Several research cycles were conducted using an action research methodology to explore student engagement in a higher education classroom. Cycle 0 focused on gathering data about the local context. This was followed by Cycle 1 - where the flipped classroom approach was implemented as a mini-intervention. After data collection and further reflection on the local context led to Cycle 2 - where the Community of Inquiry model was adopted. This body of study captures the outline of each of these cycles. The monograph tells the story of the earlier cycles of research. While the manuscript focuses on implementing the final intervention, the community of inquiry model. The interrogation of each intervention resists instructor-centered pedagogies and seeks to foster student-led ones. Following discussion of these interventions, this study makes recommendations for fostering engagement in a large gender studies classroom through interrogating learning experiences.

Institutions of higher learning have long been recognized as essential sources of knowledge for individuals seeking to solve real-life problems and improve their value in the workforce. However, despite their best efforts, many graduates lack the necessary hard and soft skills to excel in their chosen careers. As an accountant-turned-lecturer, I have observed this phenomenon firsthand and felt compelled to take action. To address this issue, I undertook a project aimed at preparing graduates from the Accountancy Program at the University of Guyana's School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) for success in their careers. In conducting this project, I conducted an action-based research study consisting of three cycles. In the first two cycles, I delved into the perceptions of learners and lecturers regarding the need for instructional development in the degree program. Both groups agreed that it was necessary to implement appropriate innovations to improve the teaching of the program. In the third cycle, I interviewed employers to get their perspective on implementing an instructional innovation. The results of these interviews were striking, as they led to the development of an internship program that would allow students to practice their knowledge and learn soft and hard skills while being attached to institutions. To determine the impact of such programs, I studied other degree programs that currently have internship and attachment programs. From my investigation, I learned that learners have a positive attitude towards internships, and that they can help learners gain more skills than they get in class when implemented well. Given the success of similar programs in other degree programs, I propose the implementation of an internship program in the Accountancy Program in SEBI. The program's goal is to improve the knowledge, skills, and experience of its graduates and help them succeed in their chosen careers. With the introduction of such a program, students will have the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience, allowing them to develop the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the workforce. Overall, this program's success will contribute to enhancing the reputation of the institution, attracting more potential students, and increasing its graduates' employability.

This research utilised the action research design to explore the use of Moodle by lecturers and students in three cycles. The qualitative and mixed methods methodologies used in cycles 0 and 1 respectively, revealed that students’ use was influenced by how lecturers used the platform. Cycle 2, therefore, explored how lecturers delivered courses through Moodle and how students perceived interaction with the instructor, content, and peers and the extent to which these influenced student satisfaction. The research questions examined how lecturers used Moodle to foster interaction between learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner; students’ perceptions regarding interaction between learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner; the relationship between learner-interface interaction and a) learner-content, b) learner-instructor, c) learner-learner interaction and d) student satisfaction; whether perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, computer self-efficacy, sex, age, faculty, and ethnicity predicted a) learner-content, b) learner-instructor, and c) learner-learner interaction; and the extent to which learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner interaction via Moodle influenced student satisfaction. The concurrent mixed method action research design was utilised with qualitative data collected from nine lecturers via interviews and quantitative data collected from 86 students via surveys. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data while Pearson correlations and multiple regressions were used to analyse the quantitative data. The findings indicated that perceived usefulness and learner-instructor interaction were positive significant predictors of student satisfaction. The study also revealed that lecturers found Moodle useful for interaction but were challenged to effectively foster engagement with students, content, and their peers, at all times. Lecturers experienced several challenges including engaging students via discussion forums, providing timely feedback on assessment, workload, and complaints from students among others. Lecturers had several recommendations for how the virtual environment could be improved inclusive of the addition of instructional designers to the cadre of support staff and the need for a blended learning policy. These findings suggest that lecturers and students recognised the value Moodle provided for teaching and learning and may be used as a guide for strengthening the use of the resource towards improving the quality of interaction and the degree of student satisfaction at the institution.