1941 research outputs found
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A Phenomenological Exploration of Play Among Educational Leaders
Full text link157 pagesProblem: Today’s educational leaders are facing more challenges than ever before. State
and federal mandates make it difficult for leaders to work outside a given framework and
many are stretched physically, emotionally and mentally beyond their limits to maintain
health. Play is an important part of a healthy life style. This qualitative study explored
how play impacted educational leaders both in their own lived as well as in the culture
they created with their followers.
Procedures: This phenomenological study explored the phenomenon of play as it relates
to educational leaders. The grand tour question is “How is the phenomenon of play
impacting the work of educational leaders?” A semi-structured interview was conducted
with eight educational leaders including, superintendents, curriculum directors, and
principals. The questions focused on play history, current forms of play, and playful
leadership. The educational leaders were selected using purposeful sampling. Data
analysis was conducted through the use of open and axial coding and was used to identify
key themes or topics. Verification of data will include triangulation and rich, thick
descriptions. Findings were written in a phenomenological structure to provide a narrative
description of the experience.
Findings: This study found that play is impacting the work of the eight educational
leaders in the way they find relief from stress both on the job and at home, the ways in
which they identify playful leaders and the culture that is created through playful
leadership. The leaders were not all aware of their own playful nature or habits but all of
them identified playful behaviors in others.
Conclusion: Reflection offered an opportunity for the participants to make connections to
the playful leadership of others as well as in their own leadership role. Those who saw the
benefits of play in their own lives also reported feeling a better sense of balance and were
more purposeful in their creation of a playful work culture.
Recommendations: These data suggest that leaders can benefit from recognizing play as a
part of the human experience and may be more effective leaders when they create a
culture of personal connection and play. The data also point to the recommendation that
educational leaders provide time for playful learning for their students and staff and that
they recognize symptoms of a life without play and the detriment it can cause
The Status of Iowa Sleep-Related Infant Mortality: An Evaluation of Safe Sleep Education Delivery, Policy, and Practice in Birthing Hospitals
Full text link142 leavesProblem: Sleep-related infant mortality, including sudden infant death syndrome, asphyxia, and undetermined or unknown causes, is the third leading cause of death nationally and in Iowa (Harris, 2014; Malloy & Ramirez, 2013). Evidence exists for increasing rates of bed sharing, a major risk factor for sleep-related mortality (Kemp et al., 2000). Preventive messaging is most widely and effectively delivered by health professionals at time of birth (Shaefer, Herman, Frank, Adkins, & Tehaar, 2010). The intent of this study was to provide a characterization of infant, maternal, and environmental factors contributing to sleep-related infant mortality and a comprehensive review of safe sleep education policy and practices in Iowa birthing hospitals.
Procedures: An experimental, cross-sectional study design was used to analyze infant mortality data reported by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner to the Child Death Reporting system from 2004-2012. Analyses included mortality trends for sleep-related mortality parsed by Sudden Infant Death (SIDS), asphyxia, and undetermined or unknown cause, descriptive statistics for maternal and infant demographic factors, and correlations for environmental factors potentially contributing to sleep-related death. An adjacent effort with Iowa birthing hospitals involved use of a web-based survey to assess policies, parent education programs, clinical practice, and training related to safe infant sleep or SIDS. The survey was directed toward obstetric unit coordinators with content drawn from previous efforts to ascertain clinical practice. Findings: Sleep-related mortality in Iowa has been steadily increasing since 2004. Subcategorical examination of this trend revealed rises in SIDS and undetermined or unknown cases, but a stable rate of deaths due to asphyxia. These infants (n=384) were more often males (58.6%), lived an average age of 102 days, were living with multiple children at time of death, and had a young mother. An alarming 42% of infants were bed sharing at time of death, with only 43% placed on their back to sleep prior to the event. Significant racial disparities were present. Non-white infants were more likely to have died while bed sharing compared to white infants, Pearson χ2(1, n=151)=6.7, p=0.01, and non-white infants were also more likely to usually sleep someplace other than a crib, Pearson χ2(2, n=151)=5.05, p=0.025. The hospital survey (N=42) revealed that three-quarters have policies addressing SIDS or safe sleep education. Of those with policies, topics covered included sleep positioning, surface, bed sharing, and the infant’s sleep environment. Respondents indicated nearly uniform demonstration of supine sleep, though some cited fear of aspiration, as a reason supine sleep might not be used. Less than half of hospitals require clinical staff to complete safe sleep education training. Unit coordinators rated their SIDS or safe infant sleep programs an average strength of 7.66 out of 10.
