Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Jamie Patterson

Abstract

A midwestern community college utilized a corequisite model to accelerate students’ developmental education that allows adult learners to take developmental writing and English composition simultaneously. First-year composition instructors had no formal training at the college on andragogical methods and teaching strategies to foster successful completion in developmental and first-year composition courses. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the andragogical methods and teaching strategies of six successful full-time and adjunct developmental writing and first-year composition instructors as well as what these instructors need to improve their approaches with these students. The study was grounded in a conceptual framework including Knowles’s theory of andragogy, Tinto’s work in persistence, and models related to professional development. Deductive coding was used to group the instructors’ responses to interview questions about best practices for building relationships, determining students’ strengths and challenges, connecting students to resources, integrating learners’ prior experience and motivation, adapting instruction, bolstering critical thinking, and giving students feedback. Faculty also acknowledged three main areas as a need for their practice: a balanced workload, support, and a community. Once best practices and needs were identified, they were used to create a professional development program for new and returning faculty in the discipline. This study contributes to positive social change by providing more faculty with access to andragogical methods and teaching strategies that reach a larger portion of the marginalized student population, thereby giving those students a more equitable educational experience.

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