Psy. D., Antioch University, 2015, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Attachment patterns, which tend to be stable over time, are passed from one generation to the next. Secure attachment has been linked to adaptive social functioning and has been identified as a protective factor against mental illness. The parents' state of mind with regard to attachment—as measured with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (Main, Goldwyn, & Hesse, 2002)—predicts the attachment classification for the infant in Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Earned-secure individuals have overcome negative childhood experiences to achieve a secure state of mind in adulthood. Earned security, like continuous security, strongly predicts infant security in the next generation. Preoccupied anger is one of the main constructs measured in the AAI that may lead to classification of an insecure, preoccupied state of mind. The current study was an analysis of the narratives of eight individuals whose AAIs indicated mild to high scores for preoccupied anger. All of these individuals have spent considerable energy and resources in grappling with negative childhood experiences. Participants were interviewed regarding how their feelings changed over time and what, if any, events contributed to how their feelings changed. For most participants, the emergence of sustained subjective anger was reported in late adolescence, or even adulthood. Those whose transcripts were judged earned-secure at the time of the study were associated with narratives that indicated progressive gains in Hoffman's (2008) stages of empathy and Perry's (1968) scheme for intellectual and ethical development. Reappraisal was identified as a key emotional regulation strategy that contributed to security. Supports for executive function also featured as important factors in the attainment of therapeutic goals. Attachment researchers may be especially interested that Hoffman's stages emerged as a possible link between metacognitive processes for earned- and con (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2013, College of Education

This dissertation is a study of the leadership development process of community mental health center (CMHC) executive directors in Ohio. CMHCs are tasked with providing services to individuals struggling with complex mental and emotional diagnoses. In Ohio these centers are nonprofit organizations that offer a multifaceted array of services paid for by a variety of third party funding sources. Many executive directors of Ohio CMHCs begin their careers as clinicians and must acquire the skills necessary to effectively lead their organization. In this study six Ohio CMHC executive directors who began their careers as clinicians were interviewed to discover the clinician-to-director developmental process. The data revealed two primary themes each with subthemes that describe the phenomenon experienced by the directors.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This research examined, through a qualitative grounded theory approach, perceptions of classified, non-instructional staff, and leaders in business and operations on a best practices professional development framework for operational staff. The study also examined the responsibility of leaders to provide professional development opportunities to their staff and touched on how it affects the workplace culture. In the past, studies have examined the benefits of continuous job-embedded training and professional development opportunities for teachers, the administrators' responsibility to provide such opportunities, and the effect professional development has on school culture; but there is limited research about providing consistent professional development opportunities for classified and non-instructional staff. Classified and non-instructional staff in business and operations have both a direct and indirect impact on student learning and achievement. Providing continuous professional development opportunities to this population, to mirror that of teachers, may help increase the knowledge and skill capacity in a school district. This study was conducted using a survey for classified and non-instructional staff, a semi-structured focus group interview of leaders in business and operations, and document reviews from the same leaders. Results from this research supported the existing literature summarized in Chapter Two about professional development for teachers and the theoretical framework that guided the study. The researcher highly recommends that K-12 districts adopt this best practices framework for the continuous development of non-teaching staff.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Leadership and Change

This study focuses on better understanding students and their internal worlds through conceptual metaphor theory and sensory language. Using a phenomenological and arts-based approach, I examined students' metaphorical constructions of their college experiences and the sensory language and information informing those constructions. By engaging participants in a multimodal process to re-see their experience through connoisseurship and criticism, I explored the following research questions: How do students metaphorically structure their college experience? What sensory language do college students use to describe the metaphorical dimensions of their college experience? How does sensory information shape the metaphorical structuring of their college experience? Through conversations centered on participant-generated images and chosen sensory language, I identified five complex metaphors that represented participants' constructions of their college experience: college is an unwieldy package; college is up, forward, and out; college is current and future nostalgia; college is a prism; and college is a movie and peers are the soundtrack. By considering these themes, it may be possible for educators to better partner with diverse learners to design personally meaningful experiences that support student development and success. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Leadership and Change

