Date Approved

10-14-2015

Embargo Period

12-22-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D. Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Manning, JoAnn B.

Committee Member 1

Monahan, Thomas

Committee Member 2

Klein, Michael

Keywords

administration, education, leadership, practice, theory

Subject(s)

Individualized instruction; Universities and colleges

Disciplines

Educational Methods

Abstract

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory, grounded in data provided by faculty, administrators, and institutional document analysis, concerning why and how faculty and administrators at three New Jersey higher education institutions use individualized learning practices. Individualized learning practices, as defined in this study, are the actions, activities, and procedures performed by faculty and administrators at the course, program, and institutional levels that assist students as they progress through a higher education institution. The study found a variety of individualized learning practices are utilized by faculty and administrators at the course, program and institutional levels as strategies to meet students where they are in order to enable students to achieve their higher education goals. The study found that “meeting students where they are” was the core phenomenon of the theory and that meeting students where they are requires understanding the students current academic, financial and developmental status as well as their higher education goals. The study follows the Strauss and Corbin (1990) grounded theory methodology and discusses the core phenomenon; the causal, contextual and intervening factors; as well as the strategies and consequences of the theory developed in this study.

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