My research centers upon designing transformative learning environments and supporting technologies. Kitchen Science Investigators (KSI) is an out-of-school transformative learning environment we designed to help young people learn science through cooking. My dissertation considers the question, 'How can we design a learning environment in which children discover the utility of science in their lives and their own scientific capabilities?' I have explored this question in the context of designing and enacting KSI. We designed the environment (i.e., activities, facilitation, and technology support) so that in the midst of cooking, participants generate personal goals that they need science to achieve. Our design integrates software to promote scientific practices in a real world context. In my thesis research I analyze how learners are developing identity as scientific reasoners in this environment. I also make recommendations about the design of learning environments and technologies to help with scientific development. My dissertation study is a longitudinal study of individuals in our most recent implementation of KSI. My current analysis of KSI shows significant development of disposition and identity development among focal learners, as well as a set of causal factors. I found that as learners connected cooking and science, and as they participated in science socially with their friends, they began to increase their scientific participation in and outside of KSI. My findings suggest guidelines for software support, facilitation, and activities for getting learners engaged in scientific inquiry in ways that promote the development of scientific identities.

The thesis explores issues relating to transformative change in the context of marine governance in the Coral Triangle, and the effects of such change processes on policy, stakeholder relations and management activities. Paper 1 studies how change-oriented actors (institutional entrepreneurs) operating at the international level can introduce and purposefully navigate large-scalechange processes. Paper 2 studies the impact of resource inequality on multi-stakeholder collaboration, and tackles the literature of boundary work so as to increase its usefulness for understanding complex, multi-level governance initiatives. Paper 3 explores how narratives about the marine environment are entwined with and influence critical aspects of marine ecosystem governance such as resource allocation, day-to-day management actions, stakeholder relations, and long-term ecological monitoring. Paper 4 investigates how actors at the local level can capture opportunities at higher institutional levels while at the same time catalyzing local potential for change by focusing on the interplay between strategies,opportunity and context. The results show that institutional entrepreneurship requires understanding of how strategies can be matched with opportunity and context, for example by offering a way for other actors to address key priorities and add value to their organizations. The results also show that behind the scene organizing is often a precondition for the introduction of transformative change. Shifting the process from an informal track to a formal track where ideas about transformative change can be deliberated among a broader set ofstakeholders is thus a major challenge. Moreover, a strong narrative is key to successfully introducing and driving transformative change. In this sense, the ability to articulate and distribute a narrative which tells a compelling story about the broader system is critical. Finally, power dynamics are constantly at play in transformation processes due to resource asymmetries. The thesis shows that differences in resources may influence the credibility, legitimacy, and salience of transformative change. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: In press.</p>

In a world of increasing religious/political tensions and conflicts this study asks, what is the transformative significance of an arts and ritual-based approach to developing and encouraging women’s spiritual and multi-faith leadership? To counter destructive worldviews and practices that have divided people historically, politically, personally and sacredly, the study reinforces the political and spiritual value of women spiritual and multi-faith leaders creating and holding sacred space for truth making and world making. An a/r/tographic and mindful inquiry was engaged to assist self and group reflection within a group of women committed to multi-faith education and leadership in their communities. The objectives of the study were: 1) to explore through collaboration, ritual and art making processes the women’s experience of knowing and not knowing, 2) to articulate a curriculum for multi-faith consciousness raising, and 3) to develop a pedagogy and methodology that can serve as a catalyst for individual and societal change and transformation. The co-participants/co-inquirers (including the lead researcher as a member of the group) are fourteen women, who practice within eleven different religions and/or spiritual backgrounds, and who are part of a volunteer planning team that organizes an annual women’s multi-faith conference (Women’s Spirituality Celebration) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The aesthetic/ritual structure of the labyrinth served as a cross-cultural multi-faith symbol in guiding the dissertation, which includes three art installations and four documentary DVDs of the process and art. New understandings found in the study include: 1) the ethical sanctuary that a/r/tography as ritual enables for personal and collective change to take place within, 2) the addition of synecdoche to the renderings of a/r/tography, assisting a multi-dimensional spiral movement towards a whole a/r/tographic practice, 3) a lived and radically relational curriculum of philetics within loving community that drew forth the women’s erotic life force energy and enhanced the women’s ability to remember the power of the feminine aspect of the Divine, and 4) the decolonization of the Divine, art and education, which took place as a pedagogy of wholeness unfolded, requiring a dialectic relationship between restorative and transformative learning.