Conclusions: Sleep-related mortality incidence in Iowa is increasing and state-specific risk factors exist. Racial disparities in sleep environment practice are of particular concern. Hospital policy addressing safe infant sleep is not universal. Consistent demonstration of supine sleep may be inhibited by concerns over aspiration. Training opportunities could be improved as access to programs external to the hospital setting and online are not fully utilized.
Recommendations: Greater awareness of the risk factors associated with sleep-related infant mortality is needed among parents and caregivers of infants. Expansion or strengthening of existing hospital-based education programs may improve protective parental actions. The Health Belief Model may be an important tool in examining why parents are not be universally adhering to guidance against bed sharing
Teacher Mentors: Lived Experiences Mentoring At-Risk Middle School Students
Full text link154 pagesProblem: Because the experiences of students in the middle grades are “critical to his or her
life’s chances” (Balfanz, 2009, p. 11) and ultimately to graduation (Balfanz, 2009) schools
and communities are implementing mentoring interventions to support students struggling to
be successful in school (Balfanz, Herzog, & Mac Iver, 2007; Reimer & Smink, 2005;
Christensen, Stout, & Pohl, 2012). According to Dubois and Karcher (2014), current research
centers on mentors who are volunteers working in school-based mentoring programs. There
is little known about the role of teachers as mentors for students in school-based mentoring
programs (Aylon, 2011; Dubois & Karcher, 2014). Although mentoring is growing as an
intervention, there is a dearth in the literature regarding teachers’ experiences serving as
mentors.
Procedures: This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the experiences of five
middle school teachers who served at least one school year as a mentor in a structured
school-based Check & Connect© mentoring program (Christensen, Stout, & Pohl, 2012).
With more schools using teachers as mentors, the impetus for this study evolved from a
desire to know more about the primary research question: What are the lived experiences of
teachers mentoring at-risk middle school students? Teacher mentors from one Midwest
middle school were selected based on a criterion and convenience sample (Creswell, 2007).
Participants included one man and four women. Two of the subjects were early career
teachers and three had five or more years of teaching. Their experience mentoring ranged
from two students to over 25. Digital recordings and field notes captured the reflections of
the teacher mentors. Interviews were transcribed and a constant comparative analysis (Straus
& Corbin, 1990) was used to identify emergent themes (Creswell, 2007).
Findings: Describing the experiences of the teacher mentors, 11 themes were identified:
relationships are foundational in the mentoring process; finding time to meet with the mentee
is challenging but essential, mentoring requires doing more than the minimum, student
progress provides motivation for the mentor, mentors find mentoring personally rewarding
and enlightening, learning from mentoring at-risk students transfers into the mentor teacher’s
classroom, mentoring is hard work, mentoring challenges collegial relationships, on-going
relationships with parents require strategy and follow through, monitoring mentee’s data is a
framework for the mentoring process, mentors appreciate training and on-going support. The
integration of culturally responsive teaching strategies with the mentoring program not only
positively impacted the experience of the mentors but also appeared to carry over into the
teacher mentors’ classrooms. Teacher mentors exhibited dispositions that align with servant
leaders (Nichols, 2011).
