Adequacy of classroom learning spaces at the University of Guyana has historically been a challenge the institution faces. However, the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lessened the problem when the University of Guyana responded to the crisis by making rapid adjustments to continue operations online and to remain competitive while offering high-quality education. I created and implemented a flexible learning space choice model (FLSCM) to address the issues of inadequate physical learning spaces and the needs and preferences of contemporary students in the post-pandemic reality. The study used a concurrent mixed methods action research (MMAR) design to examine students’ perceptions of the model and the extent of the differences in student engagement and satisfaction with the teaching model. I collected quantitative data using an online questionnaire and qualitative data using one-on-one semi-structured online interviews. I used thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data. I also analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, including bivariate correlation, independent samples t-tests, and factorial multivariate analysis of variance (factorial MANOVA). The results indicate that students perceived the FLSCM as suitable for facilitating learning, student engagement, and satisfaction.

It is well documented in literature that student teachers must become self-regulated learners to be effective teachers. As self-regulated learners, teachers can pass these vital skills to their students. The aim of this study is to determine if my self-regulated learning awareness and development (SRLAD) intervention which focuses on teaching student teachers SRL strategies, could impact their academic performance. The literature reviewed shows that SRL strategies can be successfully taught to adult learners through interventions. This practical action research study utilizes a concurrent mixed-method research design. Quantitative data from a pretest/posttest and pre/post MSLQ and qualitative data from student reflective journals were collected simultaneously. The findings were then triangulated to answer the three research questions. Participants were 33 undergraduate teachers reading for their degree in early childhood and primary education at the University of Guyana, Berbice campus (UGBC). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics such as the repeated measures t-test and ANOVA. Major findings showed that student teachers were self-motivated and were able to select, assess, evaluate, and use appropriate SRL strategies to suit their learning needs and context. The SRLAD intervention had a meaningful impact on the academic performance of student teachers since they recognized the numerous benefits of incorporating SRL strategies to aid their learning and academic performance. They also realized that by consistently incorporating SRL strategies into their learning, they could become self-regulated learners and, more importantly, teach these skills to their students. As such, the SRLAD intervention should be a mandatory study skill course for all first-year student teachers at the University of Guyana.

This action research investigated the predictors of academic adjustment, as measured by grade point average in the first year and persistence to completion, as measured by graduating on time, among undergraduate students at the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, the University of Guyana, from 2018 - 2022. The experiences of students in a chosen program were also examined to provide a qualitative deep dive into the tertiary journey of undergraduate students, using the self-efficacy framework to map this journey. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the effect of age, gender, geographic location, and academic preparation on academic adjustment and persistence to completion. The models explained 15% and 13% of the variance, respectively, in academic adjustment and persistence to completion. Geographic location and academic preparation proved to be significant predictors of academic adjustment while age, gender and academic preparation increased the likelihood of persisting to completion. While qualitative findings substantiated the role of academic preparation, students also spoke of the role of peer and familial relationships, opportunities for social modeling and the design of the chosen program which largely met the parameters of social persuasion as being integral to their adjustment and subsequent completion. In keeping with the principles of action research, students participated in a seminar on self-efficacy for university and beyond. The seminar, which was well received by students, introduced them to the concept, in a format that allowed for discussion and reinforced the importance of managing physical and emotional states at university and beyond.

This research utilised the action research design to explore the use of Moodle by lecturers and students in three cycles. The qualitative and mixed methods methodologies used in cycles 0 and 1 respectively, revealed that students’ use was influenced by how lecturers used the platform. Cycle 2, therefore, explored how lecturers delivered courses through Moodle and how students perceived interaction with the instructor, content, and peers and the extent to which these influenced student satisfaction. The research questions examined how lecturers used Moodle to foster interaction between learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner; students’ perceptions regarding interaction between learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner; the relationship between learner-interface interaction and a) learner-content, b) learner-instructor, c) learner-learner interaction and d) student satisfaction; whether perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, computer self-efficacy, sex, age, faculty, and ethnicity predicted a) learner-content, b) learner-instructor, and c) learner-learner interaction; and the extent to which learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner interaction via Moodle influenced student satisfaction. The concurrent mixed method action research design was utilised with qualitative data collected from nine lecturers via interviews and quantitative data collected from 86 students via surveys. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data while Pearson correlations and multiple regressions were used to analyse the quantitative data. The findings indicated that perceived usefulness and learner-instructor interaction were positive significant predictors of student satisfaction. The study also revealed that lecturers found Moodle useful for interaction but were challenged to effectively foster engagement with students, content, and their peers, at all times. Lecturers experienced several challenges including engaging students via discussion forums, providing timely feedback on assessment, workload, and complaints from students among others. Lecturers had several recommendations for how the virtual environment could be improved inclusive of the addition of instructional designers to the cadre of support staff and the need for a blended learning policy. These findings suggest that lecturers and students recognised the value Moodle provided for teaching and learning and may be used as a guide for strengthening the use of the resource towards improving the quality of interaction and the degree of student satisfaction at the institution.

