To develop a new understanding of how self-directed professional learning (SDPL) contributes to the professional growth of school librarians, a case study design using humanistic learning theory (Maslow, 1954; C. Rogers, 1983) and based on theoretical assumptions about adult learners (Knowles, 1968, 1975, 1980), the intentional self-directed…

COVID-19 disrupted schools across the country. Students and teachers were asked to work together virtually. During this virtual experience the students at Frederick County Middle School struggled to complete learning activities independently. An improvement science approach was used to investigate this problem. Through the improvement science…

This study investigated the understanding of the effects of online self-directed learning readiness (OSDLR) on academic achievement and course satisfaction for online learning statistics through the mediating variables of self-efficacy to learn statistics (SELS) and 2x2 achievement goal orientation. The current study sought to create awareness and…

Research has shown that only some teachers use learner-centered approaches in their instruction. However, it is unclear why and how those teachers use such approaches in their instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine one program--feedback, feed up, and feed forward--to understand why and how teachers choose to use this…

The goal of this dissertation was to explore how self-directed learners assess their learning in informal contexts. Self-directed learners experience high intrinsic motivation and learner control, so studying these learners' experiences provides valuable insights into learning. I pose four questions: 1) How do self-directed learners in informal…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of self-regulated learning interventions on acting skills and self-regulated learning. Research questions sought to investigate the impact of self-regulated learning interventions on students' acting and self-regulated learning skills and determine the perceptions of students regarding the…

Organizational leaders know that training improves worker performance, but training is often initiated without considering employees' work task requirements. This instrumental case study was conducted to understand the perceptions of employees who completed a skills training program and those of supervisors. The conceptual framework was andragogy,…

This study explored the self-directed learning lived experiences of African American women wounded warriors in their successful journeys through the Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program. Garrison's (1997) self-directed learning served as the conceptual model to study the learning dimensions. Collins' (2009)…

The focus of this study was to develop greater understanding about the unique experiences of active-duty military soldiers who are taking online courses. The qualitative phenomenological study was comprised of online active military (OAM) students taking undergraduate college level courses offered by the Distance Learning Military Programs at a…

This dissertation presents multiple studies with the purpose of understanding the connections between undergraduate engineering students' motivations, specifically students' Future Time Perspectives (FTPs) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). FTP refers to the views students hold about the future and how their perceptions of current tasks are…

The number of courses offered online and the level of students enrolled in online courses has dramatically increased over the last several years. The National Education Center for Education Statistics reports that during the 2006-2007 school term, 97% of public two-year institutions across the nation offered college-level distance learning…

The overall purpose of the study was to examine adult students' perception of the congruence of hybrid courses with adult learning needs and to examine adult students' level of satisfaction with hybrid courses. The study collected data through pre and post surveys, administered at the beginning and near the end of the hybrid courses, of adult…