success of the PDP in preparing graduates as self-directed lifelong learners. Students’ reflective writing and learning journals, together with submitted portfolio work was taken as evidence of success and difficulties. Resistance often accompanies the changes introduced by SDL. This research therefore also explores the potential for business change management principles in mediating change to the educational environment. Student engagement with SDL was found to be accomplished with mixed success; most students demonstrated initial resistance, while many developed into focused reflective learners over time. While students were able to define appropriate learning goals and reflect on progress and achievement, mixed ability in specifying resources, strategies and validation to support their learning was found. Creating change readiness through messaging, cooperative SDL and using adapted change management models were of use in refining the SDL process.

This diploma thesis elaborates on the topic of informal learning within volunteering activities with children and youth. It is based on the concept of lifelong learning and describes characteristics of informal learning and volunteer work. It pays attention to types of motivation for volunteering and shows the possibilities of informal learning within volunteering activities with children and youth. The empirical research uses the questionnaire to examine the forms of self-directed learning. In particular, it examines the areas in which the self-directed learning is most frequently carried out and the impact of the most frequently held function on choice of areas of self-directed learning. The research also focuses on the impact of reciprocal motivation on the proportion of self-directed learning realized within volunteering activities and on the perception of selected activities as the source of new incentives and information. The ending part of the thesis contains interpretation of results and recommendation for future research in the field.

This study explores the spontaneous singing of three- and four-year-old children at home, with emphasis on how young children use singing in their everyday lives. Spontaneous singing pervades the everyday lives of young children and can provide insights into a child's musical and extra-musical experience at home. Although several studies have examined spontaneous singing in educational settings, young children's musical lives at home are rarely studied in detail. The home is a difficult space to access, and data collection methods often rely on parental reporting. As a result, some types of singing have been overlooked. Located within the sociocultural theoretical tradition, this thesis draws on and develops theories of musical agency to explore how children act musically to engage with others and manage their own experience. Audio data were collected using LENA all-day recording technology supplemented by semi-structured parental interviews. Over 183 hours of audio recording were collected from 15 children (7 boys, 8 girls), aged between 3:0 and 4:10 years (average age 3:8). The children were recorded for continuous periods during their normal everyday routines. The recordings contained more than nine hours of spontaneous singing in total. The data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis with an element of embedded numerical analysis. Interpretive analysis indicated that the children sang to act on themselves and manage social interactions. Spontaneous singing was used as a tool through which the children could realise personal and social agency and influence themselves and others. The children used different modes of singing in social and solitary contexts, demonstrating knowledge of culturally meaningful ways of singing. The home musical environment, and particularly parental singing, appeared to influence the way young children use singing in their everyday lives. This research used an innovative methodology to access young children’s singing in the home. The findings contribute to a greater understanding of young children’s musical behaviours and the home musical lives of young children. Further, the thesis provides an original contribution to the understanding of how young children use spontaneous singing as musical agents acting in and on the world around them. This research has educational implications relating to the way young children’s musicality is understood and encouraged and the importance of music in young children’s lives.

The purpose of this research was to determine what type of correlations existed between student and parent attitudes towards using smartphones in school and the resulting impact on achievement, specifically for low-achieving students. Participants in the study were third-grade students and their parents from a primary school in Singapore. The study employed a quantitative analysis to understand the correlations among the different participant groups. The instruments used were Likert-based surveys, along with scores from mid-year and end-of-year achievement exams in English and science. The three most relevant major findings showed that (a) low-achieving students show a positive attitude toward completing science activities, which correlates with an increase in science achievement; (b) the parents of low-achieving students appear to provide their children with autonomy in using their smartphones, which correlates with an increase in science achievement; and (c) having a smartphone and using the smartphone to complete school work is important to low-achieving students and their parents.

Modern technological innovations are constantly seen throughout every aspect of life, and higher education is no exception. To this end, this article sheds some light on the types of and pedagogical value of new media adopted by academics to promote self-directed learning at the University of South Africa. The study answers the following questions: Which new media approaches have been adopted by academics to enhance self-directed learning? What is the pedagogical value of new media in an ODL environment? A qualitative approach was employed and data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 30 purposively selected Unisa academics. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model was found relevant to this study. Thematic categorisation was employed for data analysis. The findings depict that a variety of new media have been adopted to promote self-directed learning at Unisa. The study also found that new media are playing a pivotal role in promoting self-directed learning in an ODL landscape. It is therefore important to note that new media have emerged as strong catalysts in fostering pedagogical transformation. / College of Education / M. Ed (Open and Distance Learning)

