“It ain’t ‘nah’ it’s ‘no’”: Preparing preschoolers for the language of school

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen E Whittingham ◽  
Emily Brown Hoffman ◽  
Joseph C Rumenapp
Keyword(s):  
School Readiness ◽  
The United States ◽  
African American Community ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Language Varieties ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Midwestern City ◽  
Childcare Providers

This research presents reflections from focus group discussions with childcare providers and parents of preschoolers in one African American community situated within a large Midwestern city in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ and childcare providers’ conceptions of literacy and language related to school readiness. During these conversations it became clear that both parents and providers engage in a number of practices to prepare children to use the standard variety of English privileged by mainstream schooling. Participants verbalize the dual importance of encouraging all language development for young children while explicitly teaching the uses of language as situated in a larger social context. Both parents and providers discuss the need to build a bridge for children between the English varieties used at home and the standard English valued by schools. In light of these findings, the authors problematize common conceptions of ‘school readiness’ as unidirectional and discuss implications for children entering school settings where language varieties are undervalued.

scholarly journals Nairobi Early Childcare in Slums (NECS) Study Protocol: a mixed-methods exploration of paid early childcare in Mukuru slum, Nairobi

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e000822
Author(s):  
Robert C Hughes ◽  
Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo ◽  
Sunil Bhopal ◽  
Elizabeth W Kimani-Murage ◽  
Zelee Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Epidemiological Methods ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Early Childcare ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Childcare Providers

IntroductionThe early years are critical. Early nurturing care can lay the foundation for human capital accumulation with lifelong benefits. Conversely, early adversity undermines brain development, learning and future earning.Slums are among the most challenging places to spend those early years and are difficult places to care for a child. Shifting family and work structures mean that paid, largely informal, childcare seems to be becoming the ‘new normal’ for many preschool children growing up in rapidly urbanising Africa. However, little is known about the quality of this childcare.AimsTo build a rigorous understanding what childcare strategies are used and why in a typical Nairobi slum, with a particular focus on provision and quality of paid childcare. Through this, to inform evaluation of quality and design and implementation of interventions with the potential to reach some of the most vulnerable children at the most critical time in the life course.Methods and analysisMixed methods will be employed. Qualitative research (in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) with parents/carers will explore need for and decision-making about childcare. A household survey (of 480 households) will estimate the use of different childcare strategies by parents/carers and associated parent/carer characteristics. Subsequently, childcare providers will be mapped and surveyed to document and assess quality of current paid childcare. Semistructured observations will augment self-reported quality with observable characteristics/practices. Finally, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with childcare providers will explore their behaviours and motivations. Qualitative data will be analysed through thematic analysis and triangulation across methods. Quantitative and spatial data will be analysed through epidemiological methods (random effects regression modelling and spatial statistics).Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been granted in the UK and Kenya. Findings will be disseminated through journal publications, community and government stakeholder workshops, policy briefs and social media content.

scholarly journals Competing Cultural Worldviews in the United States: A Phenomenological Examination of the Essential Core Elements of Transnationalism and Transculturalism

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Orbe ◽  
Darlene Drummond
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
The United States ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Cultural Worldviews ◽  
Core Elements

The objective of this study was to explore inductively the complex ways in which everyday discourse reflects larger - and often competing - cultural worldviews. A phenomenological framework was used to analyze transcripts generated through 13 focus group discussions involving 100 individuals. This particular analysis highlights how individuals who adopted a transnational worldview worked to transform cultural divisions through criticism of existing labels that failed to capture the multicultural nature of their identifies. Alternatively, individuals who adopted a transcultural worldview worked to transcend traditional cultural divisions through a rejection of traditional labels that worked against one unified social identity. The thematic insights generated through the study are significant in that they provide a heuristic framework for scholars and practitioners who are interested in promoting greater understanding through engaging transnationalism, transculturalism, and related issues.

Resistance to Influenza Vaccination: Psychographics, Audience Segments, and Potential Promotions to Increase Vaccination

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert John ◽  
Marshall K. Cheney
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Marketing Mix ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Promotional Messages

Except for individuals 65 years of age and older, no other group in the United States has an influenza vaccination rate above one-third of the population, even among groups that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend for priority annual seasonal influenza vaccination. To improve the vaccination rate we need to know more about influenza vaccine psychographics among indifferent or resistant individuals or the attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and values surrounding their decision not to obtain annual vaccination. This formative research project is based on eight focus group discussions with 74 individuals from groups that do not participate in influenza vaccination at rates similar to the general population and/or are members of identifiable high-risk groups about their perceptions and beliefs about the flu shot. Three audience segments were identified: Plans to Get, Needs More Information, and Makes You Sick Because they have strongly held negative views toward the product, no special intervention should be directed toward the Makes You Sick segment. Since the actual product cannot be changed (vaccine), different aspects of the marketing mix of price, place, and promotion need to be adjusted to influence the Plans to Get and Needs More Information segments to obtain a vaccination. Ideas for appropriate promotional messages are offered.

