Evelyn Mayes | Capella University (original) (raw)

Papers by Evelyn Mayes

Action Research Plan For Introducing Monetary Incentives: An Action Research Study, 2019

Introduction Further Education (FE) in the UK, a provider of the Skills for Life (SfL) training... more Introduction
Further Education (FE) in the UK, a provider of the Skills for Life (SfL) training program, offered basic literacy, numeracy, IT skills, and employment-related training. The learners, forming a multicultural and diverse group, were long-term unemployment benefit claimants. They were expected to gain national literacy and numeracy qualifications, as well as to secure new employment, by the end of the six-months SfL training. The teachers, one or two in each branch, were qualified and experienced in adult education, particularly in the delivery of the SfL program. FE management was facing a serious problem of a consistent lack of motivation to learn among the learners in all FE branches.

Mixed-Methods Research Report , 2019

The mixed-methods approach to research is a hybrid, a cross between qualitative and quantitative ... more The mixed-methods approach to research is a hybrid, a cross between qualitative and quantitative research strategies, adjusted and designed to align with the unique needs of the research. Creswell and Creswell (2018, p. 249), in their seminal work examining research design, regarded the mixed-methods approach, its various forms, and attributes, key in academic research. They emphasized the fact that the mixed-methods approach to research does not only involve adopted qualitative and quantitative methodologies of data collection and analysis but also, and mainly, "involves philosophical assumptions," worldviews, and social values and theories.

Qualitative Research Study Report, 2019

Qualitative research, stemming from the social, interpretivist philosophic worldviews, focuses on... more Qualitative research, stemming from the social, interpretivist philosophic worldviews, focuses on the report of individuals' nonfactual input of experiences, opinions, and emotions. Nonetheless, qualitative research adheres to rigorous academic standards as those that apply to quantitative research, aiming at examining phenomena, modifying or contributing to existing bodies of knowledge, or generating new theories or hypotheses. Readers of the research report, scholars and experts in the field, examine it with scrutiny, seeking to deem the research credible, reliable, and valid.

Quantitative Research Study Report , 2019

Quantitative research, aligned with the postpositivist world view, has heralded the scientific me... more Quantitative research, aligned with the postpositivist world view, has heralded the scientific method, thus, pertaining to promote accuracy, credibility, and validity. However, quantitative methodologies often align with qualitative research, lending it the stamp of scientific proof. McCusker and Gunaydin (2015) examined the advantages of the amalgam of both. A meta-analysis, they claimed, does not belong to the realm of qualitative research alone, but is akin also to quantitative study in that it "enables the acquisition of multiple quantitative findings, followed by merging data and information to create a more representative viewpoint" (p. 3). Hence, in studying quantitative research, elements of qualitative research, such as surveys, emerge, representing a reciprocal relationship between the two.

Personal Mastery and Compassion, 2019

Further Education (FE) had been undergoing gradual but successful changes, addressing issues of a... more Further Education (FE) had been undergoing gradual but successful changes, addressing issues of attrition and low rates of qualification attainment. Despite the feeling among stakeholders that FE was now on the right track to recovery, I was concerned about the psychoeducational state of mind of the learners: job seekers who have been grappling with the mental, personal, social, and economic fallout of unemployment. Lack of motivation to learn was evident in their attitude to the training (imposed by the local Job Center), creating an air of disengagement.

The Application of a Logic Model, 2019

Further Education (FE), a training provider, had won a lucrative and much-vied bid to deliver the... more Further Education (FE), a training provider, had won a lucrative and much-vied bid to deliver the Skills for Life (SfL) provision across southeast regions in the UK. The SfL program was a part of a comprehensive strategy initiated by Toni Blair's government, to address the issue of steadily increasing number of job seekers living on unemployment benefits, the magnitude of which had proven to hinder economic growth and social stability. The ambitious initiative launched in the early 2000s, aimed at achieving a staggering 95% of adults who would have improved their literacy, numeracy, ESOL (English as a second language), and ICT (internet communication technology) skills by 2020. The inspecting body, Ofsted (the office for standards in education) imposed rigid and firm standardized criteria for benchmark performance and achievements of both the learners and the organization.