In this study the author investigates the nature of compassion, ways of developing compassion within ourselves, and ways of bringing compassion into schools. The author sees an imbalance and disconnection in the current Ontario public school system, between education of the mind (to have) and education of the heart (to be). This is demonstrated in the heightening violence in schools, because violence in schools means that students do not feel connected to and are not happy in their schools. To accomplish this purpose, the author explores the different ways we can connect—within ourselves, with classroom subjects, with students in the school, and with the community at large—through life stories of four holistic educators, including herself. Three have taught in Buddhist, Waldorf, and Montessori schools, which all foster compassion not only through empathy, caring, and love, but also through emotional and moral components of heart education, such as intuition, creativity, imagination, joy (Miller, 2006), and moral education (Noddings, 1992). The enquiry uses qualitative research and narrative method that includes portraiture and arts-based enquiry. The findings in the participants’ narratives reveal that compassion comprises spirituality, empathy, and caring. We can develop compassion through contemplation in an awareness of interconnection between the I and the Other. In conclusion, we can foster compassion in schools if we use holistic education’s basic principles of balance, inclusion, and connection (Miller, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2010), and if we bring in different ways of fostering compassion that the author has explored through four holistic teachers’ narratives in this study. By nurturing and connecting to students’ hearts, rather than forcing knowledge into their heads, it is possible to create schools where students are happy and feel connected to their learning.

In this study the author investigates the nature of compassion, ways of developing compassion within ourselves, and ways of bringing compassion into schools. The author sees an imbalance and disconnection in the current Ontario public school system, between education of the mind (to have) and education of the heart (to be). This is demonstrated in the heightening violence in schools, because violence in schools means that students do not feel connected to and are not happy in their schools. To accomplish this purpose, the author explores the different ways we can connect—within ourselves, with classroom subjects, with students in the school, and with the community at large—through life stories of four holistic educators, including herself. Three have taught in Buddhist, Waldorf, and Montessori schools, which all foster compassion not only through empathy, caring, and love, but also through emotional and moral components of heart education, such as intuition, creativity, imagination, joy (Miller, 2006), and moral education (Noddings, 1992). The enquiry uses qualitative research and narrative method that includes portraiture and arts-based enquiry. The findings in the participants’ narratives reveal that compassion comprises spirituality, empathy, and caring. We can develop compassion through contemplation in an awareness of interconnection between the I and the Other. In conclusion, we can foster compassion in schools if we use holistic education’s basic principles of balance, inclusion, and connection (Miller, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2010), and if we bring in different ways of fostering compassion that the author has explored through four holistic teachers’ narratives in this study. By nurturing and connecting to students’ hearts, rather than forcing knowledge into their heads, it is possible to create schools where students are happy and feel connected to their learning.

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-directed learning readiness in executive fire officers in relation to the independent variables of personality type, educational attainment, and professional designation. This research utilized a quantitative design. This study utilized the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) with a sample of 250 professional firefighters. The total sample was divided equally between executive-level fire officers and firefighters at 125 each from professional departments in the Southeastern United States. Results were that the mean SDLRS score for the executive-level fire officers was 233.7 and significantly higher than the means of both the firefighters (221.6) and the adult population norm (214). Overall, results also found that the frequency of representation across the eight dominant functions of the MBTI were significantly different between the executive fire officer group and both the firefighter and the MBTI male norm group. However, only extroverted-sensors had a significant difference between the executive fire officers and the firefighters and only extroverted-thinkers had significant difference between executive fire officers and the reported male norm, respectively. Similarly, the executive fire officer sample was compared to a sample of top public managers and found that there were no differences in the representativeness of the two samples. Overall, there were no substantive differences in representativeness of dominant functions between groups. Results indicated significant relationships between education, personality type, and the dependent variable SDLRS scores. The model that was developed explained 15.4% of the variability in SDLRS scores with significant positive correlations for two categories of educational attainment (undergraduate, graduate) and four categories of dominant functions of personality type (ES, EN, ET, and IN). When examining the same model exclusively for executive fire officers, the model explained 9.5% of the variability in SDLRS scores utilizing significant positive correlations for personality type for three categories of dominant function; IN, EN, and ET, respectively. Overall, the results of this study supported the theoretical construct that a high degree of self-directedness in learning was present at the executive fire officer level.

