ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Engaged Community College: Supporting the Institutionalization of Engagement through Collaborative Action Inquiry
Author: Purcell, Jennifer W.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,School Community Relationship,Community Involvement,Action Research,Leadership,Decision Making,Organizational Change,Theory Practice Relationship,Interviews

The purpose of this action research study was to explore how community colleges increase their capacity for community engagement. Faculty and staff members who were identified as community engagement leaders within a public community college participated in a series of interventions to improve community engagement practices within the college. The study produced 4 significant findings for community engagement practices. First, distributed leadership to advance community engagement is derived from college employees&apos; and community partners&apos; boundary-spanning behaviors. Second, the creation and extension of communication channels among multiple stakeholder groups for community engagement parallels the advancement of an institution&apos;s community engagement agenda. Third, authentic engagement exists in various degrees throughout distinct stages of institutionalization, reflecting the unique contexts and stakeholder interests involved. Fourth, collaborative action inquiry as a method of professional and organizational development utilizes existing expertise among college employees, strengthens internal networks, and supports the institutionalization of engagement. These findings substantiate the necessary integration of theory and practice in community engagement in higher education.
The Exploration of Community Boundary Spanners in University-Community Partnerships
Author: Adams, Katherine Rose
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Community Relationship,School Community Programs,Universities,Partnerships in Education,Change Agents,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Interviews,Focus Groups

In university-community partnerships, boundary spanners can flexibly traverse historically divided lines to increase access to resources and build upon reciprocal partnerships. Previous research has examined the roles of boundary spanners but only from the perspectives of the institutional partners. The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the characteristics, roles, and motivations of community boundary spanners in university-community partnerships. A qualitative instrumental multiple case study was conducted with community partners of a university-community partnership. Findings led to a community boundary spanning adaptation of the Weerts and Sandmann (2010) institutional model. The Framework for Community Boundary Spanners in Engaged Partnerships identifies four distinct roles community boundary spanners may play. This study provides institutional partners with the tools and techniques to better locate and engage community boundary spanners through partner identification and development.
The Tie That Binds: Leadership and Liberal Arts Institutions&apos; Civic Engagement Commitment in Rural Communities
Author: Goodman, Hunter Phillips
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Liberal Arts,Case Studies,Rural Schools,Citizen Participation,Guidelines,College Administration,Community Needs,Administrator Attitudes,Networks,Quality of Life,School Community Relationship,Qualitative Research

Community boundary spanners create ties that bind the campus and its surrounding region for reciprocal relationships. Using community boundary spanning literature as a conceptual framework, this study went beyond existing research on public and 4-year comprehensive universities to examine how university leadership at rural, private liberal arts institutions can more deeply integrate civic engagement into institutional priorities and be more responsive to community needs. A qualitative multicase study was conducted to explore how leaders of rural, private liberal arts institutions and their community partners view civic engagement relative to the college&apos;s mission. The study examined university leaders&apos; and community stakeholders&apos; perceptions of civic engagement at 5 liberal arts institutions in the Bonner Scholars Program network. The conceptual framework in Weerts (2005) and Weerts and Sandmann (2010) was developed into a foundation for university leaders at liberal arts institutions to embed and develop community engagement into their institutions&apos; culture and ethos.
From Tablet to Tablet, from Mesopotamia to Galway
Author: Harrington, Kieran
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Adult Basic Education,Tutoring,Feedback (Response),Cognitive Development,Self Esteem,Reading Instruction,Writing Instruction,Social Networks,Literacy Education,Interviews

iPhones and iPads are bringing significant changes to the way in which people communicate with their families, friends, colleagues and with the outside world, and how they access information, carry out work tasks and interpret and incorporate the non-alphabetic symbols and signs that represent daily realities. Additionally, many primary and secondary schools in Ireland have now replaced traditional textbooks with iPads loaded with the same textbook material, thus putting parents at a disadvantage if they are not familiar with the technology. This paper reports on the introduction of the iPad into an adult basic education classroom in which students were provided with a tablet which they used as a literacy tool for reading and writing, as well as a method of communicating digitally, of participating in digital social networks, and of keeping up with new social models through the use of various applications.
Making Conferences Human Places of Learning
Author: Kenny, Michael
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Conferences (Gatherings),Meetings,Group Dynamics,Participation,Group Discussion,Workshops,Adult Education,Inclusion,Constructivism (Learning),Foreign Countries