In the summary of the dissertation “Educational poetic therapy as a tool for empowerment of adults ill with schizophrenia or depression“ conception of empowerment of individuals ill with schizophrenia and depression is presented, conception is based on tranformative learning theories. Theoretical model of educational poetic therapy was developed using the strategy of grounded theory: the practical 10 years poetic therapy experience is analysed, insights of the researcher are compared with stadpoints of transformative learning theories (Freire, 1970, Tisdell, 2003 Mezirov, 1997); with data of effectivness of patients‘ teaching (Rindner, 2004, Fulton, 1997, Hage, 1997), with insights of analysis of schizophrenic patients‘ abilities to live in society self dependendly (Barker 2001, Johansson, 2002, Coggins, Fox, 2009, Hayne, 2003); with insights of analysis of schizophrenic patients‘ skills to tell one‘s own socialy meanigful life story (Lysaker, 2005). Model is grounded with social emancipation and cultural spiritual standpoints to transformative learning. Constructed methodic of educational poetic therapy, based on that model, is new in international context of science. In Lithuania first time are analysed possibilities of application of educational poetic therapy: case analyses are presented. It is disclosed, that authentic story of personality, expressed in artistic language positively transformes self evaluation and reconstructs social behavior. / Disertacijos „Ugdomoji poetikos terapija kaip priemonė suaugusiųjų, sergančių šizofrenija ar depresija, įgalinimui“ santraukoje pateikta transformuojančio mokymosi teorijomis pagrįsta suaugusiųjų, sergančių šizofrenija ar depresija, įgalinimo koncepcija. Ugdomosios poetikos terapijos teorinis modelis yra išryškintas, vadovaujantis grindžiamosios teorijos strategija: analizuojama dešimties metų praktinė poetikos terapijos taikymo patirtis, tyrėjos įžvalgos lyginamos su transformuojančio mokymosi teorijų (Freire, 1970, Tisdell, 2003 Mezirov, 1997) teiginiais; su ligonių mokymo, padedančio įveikti krizes, efektyvumo tyrimo duomenimis (Rindner, 2004, Fulton, 1997, Hage, 1997); su sergančiųjų gebėjimo savarankiškai būti ir gyventi visuomenėje analizės įžvalgomis (Barker 2001, Johansson, 2002, Coggins, Fox, 2009, Hayne, 2003); su sergančiųjų šizofrenija gebėjimo papasakoti socialiai reikšmingą savo gyvenimo istoriją (Lysaker, 2005) tyrimo įžvalgomis. Modelis grindžiamas socialiniu emancipaciniu ir kultūriniu dvasiniu požiūriu į transformuojantį mokymąsi. Vadovaujantis šiuo modeliu sukurta Ugdomosios poetikos terapijos metodika suaugusiųjų, sergančių šizofrenija ar depresija, įgalinimui yra nauja tarptautiniame mokslo kontekste. Pirmą kartą Lietuvoje išanalizuotos ugdomosios poetikos terapijos taikymo galimybės – atlikta atvejų analizė. Įžvelgta, kad menine kalba perteikta asmens autentiška istorija pozityviai transformuoja asmens savęs vertinimą ir rekonstruoja socialinį... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Communication across the curriculum (CXC) programs are becoming increasingly common as institutions of higher learning recognize the need for improving communication skills in college students. Consequently, the University of Kentucky (UK) is piloting Presentation U, a multimodal communication across the curriculum (MCXC) program. This study examines the degree to which the Faculty Fellows program succeeds in helping faculty across the university integrate effective communication instruction and assignments into their courses. For this study, all faculty members participating in cohort #2 of the program responded to surveys and wrote reflection papers regarding their experiences. Their responses were analyzed and conclusions drawn. The study, grounded in the adult theory of transformative learning, found evidence of worldview transformation among faculty fellows as a result of their participation in the program.

The creation of a hybrid/blended basic course aligns with university goals and may increase viable curricular options for student success. If universities offer hybrid courses, they ought to do so based on data-driven evidence confirming that face-to-face (F2F) and hybrid courses are comparable. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the learning outcome achievement of students enrolled in a blended (hybrid) version of the basic course. More specifically, a comparative analysis of student affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning outcome achievement in face-to-face sections and hybrid sections was conducted. This study also examined affect for course delivery format for students enrolled in traditional F2F compared to hybrid sections. Ultimately, two important conclusions were drawn from this analysis. First, hybrid courses are a viable instructional modality for delivering the basic communication course. Second, students are satisfied with aspects of both F2F and blended course modalities. More specifically, each course delivery format has strengths and weaknesses and instructors, students, and university administrators share responsibility for course and student success.

