1941 research outputs found
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Critical Thinking in Adult Education: An Elusive Quest for a Definition of the Field
No full text249 leaves. Advisor: Pamela M. Curtiss.The problem: My purpose in this study was to understand the meaning of critical thinking in adult education. I addressed the following research question: What are graduate faculty members' perceptions and perceived practices of critical thinking in adult education?
Procedures: Grounded theory methodology was used to explain the meaning of critical thinking to adult educators. The primary data source was unstructured interviews with twelve adult educators who currently teach or have previously taught adult education courses in institutions in the United States that offer graduate degrees in adult education. Other data sources included relevant documents and field notes. Data were
analyzed and coded using the constant comparative method.
Findings: The analysis of data uncovered four themes based on participants' perceptions: (a) the goals of adult education, (b) conceptualizations of critical thinking, (c) impacts on teaching, and (d) importance of critical thinking in adult education.
Conclusions: Four conclusions resulted from an examination of participants' perceptions as well as relevant literature. First, there are conflicting and contested goals of adult education. Second, there is little agreement about the conceptualization of critical thinking by graduate faculty in adult education. Third, graduate faculty in adult education may or may not be fostering critical thinking slulls in their students. Finally, what matters in adult education may not be critical thinlung but critical reflection.
Questions and implications: The study produced more questions than answers. Three major questions are: (a) What is the work of adult education at the beginning of the 21st century? (b) If the field moves toward social development as a goal of adult education, what might adult educators need to understand about their changing work? (c) Given the current emphasis on "critical reflection," does critical thinlung in adult education really matter? Adult educators concerned about these issues may wish to reflect critically on their practice, study the merits and drawbacks of moving from individual development and toward social development as the goal of adult education,
and continue their dialogue on the goal(s) of adult education
A Year-Round School Program: A Descriptive Study
No full text[iv], 150 leaves. Advisor: Annette LiggettThe problem: This descriptive qualitative study analyzed the year-round program at Irving Elementary School in Indianola, Iowa at the conclusion of its fourth year of operation. Stakeholders’ perspectives were ascertained to understand the issues that arose when it was offered in addition to a traditional calendar program and to provide insight to others interested in this alternative calendar program.
Procedures: Thirty-eight semistructured interviews and 19 informal conversations with knowledgeable people associated with the program were conducted and analyzed along with documentation using qualitative research conclusions, implications, and recommendations were developed.
Findings: Respondents’ perceptions revealed the following: (1) The intent for starting the year-round program came from a site-based effort designed to benefit learners. (2) Structural issues resulting from the initiative were minimal while educational and emotional issues led to conflict which was subsequently resolved. (3) Most year-round teachers and students perceived teaching and learning were enhanced. (4) Most felt the alternative calendar should continue to be offered as a voluntary elementary level program. The concept of year-round school in general was perceived by most to be of value.
Conclusions: Physical plant and operations issues associated with the program were not as difficult as expected. While the concept made intuitive sense, emotional issues surrounding the change initially created some problems for the district. Over time, the year-round program was favorably accepted by most in the district and community.
Implications: Implementation of year-round programs can be problematic in terms of structural and operational issues. It is important to be sensitive to the emotional needs of stakeholders and to scheduling issues involving specialist teachers when initiating year-round programs. Districts should consider alternative calendar options as a means of offering stakeholders choices in school programming.
Recommendations: Additional research addressing student achievement may be prudent at this site as would a replication of this study in the future. The study of similar year-round programs in the state is recommended to acquire additional insight into alternative calendar programs
A Review of Business/Education Partnerships in Southwest Iowa During the Late 1990s
No full textvi, 246 leaves. Advisor: Charles Greenwood.Historically, our nation has cultivated a strong tradition of business and education interaction. The intensity of business-education partnerships varied depending upon the inequities of the marketplace.
This inclusion of academic secondary research from 1991 to 1997 forms a good theoretical framework for understanding partnership formation. Timpane and McNeil (1991) did influential research work that provides the benchmark for determining four distinct levels of partnerships. The significance of this work is reflected in its use in the theses as the foundation article. Supplementing the academic secondary research were multiple surveys and studies commissioned by education and business.
