Browsing by Subject "Participatory Research"

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    ACTION RESEARCH FOR NURSE EDUCATORS:A MORE NOURISHING ALTERNATIVE TO EATING OUR YOUNG
    (2005-12-15T18:48:20Z) Berent, Georgine R
    Poster Session- Since Florence Nightengale began professional schools of nursing, socialization in the nursing curriculum has been viewed from multiple perspectives. University-based nursing programs include a professional nursing course at the beginning of students’ studies. This begins the professional development of students. A thorough overview examining the history and evolution of nursing demonstrates a gap in the socialization process and faculty’s influence. In this proposed study, the researcher will examine ways in which the nursing faculty communicates with the student nurses. The question to be explored using action research is: What are the implicit and explicit behaviors nursing faculty integrate into the nursing curriculum that socialize students? This research proposal asserts that Participatory Research (PR) methods impacting the curriculum will support and empower students in this important process. Gajanayake (2001) outlined an eight-phase cycle. This will be used as a flexible template for redesigning the early professional development nursing courses. Collaboration between students and faculty will stimulate the PR method. PR will provide the structure for joint faculty and student exploration of the problem. This methodology includes: 1.Identification of a problem or need: Fewer students are choosing a career in nursing. Many nurses are leaving the profession for various reasons. Many students and nurses verbalize the lack of support throughout nursing education. 2. Reflection: Faculty members and students will be invited through focus groups and interviews to identify the impact of the socialization process. 3. Investigation: Participants will explore historical influences that have changed the face of nursing. 4. Analysis: Data gathered in the investigation phase will be used to identify the major problems and suggest possible solutions. 5. Integration: With the analysis information, participants will stimulate curriculum change by sharing and publishing this research. 6. Action Planning: In this phase, we will engage in grant writing, obtaining administrative support, and coordinating faculty input. As a result, changes in the curriculum will be created. 7. Implementation: The curriculum changes will be evaluated and analyzed. 8. Transformation: The goal of these curriculum changes is an improvement in self-confidence and self-worth in the students and the faculty. This phase will only be able to be evaluated over a period of time. What is advocated here, then, is not merely a PR project but a curriculum “revisioning” with PR as the central pedogogical feature. As a new framework outside the traditional research conducted by nurse researchers, I am aware of possible resistance. I am hopeful that this beginning work will help to reshape and rejuvenate nursing curriculum.
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    Life Satisfaction Index for the Third Age (LSITA): A Measurement of Successful Aging
    (2006-10) Barrett, Andrew J.; Murk, Peter J.
    The purpose of this research was to develop an updated scale based on the framework that Neugarten, Havighurst and Tobin (1961) used to design the Life Satisfaction Index- Form A (LSI-A). The new instrument, the Life Satisfaction Index for the Third Age LSITA), was used to assess 654 third age adults in a measurement development process to establish the LSITA’s psychometric properties. These individuals were Midwestern United States adults from selected third age learning events, retirement centers, church events, community centers and the general public. The participants were all over fifty years old consistent with the definition of the third age. The authors had been involved in a research study that used LSI-A that led to an appreciation of the importance of measuring successful aging as well as the need to apply current statistical techniques to a revised instrument. The LSITA was designed and its psychometric properties assessed using the eight-step design process from DeVellis (1991). The reliability of the 35-item scale was .93 with satisfactory content, construct and criterion validity. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and a very satisfactory goodness of fit was obtained. The new instrument has been made available to researchers by emailing ajbarret@purdue.edu. The expectation is that the researchers will provide the author with an electronic copy of their responses to add to the database.
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    THE SELECT 50 INITIATIVE: HELPING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ACHIEVE ACADEMICALLY THROUGH SCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
    (2005-12-15T18:50:14Z) Folkman, Daniel V; Hill, Lee; Stuckert, Susan
    Poster Session-This poster presentation summarizes a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project that involved helping 50 students identified as being academically at-risk in each of 12 middle schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This PAR project emerged from Milwaukee’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CLC) Initiative, which provides after school programs for students, families and community residents. The CLC Initiative has documented that after school programs help students academically. The challenge is to identify, recruit and retain students in after school programs that are at risk of failing academically. This is a particular challenge for middle school students. Accordingly, at the beginning of the 2001-2002 academic year, a group of 12 middle school principals with CLC programs were asked to select 50 students who were at risk academically. Parents, retired teachers, and local community residents were recruited to fill positions as half-time outreach workers. The outreach workers were charged with building and sustaining personal relationships with these students, their families and their teachers. The task was simple but challenging: Create a personal relationship that is based on trust, support and improved communication between the students, parents, and teachers. It was assumed that through this supportive relationship students would improve academically in terms of grades, attendance and overall attitude toward school. The focus of this poster presentation is on the activities and learning that occurred among the Outreach Workers as they implemented the project. The display highlights the array of practices that the outreach workers implemented, the challenges and barriers they encountered, the success they enjoyed, and the results they produced in student academic achievement. Representatives from the project are available to discuss the learning that occurred not only among the select 50 students but more importantly, from an adult education perspective, among the teachers, administrators, parents and community volunteers who work with at-risk students. The implementation of the project evolved over three phases: Phase I involved gaining entry into the schools and establishing connections between the outreach workers, teachers, principals and the CLC after school programs. This phase also included identifying the pool of students who were at risk of academic failure and recruiting students into the program. Phase II involved establishing connections with the students and building a relationship of support and trust between the students and the outreach worker. This phase also included building similar relationships of trust and support between the outreach workers, teachers and the parents of the select 50 students. Phase III involved the on-going work with the select 50 students with emphasis on helping them remain focused on their studies as well as maintaining the web of support among the teachers, parents, CLC staff and other caring adults.