Exploring the impact of online peer-editing using Google Docs on EFL learners’ academic writing skills: a mixed methods study

Abstract Japanese EFL learners’ difficulty with accurately decoding connected English speech motivated this mixed methods study. The aural decoding capacities of 63 first-year Japanese university students, with low to intermediate level English proficiency, were first measured with a battery of paused transcription tests (PTT). The transcriptions were clusters of three-words that each possessed attributes typical of co-articulated speech. In addition, after each test, a subgroup of 10 participants individually listened to the same PTT and recounted introspective self-observations of their perceived difficulties with the aural decoding tasks in their L1. These quantitative and qualitative data were used to identify four trends in decoding errors which were categorized as follows: limited collocation familiarity, syntactic knowledge constraints, difficulties utilizing co-text, and L1 phonological influence. This study investigates some of the difficulties associated with aural decoding, highlights the challenges of identifying the origins of decoding errors and suggests that more focus is needed on developing decoding skills as well as knowledge of formulaic language in L2 listening education.

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Acute care nurses’ perceptions of leadership, teamwork, turnover intention and patient safety – a mixed methods study

BMC Nursing ◽

10.1186/s12912-021-00652-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shahram Zaheer ◽

Liane Ginsburg ◽

Hannah J. Wong ◽

Kelly Thomson ◽

Lorna Bain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Turnover Intention ◽

Interactive Effect ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Senior Leadership ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Staff Perceptions ◽

Leadership Support ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background This study contributes to a small but growing body of literature on how context influences perceptions of patient safety in healthcare settings. We examine the impact of senior leadership support for safety, supervisory leadership support for safety, teamwork, and turnover intention on overall patient safety grade. Interaction effects of predictors on perceptions of patient safety are also examined. Methods In this mixed methods study, cross-sectional survey data (N = 185) were collected from nurses and non-physician healthcare professionals. Semi-structured interview data (N = 15) were collected from nurses. The study participants worked in intensive care, general medicine, mental health, or the emergency department of a large community hospital in Southern Ontario. Results Hierarchical regression analyses showed that staff perceptions of senior leadership (p < 0.001), teamwork (p < 0.01), and turnover intention (p < 0.01) were significantly associated with overall patient safety grade. The interactive effect of teamwork and turnover intention on overall patient safety grade was also found to be significant (p < 0.05). The qualitative findings corroborated the survey results but also helped expand the characteristics of the study’s key concepts (e.g., teamwork within and across professional boundaries) and why certain statistical relationships were found to be non-significant (e.g., nurse interviewees perceived the safety specific responsibilities of frontline supervisors much more broadly compared to the narrower conceptualization of the construct in the survey). Conclusions The results of the current study suggest that senior leadership, teamwork, and turnover intention significantly impact nursing staff perceptions of patient safety. Leadership is a modifiable contextual factor and resources should be dedicated to strengthen relational competencies of healthcare leaders. Healthcare organizations must also proactively foster inter and intra-professional collaboration by providing teamwork educational workshops or other on-site learning opportunities (e.g., simulation training). Healthcare organizations would benefit by considering the interactive effect of contextual factors as another lever for patient safety improvement, e.g., lowering staff turnover intentions would maximize the positive impact of teamwork improvement initiatives on patient safety.

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The impact of self-efficacy on physical activity maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis – a mixed methods study

Disability and Rehabilitation ◽

10.3109/09638288.2015.1107642 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (17) ◽

pp. 1691-1704 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Nanna Maria Hammer ◽

Theresa Bieler ◽

Nina Beyer ◽

Julie Midtgaard

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Hip Osteoarthritis ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

The Impact ◽

Physical Activity Maintenance

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Do we all agree? A mixed-methods study of the impact of climate strength on psychological safety, team learning, and team performance

10.22371/05.2020.001 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Taylor Harrell

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Team Performance ◽

Team Learning ◽

Psychological Safety ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Climate Strength ◽

The Impact

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Companion Animal Type and Level of Engagement Matter: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Links between Companion Animal Guardianship, Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11082349 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 2349

Author(s):