Christian churches in the United States are notoriously resistant to change, whether in regard to leadership, worship style, church governance, positions on social issues, or myriad other aspects of congregational life. Yet the ability to navigate change successfully is vitally important to churches' continued survival and renewed relevance. A particular body of literature, consisting of both scholarly and practitioner-oriented works, has attempted to address the necessity and the challenges of change in a church context. However, the literature is largely silent when it comes to the perspectives of those who are most impacted by congregational change: namely, the congregants themselves. Therefore, this study sought to address both a problem in practice and a gap in the literature by exploring congregants' experiences of change in their churches. The study utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), a qualitative methodology dedicated to exploring, in detail, significant lived experiences. Data were collected using semistructured, in-person, one-on-one interviews with eleven participants who had recently experienced change in their churches. These congregants represented six Protestant denominations, three geographic regions of the United States, and churches that had faced a wide variety of changes. Data were analyzed, first individually and then collectively, to identify the themes that emerged from the participants' experiences. The five major themes characterizing the majority of the participants' experiences were the centrality of faith, the presence of conflict or discord, a predominance of negative emotions, an aspect of learning, and a sense of resolution. These findings were then interpreted through the lenses of Christian theology and adult development theory—specifically, the constructive developmental theory of Robert Kegan and the faith development theory of James Fowler. By providing a much needed “perspective from the pew,” this study contr (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, University of Akron, 2018, Educational Leadership

Veterans are enrolling in higher education in increasing numbers. Many institutions are positioning themselves to receive these students by providing support services and personnel. Despite these efforts, the success rates of this student population have been called into question, and they report poor goodness of fit within the classroom. Professional development initiatives which specifically explore the needs of student veterans within the classroom environment have been limited, or not readily accessible to faculty. This study took place at a community college in the Midwest United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to invite feedback from both student veterans and faculty who are veterans by asking them to provide context for, and direct input into, a proposed faculty professional development product. An interpretivist epistemology was used so as to capture the social reality of these stakeholders. This feedback served to validate and enhance critical content for three online training modules entitled The VET RESPECT CHECK. Each word within The VET RESPECT CHECK is an acronym for the content of three topic areas: first module: the veteran as student; second module: the classroom environment; and third module: resources. The development of these three modules was guided by Lawler and King's Adult Learning Model for Faculty Development, as well as Allen's CCAF best practice model for online learning. Both groups independently voted and agreed that content regarding the physical, emotional, and behavioral environment was the most important information for faculty to understand. Despite the fact that the topic of suicide was not directly brought forth within the program outline, both groups expressed clear concerns for the safety of veteran students. Furthermore, these groups believe that there is a need for faculty to be sensitive to the issue of veteran suicide and understand their role in facilitating access to resources.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

This dissertation explored the impact of training in organizational cultures and the influence on job satisfaction in South Korea's manufacturing industry. To address the relationship between and among training, organizational culture and job satisfaction, principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis were applied using the 2013 Korean Human Capital Corporate Dataset. In spite of the significant relationship between job satisfaction and organizational culture, previous research has not fully focused on these relations outside Western countries (Dirani & Kuchinke, 2011). Especially, data on how to promote the organizational culture of the South Korean manufacturing industry is still empirically insufficient. The results of this analysis showed significant relationships between training and job satisfaction, and between organizational culture and job satisfaction, and among training, organizational culture and job satisfaction. Also, this dissertation showed position is statistically significant in all regressions but gender is not statistically significant with current salary. In addition, job satisfaction with work itself is not correlated to gender after inserting the interaction term of gender and position. This study indicates no clear distinction between Adhocracy Culture and Market Culture in South Korea's manufacturing industry. Furthermore, it is found that the influence of “Official rules and regulations are stressed” which belongs to Hierarchical Culture value is strong, potentially due to the national culture of South Korea. The relationship between job satisfaction and organizational culture is statistically significant between job satisfaction and all types of organizational cultures. In addition, higher Adhocracy and Market orientation result in higher job satisfaction. Therefore, HRD practitioners need to consider encouraging flexible and creative organizational cultures in the manufacturing sector. Future research might consider ex (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2015, Leadership and Change