scholarly journals Computer-Mediated Communication to Facilitate Synchronous Online Focus Group Discussions: Feasibility Study for Qualitative HIV Research Among Transgender Women Across the United States (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L Wirtz ◽  
Erin E Cooney ◽  
Aeysha Chaudhry ◽  
Sari L Reisner ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
The United States ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Computer Mediated

BACKGROUND Novel, technology-based methods are rapidly increasing in popularity across multiple facets of quantitative research. Qualitative research, however, has been slower to integrate technology into research methodology. One method, computer-mediated communication (CMC), has been utilized to a limited extent for focus group discussions. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess feasibility of an online video conferencing system to further adapt CMC to facilitate synchronous focus group discussions among transgender women living in six cities in eastern and southern United States. METHODS Between August 2017 and January 2018, focus group discussions with adult transgender women were conducted in English and Spanish by research teams based in Boston, MA, and Baltimore, MD. Participants were sampled from six cities: Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; and Miami, FL. This was formative research to inform a technology-enhanced cohort study to assess HIV acquisition among transgender women. This analysis focused on the methodologic use of CMC focus groups conducted synchronously using online software that enabled video or phone discussion. Findings were based on qualitative observations of attendance and study team debriefing on topics of individual, social, technical, and logistical challenges encountered. RESULTS A total of 41 transgender women from all six cities participated in seven online focus group discussions—five English and two Spanish. There was equal racial distribution of black/African American (14/41, 34%) and white (14/41, 34%) attendees, with 29% (12/41) identifying as Hispanic/Latina ethnicity. Overall, 29 of 70 (41%) eligible and scheduled transgender women failed to attend the focus group discussions. The most common reason for nonattendance was forgetting or having a scheduling conflict (16/29, 55%). A total of 14% (4/29) reported technical challenges associated with accessing the CMC focus group discussion. CMC focus group discussions were found to facilitate geographic diversity; allow participants to control anonymity and privacy (eg, use of pseudonyms and option to use video); ease scheduling by eliminating challenges related to travel to a data collection site; and offer flexibility to join via a variety of devices. Challenges encountered were related to overlapping conversations; variable audio quality in cases where Internet or cellular connection was poor; and distribution of incentives (eg, cash versus gift cards). As with all focus group discussions, establishment of ground rules and employing both a skilled facilitator and a notetaker who could troubleshoot technology issues were critical to the success of CMC focus group discussions. CONCLUSIONS Synchronous CMC focus group discussions provide a secure opportunity to convene participants across geographic space with minimal time burden and without losing the standardized approach that is expected of focus group discussions. This method may provide an optimal alternative to engaging hard-to-reach participants in focus group discussions. Participants with limited technological literacy or inconsistent access to a phone and/or cellular data or service, as well as circumstances necessitating immediate cash incentives may, however, require additional support and accommodation when participating in CMC focus group discussions.

scholarly journals A Survey of Horse Selection, Longevity, and Retirement in Equine-Assisted Services in the United States

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2333
Author(s):  
Ellen M. Rankins ◽  
Carissa L. Wickens ◽  
Kenneth H. McKeever ◽  
Karyn Malinowski
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Initial Screening ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Selection Procedures ◽  
Study Behavior ◽  
Acclimation Period ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Equine Assisted

Little published information exists on the horses in equine-assisted services (EAS), particularly their selection, longevity, and retirement. The purpose of this study was to characterize horses and procedures used in EAS. A pilot survey was developed using focus group discussions and distributed to Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH Intl) centers in Florida (n = 45, Part I) before further modification and distribution to members of PATH Intl., American Hippotherapy Association (AHA), eagala, and Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) (n = 26,000, Part II). Response rates were 36% (Part I) and 0.7% (Part II). Centers report a median of 10 (Part I) or 9 (Part II) horses and ponies. Selection procedures included initial screening (Part I = 100%, Part II = 96%), pre-purchase or pre-donation exam (I = 64%, II = 60%), acclimation period (I = 100%, II = 84%), trial period (I = 91%, II = 90%), and other (II = 11%). Horses remained active in programs for less than a year to over 20 years with the greatest number working 7–10 (Part I) or 1–6 (Part II) yr. In Part I of the study, behavior (44%) was the leading cause of retirement followed by unsoundness (33%). In Part II, unsoundness was the highest ranked response followed by behavior. Behavior, soundness, and health emerged as key factors in horse selection and retirement. Future work should focus on investigating these issues at an individual horse level.

