Browsing by Subject "qualitative"
Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item A qualitative examination of culture shock and the influential factors affecting newly-arrived Korean students at Texas A&M University(2009-05-15) McLeod, Kent DoehrThe primary purpose of the study was to reveal the perceptions of three newlyarrived male Korean students enrolled in Texas A&M University during the 2007 fall semester regarding their experiences with culture shock and the reasons they ascribed for this phenomenon through three in-depth, individualized interviews and weekly L1 journals. The manner in which they responded to the culture shock as well as the influential factors that assisted them in coping was also explored. By using a constant comparative method of analysis, the collected data was scrutinized and analyzed for emerging patterns. To assist in this process, the data was input into computer files and analyzed using the software program NVivo 7. The findings uncovered the existence of some degree of culture shock for each of the three participants at different times throughout the semester. In particular, a comparatively much higher incidence of interpersonal and psychological symptoms of culture shock than of physiological ones was displayed. Strong support for the individual nature of culture shock was also exhibited. In addition, the participants? perceptions of the experiences as well as their ability to cope or not cope with culture shock revealed a capacity to overcome obstacles and reflect upon differences. Support for the majority of the factors hypothesized to be influential in helping or hindering the participants? ability to cope with culture shock was exhibited. The noteworthy impact of the participants? personal outlook, marital status, length of stay in the U.S., religiosity, and previous international experience on lessening the effects of culture shock was found. The influence of English, the university, and social connectedness, however, was important in increasing their adjustment stress. The cultural and ethnic differences between Korea and the U.S. were found to be the source of highly individual challenges faced by the participants during the study. As all the participants were males and their ages were within five years of each other, it was not possible to compare the influence of these variables among them. The only factor expected to have been influential in the participants? adjustments to culture shock that was not evident was counseling.Item African American Fathers? Perceptions of Childhood Overweight: An Exploratory Study(2012-02-14) Byrd, VanessaChildhood overweight/obesity (CHO) is a serious health concern for children and adolescents. Despite increased efforts to prevent CHO, prevalence rates have actually increased. Evidence suggests that parents are critical to successful interventions to reduce CHO among children. While research efforts aimed at parental inclusion have increased, limited research has been conducted to investigate fathers? perception of CHO, or their influences on their children?s health. The objective of this two-phase study was to answer three research questions: a) How does the extant literature operationalize African American parental perceptions of childhood overweight/obesity? b) What are African American fathers? perceptions of CHO? and c) How do African American fathers perceive CHO in relation to their own child?s weight status? Evidence-based studies reveal that fathers have the potential to play a significant role in CHO prevention. Phase one (literature review) revealed that published studies on parental perception of CHO either exclude fathers, include them only in data collection, and/or report no results specific to paternal perception. Thus, an exploratory qualitative study was needed to explore African American fathers? perceptions of CHO. In phase two (qualitative study), four fathers were interviewed about their perceptions of CHO and how they contextualize this problem. The results indicated fathers believe that weight categories are racially & culturally insensitive and do not account for individual health status or differences in body/bone structure, and that parents with overweight children are financially disadvantaged, irresponsible and overworked. Fathers also indicated that colloquial terms (e.g., chunky, husky, big-boned, thick) were commonly substituted medical definitions for overweight and that child/teen sports participation was motivated by health, as well as non-health related benefits (e.g., competitiveness, educational scholarships). Further, fathers? identification of CHO is subjective and includes visual means and parental assessment of health status (e.g., child mobility/activity levels). Implications of this study are that additional studies are needed to clarify fathers? roles in CHO and that future studies should consider complex familial structures, as well as reframe prevention efforts to focus on optimal child health as opposed to weight labeling and focusing on parents? accuracy in identifying weight categories.Item Descriptions of nurses' experiences with electronic health records (EHR): A phenomenological study(2008-03-11) Anne Sanchez Liong; Judith C. Drew; Patricia L. Richard; Kimberly Dunn; Ellarene Duis Sanders; Carole EldridgeThe overall goal of this dissertation study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of nurses working with Electronic Health Records (EHR). Since U.S. President Bush’s 2004 mandate to put EHRs in place by 2014, EHR design and implementation have become priorities for all health care organizations. Research studies of EHR implementation and utilization found in the literature reveal a fifty-percent failure rate among organizations and institutions that attempt to adopt and sustain EHR use in their facilities.\r\nWhile nurses are the largest group of health care providers who use health information systems and can influence their adoption and utilization outcomes, few nurses have been included in planning, researching, and implementing the EHR. Several studies report nurses’ uses of computers in the workplace, however few have examined the subjective lived experiences of nurses whose daily work is affected by organizational, technological, educational, and behavioral factors associated with EHR system conversion and implementation. The study reported here fills a gap in knowledge by adding the subjective lived experiences of EHR nurses to the larger body of knowledge that addresses information system changes and their influences upon nursing practice and patient care outcomes.