This study focuses on the homeschooling experiences of Israeli homeschool graduates. The phenomenon of homeschooling has been evolving in recent years as more and more parents choose to educate their ...children at home. In the world, and also in Israel, many studies have been conducted on homeschooling, but in Israel no research has been conducted on homeschooling graduates. Homeschooling is a relatively new phenomenon in Israel and only in recent years has a significant group of graduates been formed. This qualitative, phenomenological study focused on Israeli homeschooling graduates who had reached the age of eighteen and studied most of their elementary and high school years at home. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 homeschooling graduates, the study sought to understand how homeschooling graduates spent their time in childhood and adolescence, the educational approach used in their homes, and their perceptions of their learning experiences. The findings uniquely detail homeschooling from the perspective of homeschooling graduates and interpret them in light of intrinsic motivation theories. The parents’ and homeschool graduates’ educational approaches and attitudes fostered children’s intrinsic motivation to learn.
The Russian government adopted “anti-gay propaganda” laws in 2013, prompting an exodus of LGBT+ individuals who sought asylum in Western countries. Little is known about this new and diverse group of ...immigrants and their post-migration experiences in the U.S. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyze nine semi-structured interviews. Four major themes emerged: “being a new asylum seeker: challenges ranked,” “reconciling multipolar identities,” “a sense of safety and freedom vs. a shock of nonsupport and discrimination,” and “belonging: new communities and their challenges.” The study calls for counselors to gain knowledge of immigration policies and new immigrant LGBT+ communities to address the within-group diversity, immigration and asylum challenges, language barriers, and general institutional barriers to services faced by these populations.
The role of social support in assisting youth in developed countries cope with their HIV diagnosis has been examined through a vast body of research; yet, there remains a gap in research around the ...effects of social support among youth living in sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya. This study aimed to examine the role of social support among Kenyan youth living with HIV, specifically with regard to the variations in influences of this social support. We conducted semi-structured focus group discussions with youth (ages 18 to 27) living in the informal urban settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya (
= 53). Data analysis followed a phenomenological inquiry framework, and seven major categories of perceived social support influences were identified: (1) linkage to services, (2) antiretroviral (ARV) adherence, (3) self-acceptance of HIV status, (4) healthy and positive living, (5) understanding of what it means to be living with HIV, (6) HIV status disclosure, and (7) family and occupational strengthening. The findings from this study suggest that Kenyan youth living with HIV can benefit from social support in a multitude of ways and can occur across several socio-ecological levels. Future research should further examine these influences, specifically regarding intervention development across socio-ecological levels.
Most women do not reconstruct their breast(s) post-mastectomy. The experiences of younger women who maintain this decision, although important to understand, are largely absent in the research ...literature. This interview-based study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the experiences of six women, diagnosed with primary breast cancer in their 30s/40s, who decided against delayed reconstruction. Findings reported here focus on one superordinate theme (decision-making) from a larger analysis, illustrating that the women’s drive to survive clearly influenced their initial decision-making process. Their tenacity in maintaining their decision is highlighted, despite non-reconstruction sometimes being presented negatively by medical teams. Patient-centred support recommendations are made.
Multi-grade teaching is a widely accepted phenomenon in both developing and developed countries. In this article I report on a phenomenological inquiry into written feedback practices of teachers in ...multi-grade classrooms and how they described and interpreted their feedback practices pertaining to learners’ writing activities in English First Additional Language. Written feedback is widely believed to be central to learners’ learning and achievement. Feedback is assumed to change learners’ thinking or behaviour towards their work and is regarded as a tool to focus their attention on improving their learning. Despite the benefits of written feedback, however, there is a widespread belief that many learners are disengaged from the feedback they receive. The population in this study comprised 4 English First Additional Language teachers from 4 multi-grade primary schools. Content analysis was used to analyse the data collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that participants differed in their understanding of what was involved in feedback, and that there was a shared view that feedback was a product and not viewed as a process that could be used towards developing learners’ learning. It was also shown that feedback practices used by the teachers of multi-grade classes included providing correct answers and providing delayed feedback to learners. This study adds to the ongoing debates on multi-grade teaching and attempts to shed some light on the nature and the type of feedback that could motivate and enhance learners’ learning in multi-grade classrooms.
Research has identified positive relationships between familial support and outcomes for forensic mental health patients. Such support has been linked to reduced recidivism, improved mental health ...and increased prosocial behavior. Whilst some studies have explored families' experiences of providing such support, there is a paucity of research exploring patients' narratives. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the current study interviewed patients at a high secure forensic hospital and asked questions about their experiences of familial support. Results indicated four superordinate themes; Connection, Growth, Power, and Ambivalence. These results are discussed in relation to existing findings and clinical implications. Areas for future research are suggested.
Taking a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study describes the lived experiences of low-income older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A socio-ecological model was used to organize the ...five identified themes describing the lived experience: socio-economic context, Black Lives Matter and the politics of race, COVID and polarized views of COVID, interpersonal context (social connections), and individual context (feelings, beliefs, and behaviors). Study findings illustrate the intersectionality of contextual influences on the experience of low-income older adults. Study participants demonstrated remarkable resilience and coping strategies developed in response to the challenges they experienced throughout their lifetime which benefited them when faced with the pandemic, social unrest, and political events that took place in 2020. This study highlights the importance of understanding the larger context of COVID-19 which has significant implications for policy makers and public health leaders.
As a relatively young approach, mixed methods research (MMR) is a highly practical method to employ in special education due to its challenges and gains for the researchers. In this qualitative ...study, our aim is to explore the experiences and opinions of the researchers who completed their graduate thesis studies via MMR in special education in Turkey. We depended on hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenological design and conducted focus group discussions with eight participants. Inductive thematic analysis has yielded four themes: (1) discovering the nature of MMR, (2) the reasons to opt for MMR, (3) the experience in conducting MMR, and (4) suggestions. The findings have revealed that understanding the mixed paradigm is a challenging task which requires a change in the mindset of researcher. Its strong functional features for special education have directed researchers towards MMR. However, many challenges raise the question: “to what extent do studies meet the MMR quality standards?” The limitations we observed in the theses have indicated that the quality standards are not adequately reflected. The relatively new nature of the method, researchers’ lack of knowledge and experience, and insufficient support from the supervisor were the sources of the challenges according to our findings. We can say that there is also a need for studies discussing the implementation of the method in special education and for guidelines that will plot a route.
The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for ...Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived experience of PPA during COVID-19: Wired, Trapped, Lost in Time, No Safety Net, and Doubting Myself. The lived experience of PPA was both mirrored and masked by the lived experience of a global pandemic, exacerbating PPA due to the unknown and constricting nature of the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for future research to include subjective human experiences as pivotal components in creating support practices and a deeper understanding of PPA in the context of unprecedented life events.
Migration is an important life transition that creates opportunities for both learning and the (re)construction of identity. In this article, we discuss the migration experiences of great aunt Neža ...Gerkšič, a.k.a. Agnes Lacroix, as a field of learning being interpreted through the theory of biographical learning. Biographical learning is treated as a process occurring in everyday life and the (re)construction of identity, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. The study, following the phenomenological paradigm of qualitative research, was developed on the basis of an autobiographical record that includes the entire course of Neža's life and all her migrations. By analyzing the autobiographical record, we show how, in the first half of the twentieth century, this active subject of migration acquired knowledge and (re)constructed her identity through various strategies.
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