The School Counsellor’s Role in Trauma-Aware Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Judith Howard ◽  
Lyra L’Estrange ◽  
Meegan Brown
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Complex Trauma ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
School Settings ◽  
School Counsellors

Abstract It is not unusual for school counsellors to be involved in trauma-aware education practice; however, their role is not uniformly defined in the literature nor consistently applied in professional settings. Trauma-aware education is relatively new but rapidly growing in Australia and beyond. It involves supporting students in a neuroscience-informed manner to address the impacts of complex trauma on their capacities to feel safe, to relate, to emotionally regulate, and to learn. Twenty-six school counsellors completed questionnaires, and eight of those joined focus group discussions to explore the role of school counsellors in trauma-aware practice in Queensland, Australia. Drawing on the voices of practitioners, the present report discusses categories of practice that are prioritised by school counsellors and recommends supports to effectively undertake trauma-aware practice in school settings.

Imagined Community of Education: Voices From Refugees and Immigrants

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 957-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye He ◽  
Silvia Cristina Bettez ◽  
Barbara B. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Educational Experiences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Cultural Wealth ◽  
Deficit Thinking ◽  
Imagined Community ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Cultural Wealth ◽  
Perceived Reality ◽  
Immigrant And Refugee

To challenge deficit thinking concerning immigrants and refugees in urban schools, we engaged members of local immigrant and refugee communities from China, Mexico, Liberia, and Sudan in focus group discussions about their prior educational experiences, their hopes and aspirations for education, and the supports and challenges they encountered in their perceived reality of PK-12 education in the United States. In an effort to promote asset-based approaches, we employed Yosso’s framework in our analysis to highlight the community cultural wealth and to describe the process of creating an “imagined community” of education shared among our participants.

“It's a Struggle, It's a Journey, It's a Mountain That You Gotta Climb”

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Alicia Griffin ◽  
Molly Wiant Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Black Male ◽  
The United States ◽  
Access To Education ◽  
Race Theory ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender

Access to education is one of the only or most realistic means in the United States to improving one's opportunities and agency over a lifetime. That so many Black men are severed from this opportunity, early and often, is distressing at best and deadly at worst. Addressing this systemic issue, this essay centrally positions Black male voices to narrate their educational experiences at the intersections of race and gender. Guided by critical race theory coupled with Black misandry, this essay positions “gendered racism” as a communicative phenomena that can be further understood through qualitative narratives that speak to intersectional identities, power, oppression, and resistance. Drawing from the analysis of five focus group discussions, we highlight three subcategories that surfaced in relation to stereotypes including: (a) Omnipresence of Stereotype Threat, (b) Everyday Struggles with Stereotypes, and (c) Negotiating Stereotypes and Stereotype Threat. Each of these is presented by shifting Black male voices from the margins of inquiry to the center in the hopes that their insightful and instructive reflections will be taken into serious account.

scholarly journals Cultural Sets Shape Adult Conceptualizations and Relationships to Nature

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11266
Author(s):  
Linda Powers Tomasso ◽  
Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent ◽  
Jarvis T. Chen ◽  
Paul J. Catalano ◽  
John D. Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
The United States ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Nature Imagery ◽  
Health Studies ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Nature Connectedness ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Nature Experience

The variability of nature and the nature construct have complicated interpretations of empirical evidence from nature-based health studies. The challenge of defining nature exposure for purposes of methodological standardization may encompass constructs beyond vegetated landcover. This study offers a new construct for defining ‘nature exposure’ that considers cultural sets and nature familiarity. Focus group discussions across the United States (N = 126) explored the concept of what constitutes the relationship to nature. The participant diversity included regions, cultural demographics, cumulative nature experience, and everyday nature exposure. Mixed methods of semi-structured discussion and a photo exercise that prompted nature connectedness allowed for data triangulation and the detection of contradictions between approaches. Individuals conceptualized nature in ways reflecting highly personal and differentiated experiences, which defied consensus toward a single nature construct. The group scoring of photo imagery showed consistent high and low levels of nature connectedness with respect to wildness and outdoor urban venues, respectively, but diverged in the assessment of nature within the built environment. Everyday nature exposure significantly differentiated how groups conceptualized and related to nature imagery. This result may indicate an unmet biophilic need among groups with low backgrounds of nature exposure. The contrasts between the discussion content and the observed reactions to nature imagery showed the value of using mixed methods in qualitative research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document