\r\n \r\nUsing a phenomenology of practice research approach, a purposive sample of 14 nurses with EHR experiences was enrolled. Data were collected during interviews with the investigator until saturation and redundancy were achieved. Assigning code letters, interviewing participants in private places, and maintaining all study materials in locked files were methods used to protect identities and confidentiality. Interview data were transcribed, coded, and clustered during thematic analysis procedures guided by Martins (1992).\r\n\r\nFindings revealed three emergent themes that captured the meanings of the participants’ descriptions of Phases of EHR Experiences, Dimensions of EHR Influence, and Future Improvements. Twelve sub-themes supported by instances of data found in the narratives formed the knowledge used to induct the three themes. Truth value and scientific rigor of the study were evaluated using the standards of: (1) descriptive vividness, (2) methodological congruence, (3) analytical preciseness, (4) theoretical correctness, (5) heuristic relevance (Burns & Grove, 2005) and (6) Lincoln & Guba’s (1985) criteria of trustworthiness.\r\n \r\nItem Disciplined intuition: subjective aspects of judgment and decision making in Child Protective Services(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Daniel, Robert S.This qualitative study was aimed at developing an understanding of how persons involved in the investigation or deliberation of child abuse and neglect cases think and feel about the process of weighing evidence and drawing conclusions from it. Twenty investigators, supervisors, and administrators employed by the Child Protective Services agency in Texas were asked to describe cases they had investigated or reviewed that had been particularly difficult because of conflicting or ambiguous evidence. They were also asked opinion questions about the agency's actuarial risk assessment instrument and the concept of preponderance of evidence. Finally, participants were asked to respond to two short case vignettes describing allegations of sexual abuse. Constant comparative and narrative analysis of interview data revealed that the process of case deliberation in CPS makes use of both intuitive and analytic decision-making styles, and there is a general movement from intuition to analysis as a case ascends the decision-making hierarchy. This movement entails a shift from narrative forms of thought and an outcome-oriented ethic to analytic forms of thought and a rule-based ethic. Though intuitive decision making is at least partly guided from personal experience and personal values, and does produce error because of that, it is nonetheless a form of rationality as capable of being guided by scrupulousness and fidelity to truth as analysis is. The personal value and outcome-oriented ethic that intuition brings to the decision making process not only cannot be eliminated, it is necessary to the program's achievement of its mission. It is recommended that the training of new investigators should, first, acknowledge the large role that intuitive thinking plays in CPS decision making and, second, develop ways to help decision makers discipline intuition, in the words of one participant, and to create conditions that foster its optimal functioning.Item Internet use among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders(2009-03-11) Nona Fain; Carolyn A. Phillips, RN, PhD; Virginia Niebuhr, PhD; Mary Anne Hanley, RN, PhD; Mary Ann Best, PhD, RN; Elnora P. (\"Nonie\") Mendias, PhD, RNParents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are uniquely stressed by the difficult behaviors of their children which often result in isolation, depression and financial burden. The causes of ASD are not well-understood but are believed to result from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. There is no standard treatment protocol for ASD. Since early intervention is associated with more favorable outcomes for the child, many parents search the Internet hoping to find effective therapies and treatments. This study employed Naturalistic Inquiry methodology, as described by Lincoln and Guba (1985), to explore how parents of children with ASD use the Internet, what kinds of information the parents were seeking and how they located, evaluated and chose to use ASD-related information. Twelve parents of children with ASD were interviewed for the study. Data consisted of bio-demographic information and transcribed interviews. Data was unitized and analyzed inductively; coded descriptively, topically and analytically (Morse & Richards, 2002) in a recursive manner using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Rigor and data trustworthiness were enhanced by using data management and analysis strategies to ensure credibility, fittingness and auditability (Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Beck, 1993). Findings revealed that parents searched with intensity and urgency for information about causes, treatments, how to interpret symptoms of ASD and to confirm their child’s diagnosis. They searched in response to unsatisfactory experiences with the healthcare and educational systems. Parents reported that they would like more information online about strategies to handle difficult behaviors, respite care, encouragement for daily living and how to access direct services for their children.\r\n\r\nItem Lau vs. Nichols 40 Years Later - Where Are We Now? A Study of Philosophical, Political, Cultural and Societal Issues Impacting Bilingual Education in the Early 21st Century(2011-02-22) Everling, Kathleen M.Bilingual education in the United States has been at the forefront of educational politics and debates since its inception. Arguments over language of instruction and program goals overshadow the deeper philosophical, political and societal issues rooted at the heart of bilingual education. This purpose of this study was to present a critical view of the issues impacting a small Central Texas school district?s early childhood bilingual program. Over the course of a year, I conducted a focus group interview followed by individual interviews with two preschool and two kindergarten Spanish bilingual teachers. I collected field notes and observational data on site for two years. Based in grounded theory, the data dictated the focus of the study. The open coding process used to analyze the focus group interview data uncovered the foundational themes for this study. The individual interviews were analyzed using open coding, confirming and elaborating on the themes. Field notes and observational data were used to triangulate the data. The themes were: philosophical and theoretical