How Ohio Adult Literacy Instructors View Themselves as Adult Learners Within Professional

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Rosary-joyce Melonie Kennedy
Cleveland State University
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Kennedy, Rosary-joyce Melonie, "How Ohio Adult Literacy Instructors View Themselves as Adult Learners
Within Professional Development: Learning Style and Motivation Assessment in the Negotiation for
Activity Selection" (2014). ETD Archive. 157.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/etdarchive/157
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted
for inclusion in ETD Archive by an authorized administrator of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information,
please contact [email protected].
HOW OHIO ADULT LITERACY INSTRUCTORS VIEW THEMSELVES
AS ADULT LEARNERS WITHIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
LEARNING STYLE AND MOTIVATION ASSESSMENT IN THE
NEGOTIATION FOR ACTIVITY SELECTION

ROSARY-JOYCE MELONIE KENNEDY

Bachelor of Arts in Speech Language & Hearing Pathology
Cleveland State University
June 1998

Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Cleveland State University
May 2004

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

Doctor of Philosophy Urban Education in Adult, Continuing, and Higher Education

at the

Cleveland State University

December 2014
We hereby approve the dissertation of

Rosary-Joyce Melonie Kennedy
Candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education degree

This Dissertation has been approved for the
Office of Doctoral Studies,
College of Education and Human Services
and
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Graduate Studies by:

______________________________________________________
Dissertation Chairperson: Jonathan E. Messemer, Ed.D.

C.A.S.A.L._______________________________
Department & Date

________________________________________________________
Methodologist: Karla Hamlen Mansour, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Foundations _____________________________
Department & Date

_________________________________________________________
Catherine Hansman, Ed.D.

C.A.S.A.L._________________________________
Department & Date

_________________________________________________________
Larry G. Martin, Ph.D.,

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
_______________________________________
Department & Date

___________________________________________________________
Cristine Smith, Ph.D.

University of Massachusetts _____________________________
Department & Date

December 1, 2014
Student’s Date of Defense
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DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my great-grandmother Savannah Favors. She taught
herself how to read while raising four children. She is my greatest inspiration.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my highest appreciation to my Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ for strength, courage, and patience. In addition, I would like to extend the
warmest expression of gratitude to my parents, Calvin and Malissa Kennedy, and my son,
Isaiah, for their encouragement, support, prayers, and love. Thank you for believing in
me and providing a positive example to admire. “You’re the wind beneath my wings.” I
am also thankful to my family, church family and best friends: Conida Hawk, Rebecca
Walker, Tiffany Merritt, Davida Vassar-Moore, Patrice Elder, Malikah Hart, Lacreeta
Incorvia, and Dr. Carmine Stewart. They have been my greatest cheerleaders who have
helped me continue the journey with their love, laughter, affirmation, and sisterhood.
This dissertation would also not be possible without the tutelage and wisdom of Dr.
Brenda Smith. The time she devoted to help me was priceless. I am forever in her debt.
I would also like to acknowledge my fellow students in Cohort XX who have become my
second family. I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their guidance and all
adult literacy teachers, especially those who participated in this study. They sacrifice
their time in tireless, selfless, enthusiastic, dedication when helping our students achieve
their highest aspirations. It is an honor to call you colleagues.

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HOW OHIO ADULT LITERACY INSTRUCTORS VIEW THEMSELVES
AS ADULT LEARNERS WITHIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
LEARNING STYLE AND MOTIVATION ASSESSMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION
FOR ACTIVITY SELECTION
ROSARY-JOYCE MELONIE KENNEDY
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the Adult Basic Literacy
Education/Adult Basic Education and Literacy educators as adult learners and
participants in professional development and continuing professional education, their
motivation for participation, and the types of activities in which they engaged. The
sample consisted of eighty adult literacy instructors who taught in various educational
and institutional settings. This mixed method research design included questionnaires
and semi-structured interviews to collect data. This study revealed that Adult Basic
Literacy Education/Adult Basic Education and Literacy teachers were aware of their
various learning styles, acknowledged the benefit of using learning styles to inform
professional development program construction, and were primarily motivated to help
their students without the additional incentive of receiving a stipend or being coerced to
attend professional development. Instructors in this study believed there were
improvements that could be made to the professional development and continuing
professional education system for ABLE/ABEL teachers to better serve and help their
students. Instructors also advised that time spent in the classroom was a significant form
of currency that needed consideration before deciding which activities would be chosen
for engagement.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..v
LIST OF TABLES ..……………………………………………………………………x
LIST OF FIGURES ..…………………………………………………………………..xi
CHAPTER I……………………………………………………………………………..1
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………8
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………..10
Significance of the Study………………………………………………….......11
Limitations……………………………………………………………………..13
Definitions……………………………………………………………………...14
CHAPTER II …………………………………………………..……………………...15
REVIEW OF LITERATURE………………………………………….……………..15
Facets of Adult Learning……………………………………………….….….15
Transformational Learning……………..……………………………16
Reflective Practice…………………………………..………………... 19
Experiential Learning…………………………………………….……23
Situated Learning…………………………………………………..…..28
Communities of Practice……………………………………………….30
Teachers and Self-Concept………………………………………..…..……......34
Preferred Teaching Styles………………………………………….…..………36
Preferred Learning Styles …………………………………………….……….39
Interrelationship Between Learning and Teaching Styles…………………...43
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Continuing Professional Education and Professional Development in
Education…………………………………………………………………..……46
Continuing Professional Education and Professional Development for ABLE
Educators……………………………………………….……………………….50
Motivation to Participate in Professional Development and Continuing
Education………………….…………………………………………………….51
The Impact of Professional Development and Continuing Education on
Teachers……………………………….………………………………………...53
Summary of Literature…………………………………………………………60
CHAPTERIII…………………………………………………………………...………61
METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………..61
Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………..62
Conceptual Framework………………………………………………………..63
Survey Design…………………………………………………………………...64
Participants………………………………………………………………...……67
Instrumentation…………………………………………………………...……73
Procedure………………………………………………………………………..79
Data Collection………………………………………………………….79
Data Analysis……………………………………………….…………...85
CHAPTER IV…………………………………………………………………………..90
RESULTS……………………………………………………………………………….90
Preferred Learning Styles……………………………………………………...91
Preferred Learning Styles and Professional Development Activity Type…..96
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Motivation and Professional Development Participation………………..…106
Teacher Characteristics and Professional Development Participation……115
CHAPTER V ………………………………………………………………………….124
Discussion ……………………………………………………………………..124
Summary of the Study………………………………………….……………..125
Discussion of Significant Findings……………………………………………125
Implications……………………………………………………………………129
Implications for Research…………………………………….130
Implications for Practice……...……………………………....133
Recommendations……………………………………………………………..138
Preferred Learning Styles…………………………………….138
Preferred Learning Styles and Professional Development

Activity Type…………………………………………………..139

Motivation and Professional Development Participation…..141
Teacher Characteristics and Professional Development
Participation…………………………………………………...142
Areas for Further Study………………………………………………………143
Limitations……………………………………………………………………..151
Conclusion…...………………………………………………………………...153
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………...155
APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………175
Appendix A…………………………………………………………………….176
Appendix B……………………………………………………………...……..177
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Appendix C…………………………………………………………………….182
Appendix D……………………………………………………………….........184
Appendix E…………………………………………………………………… 185

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