Open Space Technology is a cumbersome name for a participative conference model that enables dynamic inclusive engagement and challenges traditional, highly structured hierarchical conference formats. Based on self-organising systems, (Wenger, 1998) Open Space Technology conferences have an open process, start with no agenda and empower the most equitable outcome determined by those attending. This article describes the author's participation in an Open Space Technology conference, discusses the principles underpinning Open Space Technology methodology and considers its application in adult learning engagement settings.
An Investigation of the Guidance Counselling Needs of Adults with Dyslexia in the Adult Educational Guidance Initiative (AEGI)
Author: Elftorp, Petra
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Guidance,Counseling,Adults,Adult Education,Dyslexia,Student Needs,Individual Needs,Mixed Methods Research,Social Justice,Online Surveys,Learning Disabilities,Referral,Literacy Education,Semi Structured Interviews

The experiences of adult learners with dyslexia is an under-researched area in Ireland at present. This article will discuss the findings from phase one of a mixed methods research study, which is investigating the guidance counselling needs of clients with dyslexia within the Adult Education Guidance Initiative (AEGI). The research is underpinned by a social justice paradigm and a pragmatic methodology. So far, an online survey has provided insights from AEGI guidance practitioners on the complexities of provision to clients with this &quot;hidden&quot; disability. The &quot;lived realities&quot; of adult learners with dyslexia is currently being explored in phase two of the study.
A Tale of Two Countries
Author: Back, Susan Malone
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Social Services,Health Services,Participatory Research,Role,Models,Action Research,Program Implementation,Community Planning,Cooperation,Workshops,Decision Making

A model is presented for coordinated community planning to address multiple service needs in two countries. Two communities, one in western Texas and one in the United Kingdom, found that despite the considerable efforts of multiple organizations, the local social, educational, and health services remained uncoordinated. Furthermore, there was no unified data collection to enable determination of which efforts or which combination of efforts was successful. In each community concerned individuals concluded that residents would have to take an active role in identifying needs and solutions in order for the community to revitalize itself. Both communities made use of a theoretical model based on community action/participatory research to develop a new structure to implement coordinated programs. The article includes planning templates that provide a structure for communities to develop their own coordinated response to local needs.
Social Dynamics in Adult and Community Education Networks: Insights from a Case Study
Author: Dollhausen, Karin
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Education,Social Networks,Case Studies,Network Analysis,Foreign Countries,Social Capital,Adjustment (to Environment),Access to Information,Participant Observation

Implementing network type structures has become a widely appreciated strategy to promote actor-relationships in the field of adult and community education and to coordinate them purposefully. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on how a &quot;successful&quot; coordination of actor-relationships can actually be achieved. This paper offers some clues to answering the question by outlining basic characteristics of social networks with reference to a recent case study from Germany.
The Social Value of Community-Based Adult Education in Limerick City
Author: Neville, Patricia
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Adult Education,Community Education,Qualitative Research,Educational Policy,Educational Benefits,Interviews,Focus Groups,Family Influence,Family Life,Community Benefits

This article documents the findings of a qualitative study into the social value of community-based adult education in Limerick City. The article demonstrates that participants experience significant improvements in numerous facets of their lives and we argue that it is crucial that we recognise the multiple and inter-connected social impacts that community-based adult education offers to its participants, as well as to the community in which this service is provided.
Finding a Voice: The Experience of Mature Students in a College of Further Education
Author: Hardiman, Fergal
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Adult Education,Outcomes of Education,Student Educational Objectives,Self Concept,Decision Making,Social Influences,Student Surveys,Focus Groups,Attitude Change,Neoliberalism