Online Language Learning Counseling (OLLC) is a new method in language learning counseling. It employs various forms of communication (email, chat, and internet telephone) and various instruments (i. e. surveys, plans, and learning journals) in order to systematically complement and support foreign language students\' self-directed learning and work processes between face-to-face and online advising sessions. The specific communicative conditions in OLLC lead to benefits and challenges for the counseling process, which can mainly be traced back to the different modalities of the communication (oral vs. written) and synchronous vs. asynchronous forms of interaction. Based on seven cases, the study describes and analyzes possible applications of this counseling approach. Its methodological framework is a longitudinal action research design with evaluative elements. The cases, which show varying formats of OLLC, are analyzed using qualitative methods applied to different sets of data, including session transcripts, participant interviews, and the counselor\'s reflections. The learners differed in their evaluations of most of the counseling forms and instruments utilized. However, most of them valued the emails that helped them prepare for the sessions and written summaries of the meetings. The in-depth analysis of three paradigmatic cases illustrates varying scenarios of OLLC, taking into account different attitudes, motivation, and working habits. The study thus shows the necessity for a counseling method that is flexible considering both the content as well as the media. The most important benefits of OLLC found in the study were the possibility to trigger self-reflection and to support motivation to learn. The composition of written texts posed a considerable difficulty to the students due to the demands of content creation and foreign language use. For the counselor, technical problems made practicing a non-directive counseling approach difficult. / Online-Sprachlernberatung (OSLB) ist eine Form der individuellen Begleitung von selbstgesteuertem Fremdsprachlernen im universitären Bereich. Dabei werden unterschiedliche digitale Beratungsformen (E-Mail, Internet-Telefon, Chats) und Beratungsinstrumente (z. B. Fragebögen, schriftliche Pläne und Lernertagebücher) eingesetzt, um den Lern- und Arbeitsprozess systematisch zwischen den Präsenz- oder Online-Sprachlernberatungstreffen zu begleiten. Die spezifischen Kommunikationsbedingungen in der OSLB bergen Potenziale, aber auch Herausforderungen, die sich vor allem aus der Synchronität bzw. Asynchronität und der Modalität (Mündlichkeit bzw. Schriftlichkeit) der Interaktion ergeben. Die Studie beschreibt und analysiert anhand von Einzelfallstudien diesen Beratungsansatz. Die Untersuchung stellt eine longitudinal angelegte Aktionsforschung mit evaluativen Elementen dar. Auf Grundlage von sieben Beratungsfällen, die unterschiedliche Profile des Einsatzes von OSLB aufweisen, wurden unterschiedliche Datensätze ausgewertet, die u. a. Beratungstranskripte, Abschlussinterviews mit den Lernenden und die Reflexionen der Beraterin mit einschlossen. Die Lernenden unterschieden sich in ihrer Bewertung der meisten einzelnen Formen und Instrumente, jedoch wurden beratungsvorbereitende E-Mails und schriftliche Zusammenfassungen nach den Sitzungen als hilfreich benannt. Die Analyse dreier paradigmatischer Einzelfälle illustriert verschiedene Szenarien der OSLB unter Berücksichtigung unterschiedlicher Einstellungen, Motive und Arbeitsweisen im digitalen Kontext und belegt damit die Notwendigkeit einer individuellen Beratung, in der flexibel auf die Bedürfnisse der Lerner eingegangen werden kann. Als bedeutendste Potenziale der OSLB erwiesen sich die Möglichkeiten der Anregung zur Selbstreflexion und die Unterstützung der Motivation zum Lernen. Als Herausforderung stellte sich für die Lerner aufgrund inhaltlicher und fremdsprachlicher Anforderungen die Erstellung schriftlicher Texte dar. Für die Beraterin erschwerten technische Gegebenheiten die Durchführung nicht-direktiver Beratung.

Are elementary teachers self-directed learners? If so, do their learning activities outside their classrooms translate into their classrooms? The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between elementary teachers’ self-directed learning and activities in their classrooms. A two phase, mixed methods design first utilized a quantitative study from which the results were used to denote the type of data collected in the second, qualitative phase. The quantitative Phase I of this study involved using a survey instrument in order to identify self-directed learners and identify categories of teacher learners. These quantitative data were gathered through the use of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale [SDLRS/LPA] (Guglielmino 1977) which was administered online to 100 teacher respondents. The responses to the instruments were also analyzed statistically in order to generate descriptive statistics for this population of teachers. For the teachers in this study [N=100], the mean was 240.89 with a standard deviation of 2.019. The range was 91 and the variance was 407.735. This score fell within the “above average” range which indicated the teachers had developed an above average readiness for self-directed learning and determination of their own learning needs and goals and the ability to plan and carry out their own learning (Guglielmino 2011). In Phase II, nine teachers scoring “high” and “above average” were interviewed. Results from the interviews revealed that teachers participate in self-directed learning activities which expressed their creative and professional selves. When the teachers in this study found that professional development did not meet the immediate needs of their classroom, they planned and sought additional knowledge on their own. It was found that teacher self-directed learning actually included characteristics that research has found to be essential for successfully implemented professional development that results in improved student achievement. Implications of the study for practice and further research were also discussed.