Perspectives and strategies of psychology and cognition in education, maintains Mayes (2017) have... more Perspectives and strategies of psychology and cognition in education, maintains Mayes (2017) have transformed significantly over the last few centuries, especially in the twenty first century. " The focus in education has gradually gravitated away from the teacher towards the student at the center of the educational experience. Rigid approaches to curriculum have given way to student-centered theories of teaching and learning even within the grand scheme of federal or corporate educational policies. As a result, there has been a growing tendency to design learning environments where differentiated curricula and innovative teaching strategies are adopted to address diverse personal, cognitive and psychological requirements of students " (p. 1), in particular, in andragogy, which will be the focus of this paper. Designing Learning Environment and Meaningful Learning The fast-growing disciplines of educational psychology and cognitive science, along with significant technological development in recent decades, have fueled research and study of instructional psychology. Vosniadou et al. (2001) view instructional psychology as " the study of the relationships between learning and teaching and of the nature and design of environments that can facilitate learning " (p.382). Furthermore, they seek to demonstrate how structural and environmental interventions provide necessary aid and support in the learning process. Thus, designing learning environments has become a discipline, the aims of which are to provide optimal educational experiences in which students strive for meaningful learning.

Conation is not a modern concept and, in fact, it is traced back to Plato’s The Republic. Plato b... more Conation is not a modern concept and, in fact, it is traced back to Plato’s The Republic. Plato believed that our psyche was made of three elements—Mind, which is our conscious awareness, Spirit, which is our emotive core and Appetite, which is our myriad desires. The element of Appetite in this Tripartite Theory lay the foundation for the development of the modern concept of conation derived from Latin conatio, and refers to the mental faculty of purpose, desire, or will to perform an action; volition. Gerdes (2008) reviewed the evolvement of concepts from Appetite to Conation and listed numerous philosophers and psychologists such as Hilgard, Leibniz, Schopenhauer and many more, who contributed to and perfected the understanding of conation and the role it has in our self-realization as adult human beings and learners. Gertes acknowledges their enormous contribution as providing “a useful theoretical framework for understanding and applying conation….outside the literature of academia” (p. 236). It is against this background that Kolbe conceived the Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). In examining the application of Kolbe’s Learning theories, we will also be examining his conative learning style and motivation. Kolbe’s major contribution to a better understanding of the learning processes lies in the simplification and illustrating of how domains in our mind collaborate and come together in the elaborate learning processes.

Whole-Brain Thinking and Brain-Based Learning The study of the brain, its anatomy and functions... more Whole-Brain Thinking and Brain-Based Learning
The study of the brain, its anatomy and functions, has inspired numerous neuroscientists, psychologists and educators alike. Technological advances in recent decades have enabled an insight into thinking processes, and it has now become possible to monitor brain activity and study more about the right and left hemispheres’ functions and mental traits. This led to the question of hemisphere dominance, which intrigued neuroscientific communities, teachers and people from all walks of life. In fact, self-assessments of brain dominance have become somewhat of a favorite pop-culture pastime.

Thesis Chapters by Evelyn Mayes

Massive waves of immigration have left their mark on hosting countries’ societies, transforming s... more Massive waves of immigration have left their mark on hosting countries’ societies, transforming societal makeup into multicultural, the hallmark of which is diversity. Every area and aspect of life is impacted by multiculturalism. Societies guided by principles of democracy and liberalism embrace diversity, honoring a myriad of religions, customs, traditions, and cultural idiosyncrasies. However, multiculturalism that pervades every level of life, discourse, culture, including education does give rise to problems of bias, inequality, and racism. Education, an integral segment of society, has been struggling to establish acceptance of pluralism and multiculturalism, now a distinguishing feature of our society and culture.

Critical thinking has increasingly become a centerpiece topic in adult education, and more promin... more Critical thinking has increasingly become a centerpiece topic in adult education, and more prominently in cognitive science, psychology, and education. Scholars equate critical thinking (CT) with quality thinking, those erudite traits of independent and confident thinking processes, to rational and empathetic intellect, and above all, to unbiased and rational reasoning. At the core of CT are those metacognitive processes foundational to scholarly study, research and exploration.

Action Research Plan For Introducing Monetary Incentives: An Action Research Study, 2019