Within the broad, interdisciplinary field of adult education, affective aspects of experience and the roles they play in learning have, thus far, not been properly theorized or researched. This dissertation first explores how John Heron's whole person theory (WPT) conceptualizes feeling as an expansive affective capacity at the root of all human…

To survive in a postindustrial society, higher education institutions must be able to adapt. The nature of the environment has changed, along with the nature of the institution, so institutions must be adaptive and innovative. Increasingly, institutions must take advantage of the innovative potential of their teams. Psychological safety (PS) is a…

This dissertation offered insights into the repercussions of safetyism within societies shaped by cognitive distortions and political correctness. Safetyism, which prioritized emotional safety over intellectual liberty and a multitude of viewpoints, contributed to heightened vulnerability among individuals. Protecting individuals from provocative…

This phenomenological study examined how students at a large, urban community college experienced being an artist, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also investigated the ways these students made meaning of their arts experiences. The research design was based upon the model outlined in "Interpretative Phenomenological…

Research literature focused on Black boys along the K-6 pathway objectifies them and results in their developmental capabilities and capacities being ignored while their acts of self-definition are impeded. This is evidenced by researchers solely focusing upon external factors and/or using adult-completed surveys and datasets as sources for data.…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the influence of leaders' sense of psychological empowerment for women leaders on those leaders' administrative creativity in both established and emerging universities in Saudi Arabia. The five guiding research questions were used at both established and emerging Saudi universities: (1) what…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of a social psychological theoretical framework to the study of creativity in apparel design, with a focus on technological engagement and motivational factors. A sample of 32 apparel design students from two major southeastern universities were selected to complete a self-report…

The business world is constantly striving for new, better, more efficient products and services. As such, the call for innovation rings out loud and clear throughout every industry and every workplace environment. As a foundation for innovation, creativity is typically positioned as a valued attribute, skill or behavior for adults in the…

Music mentoring is a phenomenon that has been found to be increasingly significant with regards to counseling. It behooves counselors, educators, behavioral health coordinators, and researchers to examine this methodology more closely because of its propensity to perpetuate a child's connectivity to school and learning. This research project…

This study examines the mediating effect of the entity based creativity on the interaction between complexity theory and creativity among faculty members in higher education organizations. The purpose of study was to investigate how mechanisms for intellectual productivity and creativity foster intellectual and disciplinary interactions among…

The purpose of this study was two-fold; first, to uncover the social, psychological, and cognitive factors core to the entrepreneurial individual; and secondly, to provide accurate data to be used in curriculum development to fill the existing educational gap that exists in the current literature regarding understanding the inner workings of the…

The purpose of this heuristic case study was to develop a thick, rich description of the culturally responsive pedagogical practices of teachers and to describe what instruction looks like when students are engaged in learning that addresses their unique cultural needs. For the purposes of this study, culturally responsive pedagogy was defined as…