Heather Clements ◽

Stephanie Valentin ◽

Nicholas Jenkins ◽

Jean Rankin ◽

Nancy R. Gee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Online Survey ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Well Being ◽

Companion Animal ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental Well Being

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, countries worldwide placed limitations on social interaction, which is anticipated to have severe psychological consequences. Although findings are inconsistent, prior research has suggested that companion animals may positively influence human well-being and reduce loneliness. In the context of COVID-19, this has important implications, as companion animal guardians may be less negatively affected by the pandemic. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the influence of companion animals on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic, with specific interest in the role of ornamental fishes. A mixed-methods study was conducted, using an international sample. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey (n = 1199) and analysed using robust hierarchical multiple regression analyses; the influence of level of engagement with companion animals was examined for dogs, cats and ornamental fishes. There was no evidence that companion animal guardianship was associated with loneliness and mental well-being during the pandemic but spending more time engaging physically or socially with dogs (and to a lesser extent cats) was generally associated with poorer outcomes. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey responses (n = 757) and semi-structured interviews (n = 25) and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two themes were developed—one related to companion animals as providers of social and emotional support, and the other to companion animals as providers of purpose and perspective. Concerns regarding the impact of the pandemic on animal welfare were also identified. Compared to other animal types, more participants expressed indifference regarding the impact of their fishes on their well-being during the pandemic, possibly because fishes cannot provide comfort via physical touch. The findings of this study reflect the wider field of human–animal interaction; although qualitative data suggest guardians believe their companion animals are a positive influence in their lives, there is little convincing quantitative data to support these beliefs. This highlights the need to refine theories regarding which aspects of companion animal guardianship may influence human well-being; the findings from this research may be useful in the refinement of such theories.

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Exploration of undergraduate preservice teachers' experiences learning advocacy: A mixed-methods study

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning ◽

10.14434/josotl.v14i3.5071 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 75-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Kelley Erin Carpenter Massengale ◽

Cherese Childers-McKee ◽

Aerin Benavides

Keyword(s):

Preservice Teachers ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Letter Writing ◽

College Instruction ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Meaningful Activity ◽

Teachers Experiences ◽

The Impact

Abstract: Applying transformational critical advocacy research in college instruction can be a powerful way to engage students in challenging inequity in society and promoting positive changes. Few studies systematically measure the impact of such pedagogy on the development of college students’ beliefs about advocacy. In this mixed methods study, we worked with 21 preservice teachers through advocacy letter writing activities and collected data from pre/post surveys and focus group discussions to explore the impact of such pedagogy. The findings indicated that advocacy letter writing was a meaningful activity for preservice teachers, allowing them a professional opportunity to voice their concerns about personally meaningful issues to entities in power. A significant correlation was found between baseline advocacy experiences and baseline advocacy beliefs, suggesting that the teaching of advocacy, when combined with opportunities for meaningful practice, can contribute to shifts in belief about the importance of advocating.

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The Impact of Using the Station Rotation Model on Saudi EFL Learners’ Descriptive Writing Skills

Arab World English Journal ◽

10.24093/awej/th.269 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-114

Author(s):

Alanoud Ahmed Aldukhi

Keyword(s):

Writing Skills ◽

Intermediate School ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Study Results ◽

Post Test ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact ◽

Descriptive Writing ◽

Experimental Group ◽

Rotation Model

The present study investigated the impact of the station rotation model (SRM) on enhancing students’ descriptive writing skills. It adopted the quasi-experimental pre-post test control/ experimental group design. The tools of the study included a pre/post- descriptive writing skills test, and open-ended questionnaire. The participants of the study were selected randomly, 40 female students enrolled in the twelfth intermediate school in Riyadh. Students of the experimental group received the descriptive writing skills instructions in nine sessions based on the SRM, two of them were for training. The study results revealed statistically significant differences at 0.05 level between the mean scores of the control and the experimental groups on the post test in favor of the experimental group in overall descriptive writing skills as well as in each descriptive writing skill. The researcher recommended that there is a real necessity from educators and teachers to prepare appropriate curriculums that involve implementing the station rotation model inside the classrooms, in a way that corresponds with teachers’ ability and students’ need, aiming to gain the mentioned advantages.

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