This Design-based research study aimed to develop a design framework that would help learning designers to apply learning theory principles when designing learning objects. The study examined the experiential learning theory, information processing theory, and cognitive load theory to develop the iterative learning development (ILD) model. Several…

The climate is in crisis. Many conservation organizations identify in their mission statements the priority of motivating constituents to engage with conservation action. This priority is typically implemented by educators who design and deliver educational activities and materials. This study, designed to develop a professional pathway for…

In this dissertation, I report results from a study that investigated the impact of students' engagement in a series of tasks in an introductory proof course that was designed to stimulate their learning of reading strategies to support their comprehension of mathematics proofs. Specifically, I investigated the impact of the design of five…

Professional training for language instructors needs to be more accessible and high-leverage in order to meet the growing demand for proficient users of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese languages. More specifically, teachers of these languages need exposure to effective teaching methods designed to meet the language-specific needs required to help…

Purpose: The purpose of this causal-comparative research study was to examine the impact of an Integrated Business Curriculum Program (IBCP) and its effects on career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE). It also provides a framework and common vocabulary for which type of business curriculum provides the best career readiness CDMSE advantage.…

In-service trainings for teachers provide information to influence teacher practice within the complex, dynamic environment of the classroom. Transfer of learning, the ability to use previously learned information in a novel setting or time, is necessary for generalization to actual practice (Sork and Caffarella, 1998). Teachers report that…

This descriptive qualitative study investigated the experiences of novice assistant principals regarding how participation in a Grow-Your-Own leadership program influenced their self-efficacy to fulfill their administrative duties in one Southwestern U.S. state. Social learning theory, situated learning theory, and self-efficacy theory provided…

Bullying is a problem experienced in schools across the country including in the ABC Elementary School in Georgia, where the No Place for Hate antibullying program is in place to address this problem. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand educators' perspectives on their experiences implementing the program. Bandura's social…

Community college faculty have experienced a shift in focus from access to access and student success. Given this shift in responsibility for student learning, community college faculty should be sufficiently prepared to teach a diverse student body and subsequently uphold beliefs regarding their ability to bring about desired outcomes of student…

This dissertation is a semi-longitudinal investigation of the design, application and evaluation of a novel abstraction of two learning theories---William Demmert, Culture-Based Education and Seymour Papert, Constructionism, to form "Cultural Constructionism." This study was driven by an interest to explore the linkage between cultural…

Research has shown correctional education has always been associated with prison reform from the early years of Pennsylvania's Eastern State Penitentiary to the modern correctional systems of today. However, as a result of increased prison populations and costs, correctional education leadership has been challenged to validate the need for these…

Professional development courses that focus on increasing knowledge and improving skill sets are an integral part of a medical imager's career. This study was a qualitative formative evaluation with purposeful sampling of participants in a professional development webinar course offered to medical imaging professionals in 35 Latin American and…

Many colleges and universities have expanded their mission to include adult learners. Programs range from scheduling traditional courses in the evening to designing new programs tailored to meet the needs of working adults. Program designers have relied on theorists such, as Mezirow (1991), Houle (1996), and Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (1998), to…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify, investigate, and describe the espoused Pennsylvania Principal Mentoring Network (PPMN) training program and protocols for the principals who served as mentors for newly hired principals in Pennsylvania. This study posed three research questions: (1) what was the espoused training provided…

In recent years, access to higher education was greatly improved through public funding. This improvement is not matched by a similar increase in graduation rate. The purpose of this study is to examine what postsecondary institutions can do to improve college freshman retention. The conceptual framework was based on research on college student…