Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Rachel Lyons, “Improving the Positive Youth Development Competencies of Early Career 4-H Professionals; Using a Problem-based Learning Approach to Increase Program Design and Implementation Skills”
Early-career 4-H professionals are tasked with designing and implementing high-quality, Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs, yet many enter the field with limited formal preparation in program design and application. High turnover in the youth development workforce underscores the importance of providing professional development that supports new educators in translating PYD theory into practice. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of a problem-based learning (PBL) intervention, the Connect Apply Practice (CAP) model, embedded within the national 4-H PYD Academy Research to Practice Conference and Immersions.
Grounded in social constructivism and situated learning theory, this study views learning as a socially mediated process that occurs through authentic engagement with meaningful problems of practice. The CAP model is designed to foster collaboration, problem-solving, peer interaction, and guided facilitation, creating a zone of proximal development (ZPD) where early-career professionals can extend their skills with the support of colleagues and mentors.
The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to examine how the CAP intervention influences early-career 4-H professionals’ PYD knowledge, confidence, and program design skills, and to explore how participants engage in the intervention. Three research questions guide the study: (1) Do the Connect Apply Practice sessions improve participants’ self-efficacy to deliver programs that exhibit indicators of positive youth development? (2) What are the participants’ attitudes and perceptions of the CAP intervention? (3) How do participants and facilitators engage in the sessions, and how does this engagement affect their learning?
A multi-phase explanatory design will be used. Quantitative data will be collected through pre- and post-surveys, including both Likert-scale and open-ended items, and analyzed with descriptive statistics, inferential tests, correlations, and exploratory regression models. Observations of CAP sessions and artifacts, including participant workbooks and PYD toolkits, will provide additional quantitative ratings and qualitative content for analysis. Focus groups with participants and facilitators will offer deeper insight into how and why changes occurred, analyzed through thematic coding of transcripts and open-ended survey responses.
By integrating quantitative and qualitative findings, this study will generate a nuanced understanding of the impact of PBL-based professional development for early-career 4-H professionals. Results will inform the design of future training initiatives in 4-H Youth Development and Cooperative Extension. Moreover, the results will contribute to broader scholarship on professional learning, workforce development, and PYD practice.