This article summarises the background to the development of further education and goes on to describe research carried out with a group of older mature students in a further education college in Ireland. The first research element was a survey and focus group, followed by interviews, which explored with the students their reasons for returning to education, their experience while in further education and what they consider to be the benefits of participation. Three significant concepts emerged from the analysis. The first concept, the latent self, describes a range of social, structural and biographical influences and how they interact and impact on the decision to return to education. The second concept, the emerging self, describes the negotiation of challenges faced by the students in the process of change. The third concept, the revised self, describes the changed self emphatically described by the students as resulting from their participation and characterised by greatly enhanced confidence and agency, which benefits the students, their families and society. Finally, I offer some reflections on the implications of the research for the development of the revised further education and training sector under the new Education and Training Boards and its relationship with other sectors of education in Ireland.
Lifelong Learning Policies, Paradoxes and Possibilities
Author: Tett, Lyn
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Lifelong Learning,Educational Policy,Economics,Employment Potential,Access to Education,Justice,Social Integration,Discourse Analysis,Criticism,Knowledge Economy,Failure,Adult Learning

This paper argues that there are many ways of conceptualising lifelong learning and examines EU and Scottish lifelong learning policies in order to identify their underlying assumptions. Through an analysis of these policies, it is demonstrated that they draw on a number of inter-related fallacies that prioritise lifelong learning mainly in relation to its economic value. Three fallacies are identified: economic success equals eradication of deprivation and exclusion; failure is the fault of the individual; access to education is fair. These fallacies are then deconstructed in order to suggest ways of interrogating their contradictions so that opportunities for more radical educational action can be found.
Educating Pre-Service School Librarians for the Instructional Partner Role: An Exploration into University Curricula
Author: Moreillon, Judi
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Librarians,Library Education,Partnerships in Education,Librarian Teacher Cooperation,Mixed Methods Research,Case Studies,Questionnaires,Assignments,Textbooks,Reading Materials,Role,Educational Methods,Masters Programs,Program Effectiveness,Surveys,Comparative Analysis,Accreditation (Institutions)

In &quot;Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs&quot; (2009), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) identified the instructional partner role of school librarians as the most critical role for the future of the profession. To determine the extent to which school librarian preparation programs prepare pre-service school librarians for this role, this mixed-methods case study examined program ranking responses and questionnaires from nine universities and colleges that prepare these candidates for practice. Instructors who teach courses in school librarianship submitted a program of study document on which they rated the percentage of readings/viewings and assignments that focus on the instructional partner role in courses offered exclusively for pre-service school librarian candidates. Participants were invited to complete follow-up questionnaires that asked for details regarding readings, textbooks, and assignments. The findings of this case study demonstrate a tendency for school librarian preparation programs to assign different priorities to the five roles identified by AASL; developing the instructional partner role was not ranked first for most of the programs under study. These programs also integrate into their courses various textbooks, book chapters, articles, and other resources focused on instructional partnerships. The results of this case study suggest that the academy does not teach with a unified voice when it comes to helping preservice school librarians prepare to practice the instructional partner role.
U.S. Students, Poverty, and School Libraries: What Results of the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment Tell Us
Author: Adkins, Denice
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Libraries,Poverty,Family Income,Standardized Tests,Scores,Statistical Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Users (Information),Equal Education,Library Services

This paper looks at results from the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment to examine the effects of school libraries on students' test performance, with specific focus on the average of students' family wealth in a school. The paper documents students' school library use and students' home possessions to indicate how school libraries support students and which students need that support the most. ANOVA results indicate that poor students (those whose family wealth was in the lowest third) make more use of the school library than their wealthier peers and that poor students' families are less likely to have information and cultural resources than wealthier students' families. Hierarchical regression indicates that school libraries and, more specifically, school library adequacy, as defined by the principal's perception of adequate staffing and materials, account for a small but significant portion of students' test performance variance. Finally, quantile regression indicates that the benefit of school libraries is not spread evenly, and some students gain more benefit than others. A direct implication of this research is that school libraries have the capacity to better serve poor students but will need the support of policy- and decision-makers before such a change happens.
Speaking out or Keeping Silent: International Students&apos; Identity as Legitimate Speakers and Teachers of English
Author: Xuan, Pham Thi Thanh
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teacher Education,Language Teachers,Professional Identity,Theories,Asians,Graduate Students,Masters Programs,Self Concept,Critical Theory,Teaching Methods,Units of Study,Cultural Differences,Imagination,Bilingualism,Multilingualism,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Semi Structured Interviews,Reflection