foundations, politics and policies, and social and cultural issues. Through the lens of the data, I examined the impact of No Child Left Behind, Reading First, and the corresponding Texas regulations. The participants found the testing requirements to be distracting from their teaching. They believed the requirements, particularly for assessment, to be inappropriate and of limited use in their classrooms. From a sociocultural perspective, I discovered discrimination and segregation, but the teacher participants never opened a dialogue about these practices with each other or their administrator. The bilingual classes were isolated, given inferior and inappropriate materials. The school's culture was one of assimilation, not diversity. Finally, I examined the underlying issues that impacted this bilingual education program and the implications for further research. There is a need to conduct further research into bilingual teacher education, including alternative certification and continuing education, the hidden curriculum and bilingual education and empowerment of bilingual teachers through dialogue. Bilingual education holds the promise of closing the gaps in education, but further research must include the critical areas of influence including philosophy, politics and sociocultural issues, not just program goals and language acquisition.Item Motherhood, Media and Reality: Analyzing Female Audience Reception of Celebrity Parenthood as News(2012-10-19) Hatfield, Elizabeth FishThe growing cultural commodity of celebrity news and its increasing focus on celebrities' families is examined by this project to determine what consequence communications about celebrity pregnancy and parenthood have on readers most likely to identify with the stories ? new mothers. While gossip magazines are not meant to provide parenting advice, their editorial focus on parenting may position celebrity parents as role models for audiences. Guided by theories of media effects, this project sought to understand why and how that might happen. Using narrative thematic analysis, two complementary data sets were analyzed: 36 issues sampled from the leading gossip magazines, People and Us Weekly, during 2007-2009, and five focus groups with recent mothers. Gossip magazines positively framed celebrity family life, idealizing the experience by avoiding talk of parenting's daily challenges. Resources such as nannies and personal trainers define celebrity parenting by affording celebrities, especially women, the ability to continue work while maintaining the identity of primary caregivers. A gendered act, consumption was intrinsically part of good celebrity parenting. Expectations for celebrity postpartum weight loss communicated that bigger bodies are a work-in-progress rather than an acceptable new body type. Fathers were visually depicted more often than in conventional parenting media, though these images similarly showed parents performing normative, gendered behaviors. Participants reported escapism as their main reason for reading gossip magazines and parasocial relationships existed with both liked and disliked celebrities. For liked celebrities, a parasocial dialectical tension emerged defining role models as both special and ordinary. For disliked celebrities, negative frames portrayed their parenting behavior as unacceptable and served as the strongest form of social learning from gossip magazines as readers internalized media criticism. Celebrity role models were selected based on feeling similar, serving as fantasy role models whose parenting lifestyles were simultaneously interpreted as aspirational and unattainable. Participants' social comparisons usually evaluated their own parenting experience as preferred to the demands and media environment faced by celebrities. Situations interpreted as incomparable attributed celebrities' success to external factors rather than internal characteristics. Overall, gossip magazines do provide parenting information that expands and impacts the real experience of mothers.Item Seeing the court: investigating outcomes, processes and perspectives in basketball as a positive youth development context(2010-07-14) Harrist, Christopher J.Researchers have found that 40 to 50 percent of youth's time can be classified as free or residual, which yields great opportunities for their participation in leisure and recreation activities. When all structured voluntary activities available to youth are considered, the greatest amount of time is spent participating in youth sports. Organized sports participation has been associated with positive developmental outcomes (e.g., healthier lifestyle; increases in self-efficacy; enhanced academic achievement); however, not all experiences are positive. Research has found that the context of the activity contributes significantly to participation being associated with positive or negative outcomes. Understanding important contextual elements related to sports participation, particularly as viewed by key stakeholders (e.g., coaches and players), is important in developing quality experiences that promote beneficial growth. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of youth basketball as a positive developmental context. More specifically, it examined: (1) the outcomes associated with participation as identified by coaches of youth sport select teams; (2) the methods used by coaches to promote positive development; (3) the perceptions of the players related to coaching intentions and behaviors; and (4) the fidelity with which coaches carry out their identified coaching methods in practices and games. Findings indicated that coaches and players were able to accurately identify desired goals and methodologies along three domains: (1) player improvement; (2) development of life skills; and (3) enjoying the playing experience. One outcome theme showing inconsistency across the respondent groups was the identification of enjoying the playing experience, which was not identified by the player group. This inconsistency, however, did not show up when the respondents were identifying methodological approaches. Further analysis of sub-themes indicated considerable variation between coach and player responses. In addition, data obtained through observation corroborated the major thematic findings; however, when discrepancies existed the data revealed closer association to player responses. Player's also offered insight regarding personal goals and positive developmental outcomes they attributed to participation. Observational data also confirmed a portion of coach and player identified methodologies, but new approaches were also discovered.