Given that organizational complexity continues to increase, leaders are looking for credible information, and a process that helps them become a better leader. Emerging leaders are faced with trying to be the best leader they can be while leading teams of people who think and act differently from them. To assist emerging leaders with their leadership, this study explores the literature and looks to highly respected and admired leaders for how they became the leader they are today. The purpose of this study was fourfold: first, to identify and describe first and second tier integral theory leaders from a sample of leader respondents from a U.S. Midwestern city; second, to describe how first and second tier integral theory leaders define leadership; third, to determine what second tier integral leaders see as leading to their becoming the leader they are today; and fourth, to identify the integral leader's perspectives and advice that can be shared with emerging leaders. This study focused on the convergent space of three theories. The first theory is the field of adult development theory with transformational leadership, the constructive-developmental theories, and meaning making; the second is the field of integral theory with Wilber's all quadrants, all levels (AQAL) theory, and first and second tier consciousness; and the last is the hero's journey as described by Joseph Campbell, and the quest for truth. The (AQAL) framework was used in a mixed methods perspective to explore how people assessed as integral leaders defined leadership, developed into integral leaders, and how they can contribute to the growth of emerging leaders. This study was dual-phased: Phase 1 was a quantitative and qualitative survey completed by 624 leaders, and Phase 2 was a telephone interview with eight integral leaders. From the thematic analysis of all the data, four themes emerged: looking inward, looking outward, being a good leader and paying it forward by mentoring others. Implicati (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Agricultural and Extension Education

Camp programs have offered developmental opportunities for youth for over 150 years. Outcome research about teen 4-H camp counselors has recognized that they develop leadership, responsibility, and other life skills. Camp counselors take on many roles and adult leaders entrust these teens with many responsibilities. The Ohio 4-H Camp Counselor Work-Based Learning (CCWBL) project recently identified that teens are becoming more responsible through their role as a camp counselor. However, the process by which they developed responsibility remained unclear. Camps involve a considerable degree of risk, and therefore a high quality camping program depends on having responsible young people caring for not just themselves, but for campers. Thus, the process by which teens become responsible is important to adults who work with teens within the context of youth organizations. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding about the process of responsibility development that results from participation in the 4-H camp counseling program. The objectives were to (a) determine what contributes to teens becoming more responsible through their role as 4-H camp counselors, and (b) understand the role of adults in the development of responsibility in 4-H camp counselors. Five data sets were collected reflecting three different perspectives. A questionnaire provided both qualitative and quantitative data from 247 teens. Observations were conducted at training meetings and during two days of the camp session of one Ohio 4-H county camp. Twenty-two teens from this county were interviewed after the camp session to gain further insight. Finally, 14 4-H professionals completed an e-mailed questionnaire. The findings documented that teens clearly know what it means to be responsible and they recognize positive and negative consequences that may result through performing their role. Teens described a very complex and multifaceted role involving many challenging tasks that ar (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Human Development and Family Science

Although increased involvement of family members with their adolescents on college campuses is frequently noted, little is known about this apparently changing pattern of interaction observed in today's families. Concerns have been voiced about whether these patterns interfere with the developmental tasks faced by the college students. This study was designed to investigate the expectations family members have for involvement with their first year college students to provide insight into current trends observed in families and to better understand the departure for college from the family's point of view. In addition, the study investigated whether Parental Separation Anxiety was predictive of family members' expectations. The research questions asked were: 1) What are family members' expectations for involvement with their first year college students, 2) Do family members' expectations for involvement change between high school and college and is parental separation anxiety related to this change, and 3) Does gender of family member and gender of student make a difference? An instrument was developed to assess family members' involvement in high school and expectations for involvement in college. Parental separation anxiety was measured using The Parents of Adolescents Separation Anxiety Scale (PASAS; Hock, Eberly, Bartle-Haring, Ellwanger, & Wideman, 2001) which provides two subscales, Anxiety about Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR). Hierarchical regressions were used to predict family members' expectations for frequency of meaningful conversations in college and influence over their college students. The study found that mothers and fathers expect to have more frequent meaningful conversations with their students in college than in high school. Mothers and fathers expect to have less influence over their students in college than in high school. The findings suggest that although the interaction patterns between today's first year college s (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, (Education)

