Continuing education

While classroom teachers report alarming rates of unpreparedness, and even
unwillingness to include diverse populations in the classroom, our nation is continuing
along a trend started in the 1990s to include students with disabilities (SWD) in general
education settings. This quasi-experimental research study uncovered the impact of
completing the required continuing education course in teaching SWD course mandated
by Florida Senate Bill 1108 ([SB1108]; The Florida Senate, 2013b), which amended
Florida Statute 1012.585 (3) (e) (Process for Renewal of Professional Certificates, 2017)
on perceived teacher ability to implement inclusion practices. An online version of the
Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale developed by Sharma, Loreman,
and Forlin (2012) was utilized, along with demographic and experiential factors for
classroom teachers in the study district to examine their self-efficacy toward inclusion.
Analysis of the data indicated statistically significant differences in mean TEIP scale
scores for exceptional student education (ESE) and general education teachers. Data analyses revealed that almost half of the teachers had a negative view of and
did not perceive any benefit from the course. While ESE and general education teachers
had similar preparation needs, they also reported areas of concern specific to their subset.
Overall, the course did not provide enough continuing education in the areas most needed
by the participants. SB1108-mandated course completion was also not found to be an
indicator of higher teacher self-efficacy for the majority of teachers. Analysis of the
differences in TEIP scale scores found that only elementary school teachers benefited
from completing the course, while it had the opposite effect for general education high
school teachers and no significant effect for ESE teachers. Differences in TEIP scale
scores from demographic and experiential factors accounted for 13% of the variance in
the population and was not significant for the ESE teacher subset. One percent or less of
the variance was attributed to completion of the required continuing education course.
Implications include reviewing the legislation’s effectiveness for teachers in
different areas and grade levels, hiring and evaluation decisions based on TEIP scale
scores of applicants and employees, and designing more meaningful continuing education
courses. Recommendations for state legislatures, school administrators, designers of
continuing education courses, and for future research regarding improvement of teacher
self-efficacy for inclusive practices are offered.

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was threefold.
First, this study compared the effects of two different simulation-based instructional
strategies on athletic trainers’ clinical competence in performing cardiovascular screening
with cardiac auscultations. Second, this study identified the athletic trainers’ perceptions
of learning through simulation-based instructional strategies. Third, this study attempted
to identify and offer instructional recommendations based on the outcomes.
The quantitative phase analyzed cognitive and diagnostic reasoning knowledge
and history-taking and clinical skills specific to cardiovascular screenings with cardiac
auscultations as it was taught to athletic trainers (ATs) at a continuing professional
education (CPE) course. The quantitative results found that high-fidelity and low-fidelity
simulation-based instructional strategies significantly increased cognitive and diagnostic
reasoning knowledge and history-taking and clinical skill from pre-test to post-test assessment on all dependent variables. When comparing the two fidelity types to each
other, the analysis found that the participants in the high-fidelity simulation group gained
significantly more skill when compared to the low-fidelity group.
In the qualitative analysis of this study, three themes emerged specific to the
perceptions of the athletic trainers’ experiences as they learn through simulation-based
instructional strategies. The first theme that emerged was a clear indication that
participants’ exhibited positive perceptions of learning through simulation-based
instructional strategies. The second theme that emerged was that the high-fidelity
simulation experience during the pre-assessment and post-assessment raised an
awareness of the deficit of knowledge and skills in performing a comprehensive
cardiovascular screening with cardiac auscultations. Lastly, the third theme that emerged
was specific to the perceived limitations in the effectiveness of low-fidelity simulation
and the perceived strengths in the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation.
A few instructional recommendations emerged from this dissertation study.
Simulation-based instructional strategies are an ideal teaching method to utilize during
continuing professional education courses with athletic trainers. Specifically, this study
identified that both, high-fidelity and low-fidelity simulation, are effective in teaching
cardiovascular screening with cardiac auscultations. Additionally, the participants
perceived influences of a pre-test on the identification of their knowledge and skills
deficit suggests that there are benefits of utilizing an authentic simulation pre-test as part
of CPE courses.

The percentage of older adults in the American population is expected to
increase from about 12% now to 22% by the year 2030 (Eisen, 2005). Educators can
play an important role in managing the effec.,ts of this demographic shift by designing
learning opportunities that increase older adults' motivation to participate and their
ability to learn. Because older adults themselves can otTer important insights on what
helps and hinders their learning, the purpose of this study was to explore the
perceptions of adults over age 64 residing in a large metropolitan area in the
southeastern United States on effective and ineffective learning experiences.
Utilizing a qualitative design, the researcher interviewed 36 older adults
involved in learning experiences at three distinct sites. Data were also collected
through observations and document analysis. Five research questions were answered with the following four findings: 1) effective learning experiences are involving, 2)
the instructor is a key component in the classroom, 3) familiar or relevant topics are
interesting, and 4) the computer and the Internet are both loved and hated. The
participants in this study value learning experiences that involve them in the
classroom and keep them involved in the world. They enjoy asking questions,
discussing ideas, and learning with friends and family members in environments free
from the pressures of mandatory assignments and tests. They seek instructors who
are knowledgeable about the subject, clear and understandable in their presentation,
respectful of their experience, and effective at grabbing their attention through
enthusiasm, humor, and relevant stories. When they discover effective instructors,
they tend to take classes with them over and over again. However. when instructors'
abilities are unknown, they look for learning experiences that will either expand their
knowledge abcut something familiar or teach them something that will have some
relevance in their lives. Finally, these seniors enjoy the convenience of accessing a
wealth of information using computers and the Internet. Yet, they also experience
considerable frustration in learning computer tasks and dealing with computer
problems. Reommendations are provided for designing, marketing, and delivering
quality learning experiences for senior adults.