Browsing by Subject "Coping Strategies"
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Item Perceived and reported occupational stressors and coping strategies of selected community college business faculty members in Texas(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) Allison, Genevieve J.Two primary purposes of this study were to explore and to identify the sources of occupational stressors and coping strategies perceived and reported by selected Texas community college faculty members and to generate current demographics about these faculty members that would be useful in understanding such stress. Another purpose of this study was to measure and to compare for possible relationships among stressors, coping strategies, and selected demographic characteristics. Participants who received a three-part survey questionnaire consisted of 90 community college faculty members who were members of either Texas Business and Technology Educators Association or the Accounting Section of the Texas Community College Teachers Association. Each participant was sent a survey questionnaire consisting of three sections. Sections I and II were used to gather data pertaining to the sources of occupational stressors and the coping strategies used by the participants. Section III was designed to request information concerning personal and professional demographic characteristics of each research participant. An analysis of the data was completed on all three sections. The major findings for the study indicated the following: 1. Community business teachers experienced high levels of stress from issues involving reward and recognition, time constraints, college/departmental influence, professional identity, and student interaction. 2. Community college business faculty members responded by identifying additional stressors, such as teaching inadequately prepared students to experiencing too heavy a teaching load. To relieve these stressors, these faculty members use coping strategies, such as talking to other persons about problems to experiencing nature. Based on the findings of this study, this researcher's recommendations include the following: 1. Community college districts should provide stress management training to their faculty, especially the new faculty, along with some clerical assistance for all faculty members, especially during the beginning and ending of a semester. 2. Community college administrators should encourage the establishment of wellness programs. 3. Community college faculty members should be encouraged to develop and to utilize effective coping strategies to reduce the negative effects of their stress.Item Students from India at a Major Research University in the United States: A Phenomenological Study of Transition, Adjustment, and Transformation(2011-08-08) Chennamsetti, PrashantiThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomena of transition, adjustment, and transformation among adult graduate students from India, who made the transition to Nurture University in the southwestern part of the United States. According to Open Doors 2008, since 2001, a majority of the international students in U.S. higher education has been from India. Because of the significant cultural gap between India and the United States, Indian students encounter adjustment difficulties in the host country. To overcome such difficulties, students apply several coping strategies, which in turn lead to a transformational change among them. The transitional adjustment literature on the experiences of the students from India has been very limited. This lack of attention to Indian students, despite the fact that their percentage has been increasing in the U.S. higher education, is an issue of concern and, therefore, calls for research. To achieve this goal, a phenomenological data analysis process presented by Moustakas's modified version of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen's method was utilized. Data analysis generated the following themes: individual experiences, situational experiences, coping strategies/suggestions, and personal transformation. Under individual experiences, the participants described their experiences in the United States, and differences between their expectations and experiences in relation to Nurture University and general living. Under the situational experiences, study participants described the differences between being a student in the United States versus in India, and the differences between the academic systems of United States and that of India. Further, the application of imaginative variation in step 7 of the data analysis led to the identification of two sub-themes under the theme individual experiences: individual factors that helped in adjustment and individual factors that hindered adjustment in the United States. Sub-themes identified under situational experiences were situational factors that helped in adjustment and situational factors that hindered adjustment in the United States. This study has implications for the home country, host country, adult education, higher education, policy, theory and future research. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, qualitative procedures such as Epoche, thick descriptions of the phenomenon of transition and member checks, were employed.Item Youth, Art, and Life on the Border: An Examination of Coping and Support among Participants in a Migrant Art Program(2012-07-16) Ramirez-Mann, LauraThis case study examined coping strategies and support systems utilized by 33 children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers from Fabens, Texas. The youth participated in the summer 2011 Creative Kids Incorporated Migrant Program in El Paso, Texas. The study examined how socio-ecological factors, specifically within Creative Kids Inc., help youth to cope with risk factors and aid in the resilience process. This study applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative portion consisted of 12 in-depth program participant interviews, ages 9-15, and observations at Creative Kids Inc. The quantitative portion consisted of a survey that utilized the Brief Adolescent Life Event Scale, the Children Coping Strategies Checklist, and the Multi-Dimensional Support Scale. Thirty-four surveys were distributed, and 33 surveys were analyzed from program participants ages 10-15. The study found the youth were affected by various risk factors within their environment, such as poverty, separation from family, and school. When adapting to stress, most youth utilized behavioral-based distraction strategies (i.e., listening to music and playing outside) and cognitive-based avoidance strategies (i.e., not thinking about their problem) to cope. The youth did not use active coping strategies as often as avoidance strategies. However, some support seeking strategies were mentioned. Most often, youth sought support from parents and older siblings. While the youth sought support from their teachers, it was mainly in regard to school work. Similarly, youth sought support from Creative Kids Inc. staff concerning their art projects. Families were beneficial to youth in the coping process, because they provided youth with opportunities for distracting activities as well as some support. Although the youth strongly enjoyed participating in the Migrant Program, they rarely sought support for personal stressors or problems from the staff. Yet, the program provided youth with opportunities to participate in distracting activities, express their feelings, and seek out support. Despite the lack of literature on children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers and the factors that influence their resilience, this study provided an in-depth description of how they cope with daily life events, what support systems are available to assist in overcoming risks, and provided a basis for understanding the role of support systems in facilitating resiliency among this adolescent group.