This historiography study investigates the Somali Literacy Campaign of 1975, which was implemented to improve the socioeconomic development of the country through literacy. The Somali language did not have orthography until 1972 and the media of administration and education instruction was English, Italian, and Arabic. Moreover, the illiteracy rate was 90% and the use of foreign languages in the country denied the majority of the population access to education, health, employment, and many other vital services. In 1969, the government took the initiative of devising a Somali language orthography. Subsequently, the government organized a mass literacy campaign to disseminate the reading and writing of the Somali language throughout the country, and this was followed by the Somalization of administration and education. This process was completed between 1973 and 1975. The study uses oral historiography and/or narratology approaches to examine the objectives and the outcomes of the campaign. Because the history of the rural literacy campaign was lost in the first part of the 1990-1993 Somali civil war, it was important to recover through oral history that which was lost. The implementers of the campaign were constituted largely of secondary school students, which I have termed “student-teachers,” and their teachers who were together in the field to teach the rural people how to read and write in the new Somali orthography. It is through the experiences of these participants, and especially of student-teachers, that the study attempts to understand the campaign program and its impact on the communities involved. For this reason, through purposive and snowball sampling the study selected thirteen participants for interviews, including student-teachers, teachers, literacy-students, and civil servants. All these participants are members of the Somali community Diaspora in Canada and the United States. The study selected Columbus, Ohio, and Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Wi (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2008, Organizational Behavior

This study explores the relationship between self-integration, self-complexity, and integrative learning. Drawing from constructivist adult ego development theorists (Kegan, 1994; Loevinger, 1976; 1988; Lahey et al. 1988; Perry, 1999; Piaget, 1962; Rogers, 1951) the definition of self-integration emphasizes a person's transformation in epistemology and meaning making, underlying both psycho-social and cognitive maturation. Building on post-conventional constructivist adult ego development theory (Cook-Greuter, 1999; Johnson, 2000; Kegan, 1994; Lahey, 1986) this is one of the first empirical explorations of self-integration, operationally defined as two variables, capturing a conventional and a post-conventional component. Important work in this area has been theoretical. Self-integration is operationalized as (1) self-ideal congruence, as measured by Higgins (1985; 1987 ;) and as defined in intentional change theory (Boyatzis and Akrivou, 2006), and (2) self-integrating process, as captured by a newly developed direct response measure based on post-conventional constructivist theory. Self-complexity is operationally defined as the numbers of self-aspects that a person utilizes to represent his/her self internally (Linville, 1987). Integrative learning is measured as adaptive flexibility, the ability for systematic variability in a person's response to different environmental needs (Kolb, 1984). Based on quantitative research methods, overall findings from data collected from 198 adults in management and professional roles confirmed the hypotheses that self complexity is positively related to both measures of integration (self-ideal congruence and self-integrating process), and integrative learning is positively related to the second measure of integration. Age, a control, is positively related to the second measure of integration. Findings support operationalization of self-integration as two distinct variables, being – to my knowledge – the first empirical testing (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2009, Leadership and Change

In a time of increasing complexity, many organizations invest in leadership development programs to prepare those who will assume the role of leader. Although many studies have evaluated programs' impact, the questions remain: does development happen in leadership development program? If so, what kind of development? And what is the participant's experience of personal or organizational impact? The purpose of this sequential mixed methodology study is to address these three questions utilizing an online follow-through platform as a lens on 248 participants in the Center for Creative Leadership's Leadership Development Program (LDP) who reported completing their LDP goals. Those who completed their development goals in the twelve weeks following the LDP face-to-face classroom phase were asked "What was the personal or organizational impact of completing this goal?" From thematic analysis of the participant's experience of impact, a taxonomy of 82 content codes emerged; these were then clustered into eight domains of increasing interpersonal space. The codes and domains were utilized to generate frequency counts, revealing first-person accounts of impact that extended beyond the individual into interpersonal, team, and organizational domains; the reports of impact included both interior (subjective worldview and shared culture) and exterior (observable behavior, performance, structure, systems, and processes) realms highlighting the impact on individuals and collectives. Codes surfaced evidence of both horizontal and vertical development, with seven emergent hypotheses being investigated for their role in predicting inclusion in the vertical development codes.This research integrates the literature in various domains to discuss findings: leader development, leadership development, leadership development program design, postclassroom development, adult development, horizontal development, vertical development, integral theory, hierarchical complexity, and online follow (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2013, Educational Leadership

