Date
5-22-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Daniel N. Baer
Keywords
instructional design, andragogy, training, adult education, military, onboarding
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Brouillard, Amber Danyel Elizabeth, "The Perceptions of Army Instructional Systems Specialists Regarding a Formalized Training Program: A Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5693.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5693
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of Army Instructional Systems Specialists regarding implementing a formal training plan at a military training installation. The theory guiding this study is adult education theory, developed by Malcolm Knowles, as it illuminates how adults perceive learning and their training preferences. This study design includes the description, reduction, imaginative variation, and essence of the lived experience with data collection from nonprobability sampling, and criterion sampling was used because all participants experience the same phenomenon. Data was collected using interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups. The data analysis spiral included description, reduction, imaginative variation, and essence with close attention to the epoché. From the collected data, clusters of meaning, textural descriptions, and themes were derived. Final data analysis concludes with a written composite description of the phenomenon's essence of all the data. Discovered themes include training struggles, common professional development, confusion felt by ISSs, informal training, on-the-job training, and reliance on peers as a learning method. Unexpected findings include feelings of inadequacy, the need for mentors, and the impact previous military experience had on the training experience of ISS.
