The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if and to what extent students' self-directed learning was related with their engagement and satisfaction at a community college located in the southeastern region of the United States. Situated learning theory and constructivism guided the study. The study was conducted during…

Professional development (PD) hours are required for licensure renewal for the more than 110,000 teachers in Ohio. Despite being entrenched in the culture of education; many teachers view PD negatively. In this qualitative study, three structures of PD are studied to determine their impact on teacher attitudes. These three structures are online…

The discourse identifying teachers as lifelong learners has challenged teacher educators to engage in continuous professional development (PD) activities. Moreover, the need to keep up with the ever-changing learning and teaching trends in today's era of technological innovations has further encouraged teacher educators in various contexts to seek…

Understanding and navigating college rules, resources, and expectations is a considerable barrier for students accessing and transitioning to college (Conley, 2007; Williams, 1996; Hooker & Brand, 2010; Ardoin, 2013; Sheppard, 2012). To improve students' acquisition of pertinent, time-sensitive information, many institutions have implemented…

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of undergraduate students who choose to take online courses. In light of this trend, this research aims to delve into the performance and development of online learning identities to gain a better understanding of the unique experiences of these learners. Additionally, the study…

Teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) are a valuable tool that increase teacher collaboration to enhance student learning. These adult learning environments are dynamic in that they are places where adults are able to work within a community of practice (CoP) to address work-related challenges and lend support in semi-structured…

This study investigated the impact of training in self-regulated learning on community college, geoscience students' achievement, metacognition, time management, and science motivation scales. The study also investigated the impact of SRL training on these outcomes as a function of gender and ethnicity. During the Fall of 2022, 70 community…

For this study, I initiated an inquiry group to research how to meet the needs of mainstreamed English language learning (ELL) students. I chose a practitioner action research design with a socially critical lens in order to address the injustice inherent in the district where I currently work and inform future policy. Although what we learned…

The relationship between online learning readiness and academic performance is inconclusive. There is consensus that online learning readiness has a relationship with academic performance, but the way the three major dimensions of online learning readiness in self-directed learning, technology self-efficacy, and communication-self-efficacy impact…

With the rapid increase in the amount of online learning opportunities available has come with it an increase in challenges concerning how to support effective teaching and learning in online learning spaces. Through two research studies, this dissertation explores two challenges in the field of online teaching and learning: community development…

In secondary ensembles, teachers navigate the demanding balance of developing music literacy skills while preparing for concerts. This challenge intensifies in online learning environments due to limited opportunities for instant feedback, ensemble synchronization, and fostering a sense of community. The problem was the lack of understanding of…

Prior research has shown that adult learners who are non-traditional (NT) college students come to college with different needs, desires, and goals than traditional college students. The problem is that community college educators need to better understand the needs of the changing population of the student body to equitably and effectively serve…

In Florida, civic illiteracy among middle and high school students is a pressing concern despite state initiatives to increase civic competence (Florida House of Representatives, 2019; FLDOE, 2023b; Florida Department of State, 2023). Recent scores on state civics and social studies standardized assessments reveal a disheartening fact--an average…

Professional learning continues to be one of the most widely used methods for raising student achievement and teacher development, yet school districts continue to use antiquated models that often dismiss the core features needed to be effective (Desimone, 2009). These core features include being content focused, active learning opportunities,…

This study focused on the self-directed learning strategies of dual enrollment students. The use of self-directed learning strategies has been increasing throughout industry. The focus of the study was to examine the difference between the dual enrollment and a traditional student's self-directed learning strategies. The Motivated Strategies for…