Helped by this solid secondary research, the thesis was strategically shaped into an exploratory and qualitative research design. While some elements of the more traditional quantitative research design were incorporated, the former approach more accurately portrays this research design. The aggregate study sample encompasses eight communities throughout southwest Iowa, in which perceived local experts recommended had sufficient partnership activity. Within each of the selected communities a minimum of two educators and tow business representatives were questioned. Respondents were aggregate to encourage participation. Consequently, field interviews were later administered to gather data.
Three fundamental research questions were pursued. (a) What was the contemporary state of partnerships in southwest Iowa? The community results varied, but the southwest Iowa partnerships appeared to as good as or better than the national average. The influence of STW legislation was dominant throughout the report, not only in providing direction, as well as funding the partnerships. In addition, the denotation of the term “partnership” may be too strong to consistently characterize the interaction between business and educational bodies. Finally, communities needed a minimum threshold of commerce, key institutional leadership, and a commitment of dedicated resources for basic partnership activities to flourish. (b.) Did partnerships produce a measurable outcome? The results seemed to be consistent with the national literature that partnerships, in general, were focused on measuring the number of activities, instead of the change in behavior. (c.) What external forces caused partnerships to form? Local issues, such as labor availability and economic development motivated participants to form partnerships. The promise of money to expand school districts’ budgets or simply the pursuit of securing funds cause the two entities to form relationships
A Study Reviewing Motives for Participation and the Postenrollment Transition After Completing A Graduate Degree Program
Get PDFvi, 58 leaves. Advisor: Thomas S. Westbrook.The Problem: The purpose of this study is to compare the initial leaning objectives to the objectives achieved after completing the degree and to identify the postenrollment transition adults make after completing their degree.
Procedures: The author interviewed twenty graduates of a Training and Development graduate degree program. The author asked each participant about his/her initial learning objectives and the objectives achieved after completing the graduate program. The author also asked each participant about his/her postenrollment transition after completing the graduate program.
Findings: Twenty participants indicated they met their initial learning objectives and many derived unexpected benefits fiom participating in the graduate degree program. Each individual's postenrollment transition varied depending on the his/her personal situation.
Conclusions: Most students meet their initial learning expectations. Upon completing a graduate degree program, some students may derive unexpected benefits. Students experience a wide range of feelings in conjunction with the postenrollment transition associated with graduation.
Recommendations: Research should be conducted that surveys participants prior to the learning experience and again after the learning experience has been completed to compare the initial learning objectives to the derived benefits. Likewise, during the postenrollment transition period, the researcher should contact the subject to track the transition over time. Finally, additional research is needed to determine if various demographic variables impact the student's postenrollment transition
Perceived Needs and Support of Beginning Elementary Teachers
Get PDFvi, 106 leaves. Advisor: Jamie Ferrare.The problem: The study determined concerns that beginning elementary teachers, who have graduated from a small private liberal arts college, have experienced. It also identified the means of support those beginning teachers had available to them in their first year of teaching.
Procedures: A survey was distributed to thirty-nine beginning elementary to determine low, moderate, or high levels of need in twenty areas that centered on communication skills, teaching behaviors, and expectations. Teachers provided additional information on the open-ended section of the survey. Two focus groups of six participants each were formed from the twenty-seven beginning teachers teaching in Iowa schools.
Findings: The needs of beginning teachers are most evident at the beginning of the school year and are consistent with the developmental stages of beginning teachers. Assistance from support systems affects the ease of transition of a beginning teacher into the profession. Needs for assistance identified in this study included classroom discipline, communication with parents, and special needs of students.
Conclusions: Beginning teachers receive varying means of support to meet their needs in the first year of teaching. Consistency is needed in programs offered across the state to ensure all beginning teachers receive the support needed. Support programs that include college and university teacher education personnel and educators from school systems will make it possible to meet the developmental needs of beginning teachers
The Iowa Education System : Do We Really Have What We Need? Do We Need What We Have?