Social media are often touted to have the potential to transform education. These media enable students to connect with others from around the world, to work collaboratively, and to share their learning with an authentic audience. The literature offers support, yet raises questions about this promise. The intent of this research was to examine how and why some classroom teachers make use of social media for teaching and to determine if, and how, this changes their pedagogical practices. A qualitative, interpretivist multiple case study approach was used to tell the stories of nine teachers in a rural Canadian prairie school as they explored and implemented various social media in their teaching practices. A hermeneutic and phenomenological approach formed the theoretical framework guiding this study. The primary source of data was a multi-part interview consisting of conversations held over the six-month study. Participants reflected upon and shared their perspectives as they made use of social media in their teaching practice. Other data sources included a variety of relevant documents such as school plans and online interactions undertaken by the participants. The analysis followed a constant comparative thematic analysis method, providing a rich exploration of the phenomenon of social media pedagogy. The teachers in this study generally found their use of social media to be a positive experience; however, several challenges and areas of concern were identified. The teachers’ reasons for using social media included communication, engagement and motivation, exposure of student work to a broader audience, and collaborative activities. Supports for implementing social media were identified and included good access to working technology and professional learning. The teachers raised concerns such as privacy, safety, and time constraints. Ethical and appropriate use of social media was seen not only as a concern, but also as an opportunity to teach. Impacts on teaching practice ranged from the addition of strategies to teaching repertoires, to change that could be considered as transformative learning. One of the most significant results was the apparent effect on the school environment. Trust and responsibility were extended to students, and the response was increased communication and connection between students and teachers.

The purpose of this study was to determine how learner support has been implemented in rural, historically coloured, Afrikaans primary schools in a part of the Northern Cape, in particular with regard to what teachers, education administrators, parents and learners understand about learner support, the participants' understanding of learner support compared to the White Paper 6, to what extent schools agree and disagree in their implementation of learner support, and the indicators for realistic learner support in this context. This study made use of the conceptual framework of Transformative Inclusive Education. A qualitative research approach was followed. In this study the research design known as Appreciative Inquiry was used. Findings indicated that learner support is indeed implemented in this specific context. It is also clear that the participants have a good understanding of learner support which corresponds well with the policy position, namely that learner support entails academic support but also other developmental activities which all in the end benefit learners’ scholastic achievement. The schools agree in large part in their implementation of learner support and differ only where contextual differences dictate. The indicators for realistic learner support in this context include professional commitment, mutual dedication to each other by the school and the community, countering the potential negative effects of geographical isolation and building strong networks with external partners. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The purpose of this study was to determine how learner support has been implemented in rural, historically coloured, Afrikaans primary schools in a part of the Northern Cape, in particular with regard to what teachers, education administrators, parents and learners understand about learner support, the participants' understanding of learner support compared to the White Paper 6, to what extent schools agree and disagree in their implementation of learner support, and the indicators for realistic learner support in this context. This study made use of the conceptual framework of Transformative Inclusive Education. A qualitative research approach was followed. In this study the research design known as Appreciative Inquiry was used. Findings indicated that learner support is indeed implemented in this specific context. It is also clear that the participants have a good understanding of learner support which corresponds well with the policy position, namely that learner support entails academic support but also other developmental activities which all in the end benefit learners’ scholastic achievement. The schools agree in large part in their implementation of learner support and differ only where contextual differences dictate. The indicators for realistic learner support in this context include professional commitment, mutual dedication to each other by the school and the community, countering the potential negative effects of geographical isolation and building strong networks with external partners. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This M.A. thesis is a narrative inquiry into a westerner’s personal stories of teaching and living in Thailand. It narrates the experiences of becoming an ajarn (a teacher), but moreover an ajarn farang (a white teacher) in a Thai university. As International Education programs are largely supplemented with western-developed curricula and teachers, what are the implications for a western teacher when material and pedagogy fails in a new cultural situation? How can a teacher reconcile feelings of power (as a perceived education authority) and powerlessness (as a cultural foreigner)? This narrative inquiry explores the role of story to make meaning out of otherwise uncertain situations. The stories are about experiences deemed emblematic of tensions and ideas employed by multiculturalism, postcolonialism, phenomenology, and transformative education. These discussions aim to expose and exploit borders of experience that exist for reasons of culture, colonialism, location, and race. The transformative exercise of exploring spaces between borders recognizes that people are characters inside one another’s stories, which thereby expands boundaries of identity to anticipate and embrace moments of uncertainty that can inspire innovative pedagogy because of cultural difference, and not in spite of it.