Colleges and universities have a unique opportunity to develop leaders capable of addressing the challenges of tomorrow. Critical components of such leadership include understanding oneself, being able to navigate challenges, work across difference, and understand and adopt multiple perspectives. The ability of higher education to support the development of leaders who can address challenges can have a major effect on the future of our country and our world. This longitudinal study explored connections between college student leadership and the developmental capacities necessary to engage in effective leadership. The study used the Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM) (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996) and Self-Authorship Theory (Baxter Magolda, 2001) as frameworks to explore connections between leadership and developmental capacities. I used data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education collected between 2006 and 2009 in this dissertation study. I analyzed four years of transcripts for 22 students who had high quantitative gains on the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale over a four-year period. The sample was diverse with just under half of the students identifying as students of color. I conducted the data analysis for each of the participants by: 1) coding for SCM leadership values; 2) analyzing development toward self authorship across four years; 3) and coding for patterns in development and SCM leadership value shifts across four-years. The results of this study demonstrated two major findings furthering our understanding of leadership using the SCM. The first finding highlighted the various stages students go through as they move toward effectively demonstrating SCM leadership. The second major finding was that development was connected to all of the SCM leadership values and increasing student developmental capacities is a necessary component of leadership development. This study produced major implications for (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2013, College of Education and Human Services

Adult literacy educators enter into teaching positions where they are entrusted with the education of adult learners, often without any prior preparation, and with very little guidance on how to actually teach the learners in their classes. Many “happen upon” jobs teaching adult literacy education, without previously having education as a career goal. Typically, the formal educational training of adult literacy educators is not in adult literacy, nor in the content areas that these instructors are expected to teach. Internationally, there is concern about the quality of educators in adult literacy due to their lack of formal education in adult literacy content areas (reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies) and their lack of teacher qualifications (Lucas, et al, 2005). This study examined the current state of teacher preparation and professional development from the perspective of thirty-seven current teachers, twenty-four from within the federally and state-funded adult literacy education system in Ohio. The study also examined how well current hiring and professional development requirements prepare them for instructional practice and instructional decision-making with adult learners from various cultural and educational backgrounds. The study suggests a model of professional development that can potentially provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to feel prepared to deliver instruction to adult literacy students.

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

This qualitative study explored the impact of various professional development models in the Science of Reading on teachers' beliefs within a rural school district in southwestern Ohio, conducted amidst the state's implementation of the Dyslexia Law. The research aimed to address gaps in understanding how different approaches, such as LETRS and Orton-Gillingham, influence teachers' instructional beliefs. Data was collected through structured questionnaires completed by 18 educators and in-depth interviews with a subset of 5 participants, providing a comprehensive view of the factors that shape belief changes. The study identified key themes, including the transformative power of long-term, expert-led professional development, the critical role of ongoing coaching and support, and the effectiveness of collaborative and hands-on learning experiences. Findings revealed that professional development with a strong structure, expert facilitation, and opportunities for peer collaboration had the most significant impact on shifting teachers' beliefs toward evidence-based practices aligned with Science of Reading principles. Veteran teachers, in particular, experienced more profound shifts, likely due to the challenge presented to their established instructional beliefs. The research has direct implications for the district's future professional development planning, suggesting that sustained and comprehensive models are most effective in fostering lasting belief changes. By aligning professional development offerings with the principles of the Science of Reading, districts can more effectively address gaps in teachers' initial preparation and reinforce evidence-based practices. These insights not only inform local decision-making but also contribute to broader discussions on best practices in professional development, providing a potential framework for other districts seeking to elevate literacy instruction through targeted professional learning initiatives.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