No full textii, 82 leaves. Advisor: Aubrey Pearre Johnston.Despite multiple school reform efforts in recent
years, none has considered the impact of the structure of
the Iowa Education governance system on what happens in
schools. This qualitative study investigated
organizational roles and the relationships between Area
Education Agencies, The State Board/State Department of
Education, local school boards and their districts,
institutions of higher education, and the State
Legislature. Knowledgeable informants were also asked for
recommendations on how to improve the system.
The findings were organized first by organization and
then by entire system. The discussion of these findings
interwoven with the literature indicated several factors
which impact the system and its future. Iowa highly valued
local control yet education was becoming an increasingly
important part of state politics. There was a lack
collaboration across the system. No person, or
organization, was responsible for the system as a whole.
There was no clear answer on how to best redesign the
system, but there were clues on where to begin.
Three broad conclusions were drawn. First, the system
had developed over decades, but with no real direction for
interorganizational collaboration. Second, increased
system alignment was valued, but it may not be a solution.
Third, a deep belief in local control was juxtaposed with
the support of a centrally controlled system. while Iowa's
system was working, it was not clear that all pieces of the
system were needed as they were currently constructed
"What one person can do: a theory of personal involvement in establishing library-faculty partnerships"
Get PDFBruce Gilbert is Associate Professor of Librarianship and the Director of Library Operations and Technology at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He has written articles for several periodicals and was a reviewer for "Telecommunications Electronic Reviews". Bruce can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] on some of the theoretical and philosophical concerns that are encountered in the process of establishing librarian-teacher-faculty relationships. These thoughts should be of interest to those (particularly librarians) who wish to establish such relationships or those who wish to re-think and revitalize existing relationships.Paper presented at "Powerful Partnerships" conference, 12-13 Nov 2000, Iowa City, Iowa USA
"Active learning and cooperative learning: understanding the difference and using both styles effectively"
No full textMarcia W. Keyser wrote this article while employed as a librarian at the James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas. Keyser is currently a librarian at Cowles Library at Drake University where she teaches Information Literacy. Marcia can be contacted via email at [email protected] learning is any teaching method that gets students actively involved; cooperative learning is one variety of active learning which structures students into groups with defined roles for each student and a task for the group to accomplish. Lecture-based library instruction is often unsuccessful for many reasons, including poor student attention, simplified examples, and too much material presented at one time. Active and/or cooperative teaching techniques involve the students in the class and increase retention of information following the class period. Active learning techniques are easier to apply and take less class time, while cooperative learning techniques require more advance planning and may take an entire class period. Choosing a teaching technique must be done carefully, with an understanding of the goals of the class session. Several possible goals are detailed, along with suggested techniques for meeting each one
The Writing Workshop : Eighth Grade Girls' Self-Reported Attitudes Toward Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, and Writing Competency
Get PDF113 leaves. Advisor: Eunice Meridith.Eighth grade girls, as part of their language arts class, were surveyed regarding attitudes toward the writing workshop experience in the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000. Survey data, collected from forced-choice and open-ended
items, included comparison to the American Association of University Women's (1990) study, attitudes related to the school environment, and the effects of writing workshop. Descriptive statistics found significance in the areas of
academic self-esteem, attitudes toward teacher feedback, attitudes toward the writing workshop environment, perceptions of writing competency, and attitudes toward writing workshop teacher feedback. Recommendations for educators based on survey findings have been included
The Student Teaching Experience: Mentor Teachers' Self-Reported Mentoring Behaviors, Challenges, And Resource Utilization
Get PDFv, 98, [32] leaves. Advisor: Eunice M. Merideth.Mentor teachers working with Drake University student teachers during
the Fall 1998 and Spring 1999 semesters were surveyed regarding beliefs about
their mentoring role in working with student teachers. Survey data, collected
from forced-choice and open-ended items, included mentor teachers' valuing of
forms of training and support provided by Drake University, preferences for
mentoring behaviors, challenges in working with student teachers, and utilization
of resources for their mentoring role. Spring 1999 mentor teachers were invited
to participate in a listserv discussion focusing on principles of Cognitive
Coaching. The impact of the listserv discussion forum on the beliefs and
mentoring practices of subscribing mentor teachers is also reported. Descriptive
statistics were employed to analyze survey results. Recommendations for
mentor teacher training and support based on survey findings are provided