ERIC Number: ED519395
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 213
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: ISBN-978-1-1241-1404-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How Learners Perceive They Construct Knowledge as Participants in Outreach Programs
Yelich Biniecki, Susan
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in educational outreach programs, encompassing a continuum of formal, non-formal, and informal learning experiences. The study context involved three world affairs outreach education programs focusing on the changing global order, the Katyn massacre, and Russia. Data were collected through 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed drawing on qualitative methods throughout a period of six months. Findings show that learners perceived the learning process as dynamic. Influencers of knowledge construction included space, past experience, future use, expectations of program, access to information, and context of world affairs. Connectors within the learning process included learners' self-identified starting points and personal reflection. Practical implications for program planners in outreach education include addressing settings involving learners with multiple self-defined needs, intentions, levels of expertise, and learning outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Expertise, Qualitative Research, Outreach Programs, Access to Information, World Affairs, Foreign Countries, Methods, Informal Education, Adult Learning, Adult Students, Multicultural Education, Data Collection, Student Needs, Outcomes of Education, Interviews, Evaluation Methods
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Russia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A