The Long Road to Benefits Management: Toward an Integrative Management Model

This article reports on a four-year action research study, where the aims were to study benefits management at a detailed, practical level and to evaluate the benefits management practices applied. Synthesizing the insights from the study shows that the approach is dependent on the context and that the action research process was a challenging endeavor, but also that the project was successful with respect to improving performance. We provide a structured evaluation of the practiced process to uncover weaknesses and improve future interventions by suggesting an integrative management model with three layers: instrumental, practical, and reflective.

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Instructional Approaches to Teaching a Korean Percussion Ensemble (Samulnori) to Preservice Music Teachers and Preservice Classroom Teachers: An Action Research Study

Journal of Music Teacher Education ◽

10.1177/1057083718777317 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 70-82

Author(s):

Hyesoo Yoo ◽

Sangmi Kang

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Research Study ◽

Research Process ◽

Methods Course ◽

Classroom Teachers ◽

Percussion Ensemble ◽

Practical Action ◽

Field Notes ◽

Action Research Study

The purpose of this practical action research study was to explore how preservice music teachers, preservice classroom teachers, and a methods course instructor responded to the experience of rehearsing a Korean percussion ensemble piece. Seven preservice music teachers and nine preservice classroom teachers rehearsed Samulnori for 20 minutes per week for 8 weeks. Data sources included reflective narratives produced by the instructor and participants, observation field notes, and participant interviews. Through each step in the action research process, across multiple cycles of instruction and reflection, the teaching approach was altered to better fit participants’ needs and interests in the two groups. While preservice music teachers valued authentic music demonstrations and the hands-on process of learning to perform Samulnori in a polished and accurate manner, preservice classroom teachers required more detailed verbal explanations in addition to music demonstrations and showed interest in learning about the historical and cultural background of Samulnori.

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Four aspects of spiritual care: a phenomenological action research study on practicing and improving spiritual care at two Danish hospices

Palliative Care and Social Practice ◽

10.1177/26323524211050646 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 263235242110506

Author(s):

Dorte Toudal Viftrup ◽

Ricko Nissen ◽

Jens Søndergaard ◽

Niels Christian Hvidt

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Spiritual Care ◽

Research Study ◽

Research Process ◽

Spiritual Needs ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Dying Patients ◽

Action Research Study ◽

Group Interviews ◽

Relational Abilities

Background: In Denmark and internationally, there has been an increased focus on strengthening palliative care by enhancing spiritual care. Dying patients, however, do not experience their spiritual needs being adequately met. Methods: Through an action research study design with four consecutive stages, namely, observation in practice, reflection-on-praxis, action-in-praxis, and evaluation of the action research process involving patients and hospice staff from two hospices in Denmark, two research questions were explored: (1) How do patients and staff perceive, feel, live, practice, and understand spiritual care at hospice? and (2) How can spiritual care be improved in hospice practice? The data material presented comprised 12 individual interviews with patients and nine focus group interviews with the staff. Results: We found four aspects of spiritual care through which patients and staff seemed to perceive, feel, live, practice, and understand spiritual care at hospice, and from where spiritual care may be improved in hospice practice. These aspects constituted four themes: (1) relational, (2) individualistic, (3) embodied, and (4) verbal aspects of spiritual care. Conclusion: Staff realized immanent limitations of individual aspects of spiritual care but learned to trust that their relational abilities could improve spiritual care. Embodied aspects seemed to open for verbal aspects of spiritual care, but staff were reluctant to initiative verbal dialogue. They would bodily sense values about preserving patients’ boundaries in ways that seemed to hinder verbal aspects of spiritual care. During action-in-praxis, however, staff realized that they might have to initiate spiritual conversation in order to care for patients’ spiritual needs.

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