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 learning modules, professional conference/self-guided PD, and cohort/professional learning communities (PLC). The PD models are analyzed through the theoretical framework of andragogy, or the adult learning theory. There are six principles of andragogy, and these ideas were central to the questions in both a Google Form survey and semi-structured interview questions. There were 76 survey participants that fit the criteria of an Ohio teacher that had been through the licensure renewal process at least once and had engaged in all three models of PD being studied. Six of these participants were chosen to be interviewed via Zoom to gather more in-depth explanations as to why they answered the survey questions the way they did. The research determined that the more aligned to the principles of andragogy the PD structure is, the more positively it is received by the teachers. Conferences/self-guided PD were viewed most positively, followed by cohort/PLCs, and finally online modules; the first encompassed all six of the tenets of andragogy, cohort/PLCs included five out of six, and online modules comprised only one of the principles. This research has implications for those that plan and execute PD, especially at the district level. To elicit positive attitudes toward professional development, the model employed should prioritize the principles of andragogy.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Excellent patient care is the central tenet of most medical centers in the United States. Achievement of high-quality care correlates with the skill level of the professionals employed by the organization: excellent patient care is a product of highly skilled employees. Supporting staff with professional development programs enhances their skill sets to make quality patient care possible. Cardinal University Medical Center (CUMC), Department of Psychiatry engages in a robust training program for medical doctors but does not have a formal professional growth program for master's level psychotherapists. Through critical participatory action research, this study sought to identify tools and practices that would enhance the professional progression of psychotherapists. Specifically, the focus was on school-based psychotherapists in the division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. During this research study, eleven of twenty psychotherapists participated in an initial survey, the data from which informed the development of questions for focus group interviews. Sixteen of twenty school-based psychotherapists participated in four semi-structured focus groups. Utilizing transformative learning and funds of knowledge frameworks, the researcher coded the qualitative data to identify super themes. School-based psychotherapists identified the nature and modality of trainings, connectedness and discourse, and high-quality clinical supervision as the overarching critical components to their professional development. The three resultant themes are foundational for an action plan focused on creating learning communities as the preferred learning method to best support professional progression. In addition to limited formalized learning opportunities, CUMC school-based psychotherapists experience isolation and a lack of connection to their team members. The action plan developed in this study furnishes a method of learning that can potentially deepen team relations and kno (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The Education Center serves many adult learners that have the goal of receiving their high school equivalency. Adult learners face many barriers when pursuing this goal. The research in adult education focuses on the barriers that learners face and what drives them to succeed. There is limited research on what learners' perception of knowledge is. This study was conducted utilizing five case studies to explore learners' lived experiences and how those experiences affected their perceptions of knowledge. Findings showed that the barriers and motivations that they experienced affected how they perceived what success was and that the organization and its instructors need to take into consideration all individual learners experiences, barriers, and motivations to create individualized learning plans. An action plan was created to guide the organization towards creating an equitable learning environment and to improve success rates for all learners.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Instructional Technology (Education)

It is not uncommon for teachers to feel neglected when leaving a traditional one-and- done professional development workshop. Too often teachers are left to fend for themselves as they begin to implement new strategies into their teaching. Teachers need and deserve continued support as they attempt to carry out the lessons learned in these workshops. This requires more time from the teachers, a resource that is in short supply. To address this issue, this research study sought to design a technology-themed professional development design guide that focused on sustained support, efficiency, and teacher needs when delivered through social media. The design capitalized on a teacher's cognitive surplus (Shirky, 2010), which is the free time typically used to scroll, swipe, and click through social media feeds. Through a process of diffusion, new teaching strategies that focused on the innovative use of technology were introduced to K-12 teachers in a rural district in Southeast Ohio. The diffusion and subsequent adoption of this innovation were achieved through a design that focused on the relative advantage of the new teaching strategy, its compatibility, and its complexity as perceived by the participating teachers. Communication channels and social systems were intentionally utilized in social media in a way that would increase the likelihood of adoption (Rogers, 1998). These strategies perpetuated the ideals of participatory culture, where users make a social connection, mentor each other through shared experiences online, and are valued for their contributions to the social media feed. Two separate iterations of this design-based research study featured a traditional workshop experience followed by the delivery of continued support through a Facebook group focused on learning how to integrate innovative technology teaching practices. Data collected via design critiques, observations, the Facebook stream, and my design journals informed the design of a Worksho (open full item for complete abstract)