Conclusions: Strong relationships are formed when teachers mentor at-risk students that
impact the teachers as well as the students. More research is needed to identify best practices
for engaging teachers as mentors for at-risk students. Future investigations should also
address the potential for the transfer of greater understanding of at-risk students and
culturally responsive strategies to the classrooms of teachers who have participated as a
mentor
Applying Erikson's Developmental Theory To The Recovery Of Eating Disorders
No full textCatherine Gillespie (Mentor)In this experiment participants are going to be asked a series of questions regarding your development, experience, and recovery with an eating disorder. This experiment has the potential to further our understanding of the recovery process from an eating disorder. There has been a reoccurring problem of not having a consistent definition of recovery throughout studies, causing studies and their results to be incomparable. This study will take a new template paralleling
Erikson’s theory of development to the process of recovery. This model for recovery has not
yet been applied to eating disorders, so our goal for this study is to try and verify whether or not the recovery of an eating disorder can mirror this model. By further understanding the process of recovery in an eating disorder, therapists and specialists can be more aware of how to track the recovery of an eating disorder. Participants in this study will be asked to complete two diagnostic measures. A Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) survey will be completed, independently, before the interview process begins as well as the Eat-26 survey. One-on-one semi-structured interviews will take place between the experimenter and the participant after the BMIS and Eat-26 survey was completed. Each interview will last approximately 90 minutes. There are 13 questions that will be asked by the experimenter that pertain to the initial diagnosis of their disorder, their past and/or current treatment, and their views on recovery. This is a qualitative study that will be analyzed using the model for recovery that mirrors Erikson’s theory of development.Drake University, Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences, School of Educatio
Parental Involvement Predictors Of Academic Success: A Review Of The NCES 2007 Parent And Family Involvement In Education Survey
Full text link114 pagesSince its inception in 1837, the school superintendency has been the focus of significant
attention from the educational research community. Superintendents face a wide spectrum of
responsibilities that can challenge even the most prepared individuals. Fewer candidates are
seeking the superintendency and the turnover rate for those already in the field is perceived by
superintendents to be of concern. Stress associated with the superintendency has been shown to
be a contributing factor to this turnover.
This study investigated the alignment between personal and environmental factors and
stress management of superintendents. Understanding the relationship between personal and
environmental factors and superintendent stress, specifically the ability to predict this stress by
evaluating the personal and environmental factors, is a first step in decreasing stress and
extending superintendent tenure. The framework of this study is based upon the concept of
person-environment fit (P-E fit), which has been widely studied as a means for conceptualizing
organizational behavior, organizational psychology, and human resource management. This
study uses a quantitative approach and survey research methodology with a postpositivistic
theoretical perspective. Participants in this research study were 992 practicing superintendents in
the Midwest.
Five new superintendent stress constructs – board-relations stress, task-based stress,
expectation-based stress, resource-management stress, and self-efficacy stress – were identified
through a factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that both personal
and environmental factors predict frequency of superintendent stress. Implications for aspiring
and practicing superintendents, superintendent preparatory programs, and superintendent support
systems are discussed
Biotherapeutics Usage By Iowa Pharmacists: A Survey
No full textCross Beemer (Mentor) ; Pramod B. Mahajan (Mentor)Biotherapeutics, drugs that are produced using biological means such as recombinant DNA technology, are becoming extremely important in the treatment of a number of disorders such as cancer, immunological diseases and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Paucity of basic information health care professionals possess regarding specific biotherapeutics is a significant challenge associated with successful applications of biotherapeutics. The objective of our study was to evaluate the knowledge pharmacists in Iowa have about the usage of biotherapeutics. A short survey was designed to gather demographic data as well as data on specific knowledge about biotherapeutics. This survey was approved by Drake University’s IRB. Using iPads, sixty-eight pharmacists were surveyed and responses were recorded into Qualtrics online survey software. Fifty-seven percent females and 43% males ranging in age from 26-72 with various pharmacy degrees from eight different institutions completed the survey. Approximately 30% of participants surveyed stated they have worked with some form of biotherapeutic drug. Of these, 79% have worked with up to 5 different biotherapeutics and 16% worked with 5 to 10 different biotherapeutics. Nearly 12% of participants stated they were not sure if they had worked with a biotherapeutic. Finally, 48% of the pharmacists surveyed stated they were not well informed regarding the usage of biotherapeutic drugs. Our preliminary results indicate a need to expand this research on a national level with possible implications for developing continuing education programs on biotherapeutics production and applications, specifically designed for pharmacists