Few studies have focused on the identity formation of non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) as legitimate speakers and teachers of English. Drawing on Norton's (2000) poststructuralist theory of identity as a process of struggling and changing, this study examined whether and how Asian international students studying for a Masters in Education at an Australian University transformed their identity as legitimate speakers and teachers of English through studying a critical pedagogical unit &quot;Language, Society and Cultural Difference.&quot; The findings revealed that the students' transformation of identity depended on symbolic resources from the unit and their imagination of new instructional teaching practices to use in their home countries. Participants' self-perception based on knowledge gained from the unit was, however, sometimes contradictory or ambivalent compared to the ways they saw themselves as speakers and teachers of English in each particular context in practice. I argue that teacher education should offer alternative discourses such as &quot;an awareness of the right to speak&quot; (Norton Pierce, 1995, p. 18), the &quot;native speaker fallacy&quot; (Phillipson, 1992), or bilingual and multilingual speaker (Cook, 1999) to enable student teachers to imagine alternative identities. This helps them not only to develop instructional teaching practices but also to legitimise themselves as speakers and teachers of English.
To Master the World You Must Know English
Author: Sharma, Byanjana
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Parents,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Elementary School Students,Bilingualism,Educational Attainment,Academic Aspiration,Questionnaires,Interviews,Language Role,Literacy,Second Language Instruction,Qualitative Research,Case Studies

Immigration is an example of global mobility to developed nations such as Australia. Each year thousands of migrants from different parts of the world move here. Using a sociocultural framework, this article reports on English as a Second Language (ESL) parents' views on the role and importance of English in the learning and lives of their children. It also reports on their understandings of how English should be taught. The article draws on data from a doctoral research study, which explores parents' and teachers' perspectives on the literacy learning of ESL children at primary school in Victoria. The parent participants were well-educated and bilingual from five different language backgrounds. They had high academic aspirations for their children. Qualitative data include a questionnaire and individual interviews with newly-arrived parents of children at a government school in suburban Melbourne. The findings show that parents see English as essential for their children to know the world and to fit into global society. These parents encourage their children to learn English and to learn through English. Parents need, however, to make considerable adjustments in their understanding of how literacy in English is included in the school curriculum.
Reading for Pleasure: More than Just a Distant Possibility?
Author: Barber, Karen Slikas
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Recreational Reading,Migrants,Adult Students,Reading Fluency,English Language Learners,Reading,Certification,Reading Programs,Program Effectiveness,Reading Materials,Reading Material Selection,Action Research

Much has been written about the importance of extensive reading for the development of language fluency, yet it is not often an activity of choice by students as a means of improving language learning. Many of my multi-level (elementary-intermediate) Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Certificates in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) students reported that they did not have a reading for pleasure habit in either their first language or in English as an additional language. Reviewing the small collection of language learner literature available in the local library, and in our community AMEP resource room, and reflecting on the highly scaffolded reading activities being done in my classroom, the latter should have come as no surprise. To address these shortcomings, extensive reading became an integral part of our classroom learning in the final ten-week term of 2012, a holiday reading program was offered and &quot;my&quot; extensive reading approach was further developed in term one of 2013 to encourage a reading for pleasure habit. Classroom-based action research conducted on these initiatives, using systematic teacher observation, naturalistic data collection methods and computer-generated activity reports revealed that, given explicit instruction on extensive reading, on how to choose books at the right level for easy reading, and access to a wide selection of books, students improve their reading proficiency and enjoy extensive reading as a classroom activity while some continue to enjoy reading when there is no classroom imperative to do so.