Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Cathern Wildey
Committee Member
Linda S. Scheirton
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
adult education, adult learners, allied health schools, classroom management, competencies, competency checklist, curriculum development, developmental research, director of education, evaluation methods, faculty development, faculty meetings, facilitators, formative committees, in-service workshops, induction, literature review, mentoring, mentoring guidelines, new hire orientation, policies and procedures, postsecondary education, practitioner training, practitioners, professional skills, program coordinators, program evaluation, proprietary schools, school policies, staff meetings, summative committees, teacher resource center, teaching adults, training facilitators, training program, violence policies
Abstract
This applied dissertation was developed to provide a training program for practitioners in postsecondary, for-profit allied health schools. The project was created to provide solutions to challenges that schools face when they hire individuals with technical work experience to teach adults. Too often, new hires are put in class without experience in teaching, an understanding of adult learners, and knowledge of the policies and procedures of the school.
The research questions that guided the developmental process were as follows:
1. What areas of concern currently exist in post-secondary, for-profit schools regarding the need for a training program for practitioners?
2. How should a training program that will train practitioners to have the competencies and professional skills necessary to teach adults and manage the classroom be designed and implemented for the organization?
3. How should such a program be evaluated?
Developmental research was used in the proposed project to create a training program for the practitioners of Central Florida Institute. The research questions comprised the guide for the development plan. Seven procedural steps that involved both formative and summative committees were taken. The procedural steps included (a) an extensive literature review; (b) development, selection, and revision of the criteria for the research project; (c) review and acceptance by both the formative and summative committees; and (d) development and implementation of the training program model.
The writer developed a comprehensive training program that is formatted in such a way as to be flexible in meeting the various aspects of training that are required for a teacher of adults. The program includes (a) new hire orientation and induction, (b) one-on-one sessions, (c) in-service workshops, (d) mentoring guidelines, and (e) techniques for training facilitators.
Recommendations included (a) training the director of education and program coordinators to facilitate the program, (b) conducting orientation of new hires 2 to 3 weeks prior to teaching, (c) conducting in-service workshops for all faculty members 3 times a year, (d) implementing a mentoring program, (e) adopting the competency checklist for practitioners, (f) adopting policies and procedures regarding violence, (g) building a teacher resource center, (h) adopting three methods of evaluation, and (i) presenting results of the evaluations during faculty and staff meetings.