and other health care professionals.Drake University, Department of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical & Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Science
Uncertainty Avoidance and Consumer Perceptions of Global e-Commerce Sites: A Multi-Level Model
Full text link36 pagesOnline purchasing is a decision-making process that involves inherent uncertainty. Yet consumer
tolerance for uncertainty differs across cultures, requiring e-vendors to decide whether to adapt
websites to different cultures when operating globally. We examine the effect of Hofstede’s cultural
dimension of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on consumer perceptions of e-loyalty. Viewing
information quality, trust, and system quality as uncertainty reduction mechanisms, UA is
hypothesized to moderate relationships involving these constructs in a recognized model of IS
success. Specifically, we posit that relationships involving these constructs will be stronger for
consumers from high UA cultures. Using data drawn from over 3,500 actual consumers from 38
different countries, and controlling for the impact of other cultural dimensions, results suggest that
UA moderates the effects of information quality on perceived usefulness, and of trust on e-loyalty,
but not system quality relationships. We discuss practical implications of our research, in regard to
designing websites intended for global use
Uncertainty Avoidance and Consumer Perceptions of Global e-Commerce Sites: A Multi-Level Model
Full text link47 pagesOnline purchasing is a decision-making process that involves inherent uncertainty. Yet consumer
tolerance for uncertainty differs across cultures, requiring e-vendors to decide whether to adapt
websites to different cultures when operating globally. We examine the effect of Hofstede’s cultural
dimension of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on consumer perceptions of e-loyalty. Viewing
information quality, trust, and system quality as uncertainty reduction mechanisms, UA is
hypothesized to moderate relationships involving these constructs in a recognized model of IS
success. Specifically, we posit that relationships involving these constructs will be stronger for
consumers from high UA cultures. Using data drawn from over 3,500 actual consumers from 38
different countries, and controlling for the impact of other cultural dimensions, results suggest that
UA moderates the effects of information quality on perceived usefulness, and of trust on e-loyalty,
but not system quality relationships. We discuss practical implications of our research, in regard to
designing websites intended for global use
Stress For Superintendents In The Midwest Viewed Through The Lens Of Person-Environment Fit
Full text link187 pagesSince its inception in 1837, the school superintendency has been the focus of significant
attention from the educational research community. Superintendents face a wide spectrum of
responsibilities that can challenge even the most prepared individuals. Fewer candidates are
seeking the superintendency and the turnover rate for those already in the field is perceived by
superintendents to be of concern. Stress associated with the superintendency has been shown to
be a contributing factor to this turnover.
This study investigated the alignment between personal and environmental factors and
stress management of superintendents. Understanding the relationship between personal and
environmental factors and superintendent stress, specifically the ability to predict this stress by
evaluating the personal and environmental factors, is a first step in decreasing stress and
extending superintendent tenure. The framework of this study is based upon the concept of
person-environment fit (P-E fit), which has been widely studied as a means for conceptualizing
organizational behavior, organizational psychology, and human resource management. This
study uses a quantitative approach and survey research methodology with a postpositivistic
theoretical perspective. Participants in this research study were 992 practicing superintendents in
the Midwest.
Five new superintendent stress constructs – board-relations stress, task-based stress,
expectation-based stress, resource-management stress, and self-efficacy stress – were identified
through a factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that both personal
and environmental factors predict frequency of superintendent stress. Implications for aspiring
and practicing superintendents, superintendent preparatory programs, and superintendent support
systems are discussed