This qualitative dissertation explores the use of an original table-top role-playing game as a framework for community-building among independent community educators who lack a central geographic nexus. The study utilized an action research approach, involving the creation and development of the game in collaboration with participants for a period of many months, using an iterative, emergent design process that emphasized collaboration and feedback. The research sought to answer the following questions: 1) How can a table-top role-playing game establish and build community among independent community educators? 2) By engaging in an emergent design-informed table-top role-playing game, what kinds of community-building frameworks can be produced by independent community educators playing the game? The game, called "New School," was designed to facilitate communication and connection among educators working in a variety of communities, contexts, and geographic locations. Through a series of playtesting sessions and a reflective feedback loop, the researcher and participants identified key features of the game that supported community-building, including opportunities for storytelling, shared problem-solving, and connection with personal and professional experiences. The findings suggest that the game has potential to serve as a framework for community-building, promoting emergent collaboration and knowledge-sharing among participants. Implications for future research and practice in this area are discussed.

It is common for graduate programs to be plagued by delays in on-time student completion or to experience student attrition. Students have experienced such delays in a local program at the University where I am employed as a lecturer. Therefore, this dissertation was undertaken with the aim of supporting university students at the graduate level toward successful on-time completion of their programs. This action research study was multi-phased in its approach; with data collection, and reflection driving the process for intervention delivery and subsequent evaluation. A dynamic approach which included some components of greater structure than was previously seen in the program, was designed for implementation. It was envisaged that this approach would serve as a model of support for students. The following chapters written in article format details the cycles of action research undertaken as part of this dissertation. The first article tells a story written for a wider audience. While the second article presents a more direct look at the implementation of the dynamic structured approach, and lessons learned through the experiential stories of the students. The dynamic structured approach is a framework which was created from a synergetic review of studies on the issues of attrition and delayed completion in graduate programs. The approach was therefore discussed in hopes that it can be used as a model in other graduate programs to ensure that students are supported in a holistic manner. Further, recommendations were made to bolster the approach based on the lessons learned from its initial implementation as well as through the reflections of the researcher-practitioner. The approach has built-in flexibility and is open to refinement and modification to suit the needs of varying institutions for future use.

The trend of increasing mental health issues for undergraduate students is a worrisome and important topic for research in higher education. College students become the backbone of society as they graduate, start families, and enter the workforce. To increase the mental health of students on campus, many institutions have implemented university-wide interventions that ask students to engage with written or visual models. I propose that this large-scale intervention that uses a one-size-fits all narrative is leaving behind important students on campus who do not relate to the written or video narratives that are often used in these settings. My current research employed a classroom-based intervention in which students were asked to discover intergenerational narratives themselves. This mixed methods design used pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys to investigate changes in levels of resilience, belonging, and mattering among a group of college students at a university in the southwest United States. My sample was predominantly young (m = 19.4, SD = 1.2) female students (85.7%) who identified as white (54%) and in their freshman year of college (48.6%). Additional qualitative thematic analyses were performed to investigate the adherence of student narratives to restorative elements and representative quotes were pulled to elaborate on the convergence and divergence of data. Although no statistically significant differences were found, individual students reported positive change and future research is warranted.

With increasing costs of higher education, community college pathways to baccalaureate transfer degrees are attractive student alternatives to starting at a traditional four-year institution. However, disparate student outcomes, particularly for underserved student populations, continue to be a concern when considering equitable four-year degree completion rates. Previous literature demonstrates that student satisfaction and student informational capital play key roles in the success of community college transfer students to persist to four-year institutions and attain their educational and career goals. The role of academic advising in the transfer context provides a uniquely collaborative opportunity to address factors of success and student outcomes. Via this mixed methods action research study, I utilized archival student enrollment data, a student survey, and student and advisor interviews to examine an academic advising model that I created in partnership between Cochise Community College and the University of Arizona (i.e., the Colaborativo Advising for Transfer Success Model, or CATS Advising Model), whereby I assigned a singular academic advisor (i.e., a CATS advisor) a student caseload across the two institutions in a deliberate effort to facilitate successful transfer. I used a combined framework of the Model of Student Departure, Transfer Student Capital, and Appreciative Inquiry to inform the advising intervention. I found that students who received the advising intervention were significantly more likely to a) be satisfied with their transfer advising experience, b) perceive increased transfer knowledge (capital), and c) retain through transfer and university enrollment, in comparison to their peers who received advising via a more traditional transfer advising model. Importantly, the students experiencing the advising intervention were also able to articulate their appreciation and recognition of the impact of their relationship with the CATS advisors on their transfer success.

In 1985, Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt and several others officially registered the Grand Canyon Trust as a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the natural integrity of the Grand Canyon. But the Trust realized early on that issues don’t stop at the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. So in 1987, we expanded the scope of our work to encompass the entire Colorado Plateau, of which the Grand Canyon stands as the centerpiece. GIS at the Trust helps tell the historic and current conservation story through advanced cartography, interactive web mapping, and spatial analysis. Using art and science, we design maps that illustrate physical characteristics, cultural values, proposals and conservation actions, and vulnerabilities across the Colorado Plateau. Our work reaches a broad audience including policy-makers, constituencies, government agencies, and our supporters. This presentation will highlight some of our most recent work in and around Grand Canyon, challenges we face as geographers, and how our maps have been used to further protect the Grand Canyon.