scholarly journals Challenges in Communication: a Critical Analysis of a Student Music Therapist's Techniques in Working with Special Needs Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chelsea Makere Savaiinaea
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Special Needs Children ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Client Group ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Video Recordings

<p>This paper describes the processes under taken by a student music therapist to improve her clinical practice and enhance the quality of service provided to children with profound and multiple disabilities. Using an Action Research model it aims to show how rigorous investigation of one's own practice can improve understanding of the clients and enhance students' abilities and confidence when carrying out placement work. An interview process with three registered music therapists preceded a 12 week action research process. Three cycles were undertaken with each lasting 4 weeks and the interview material informed the initial cycle. Clinical notes, a research journal and video recordings of sessions were three data gathering tools used to evaluate the success of techniques employed. This intensive critical analysis led to a greater awareness of in session communications and an improvement in techniques such as active waiting and repetition of activities. This in turn created increased opportunities for response to musical offerings by this client group.</p>

scholarly journals Challenges in Communication: a Critical Analysis of a Student Music Therapist's Techniques in Working with Special Needs Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chelsea Makere Savaiinaea
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Special Needs Children ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Client Group ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Video Recordings

<p>This paper describes the processes under taken by a student music therapist to improve her clinical practice and enhance the quality of service provided to children with profound and multiple disabilities. Using an Action Research model it aims to show how rigorous investigation of one's own practice can improve understanding of the clients and enhance students' abilities and confidence when carrying out placement work. An interview process with three registered music therapists preceded a 12 week action research process. Three cycles were undertaken with each lasting 4 weeks and the interview material informed the initial cycle. Clinical notes, a research journal and video recordings of sessions were three data gathering tools used to evaluate the success of techniques employed. This intensive critical analysis led to a greater awareness of in session communications and an improvement in techniques such as active waiting and repetition of activities. This in turn created increased opportunities for response to musical offerings by this client group.</p>

scholarly journals Researching Ones Own Clinical Practice: Managing Multiple Roles in an Action Research Project

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne Rickson
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Everyday Activity ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Gathering Data

Action Research is a useful approach for practitioners who want to develop or improve on their everyday activity, while simultaneously contributing to a scientific body of knowledge. Action Researchers need to be able to reflect critically on their actions and interpretations, and be aware of their biases. This becomes increasingly complex and important when the researcher is engaged in multiple roles during the research process. This paper describes some of the dilemmas encountered by a music therapist using Action Research to develop a music therapy consultation protocol while simultaneously gathering data for a thesis towards a PhD in Music. The use of a research journal as an aid to self-understanding is discussed.

scholarly journals The Violin in Music Therapy: How do I use the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disabilities or neurological conditions?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lucy Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Clinical Notes ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Performance Techniques ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
Primary Instrument

<p>In this research I explored my use of the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disability and neurological conditions. I am interested in this topic because the violin is my primary instrument and I wanted to learn more about its therapeutic potential. My research methodology was Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data, and the data were my clinical notes and research journal. Findings were generated through thematic analysis of the data. Five themes emerged. Specifically, I found that the violin’s voice-like timbre was helpful in fostering connections and encouraging emotional and communicative expression. Similarly, the ability to physically share the instrument, and to play it while mobile, also fostered connections between me and my participants. Because of my expertise on the violin I was able to utilize a vast variety of performance techniques both with familiar music and within improvisations that elicited meaningful musical moments. My relationship with the violin has developed and changed throughout this process and the violin has become a part of my identity as a music therapist. I anticipate that findings will interest other music therapists, and perhaps encourage them to use alternative instruments within their practice.</p>

‘In the therapist’s head and heart’: An investigation into the profound impact that motherhood has on the work of a music therapist

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Dindoyal
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Profound Impact ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

This essay, based on a qualitative research project undertaken by the author while training at Roehampton University, explores the profound impact motherhood can have on the work of a music therapist. Motivated by the close parallels between the roles of mother and therapist as described in psychodynamic theory, the study involved three interviews with music therapist-mothers, and used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyse the data. Three superordinate themes emerged: Conflict and Growth; Drawing from Motherhood ‘Toolkit’; and Therapist Boundaries. Findings highlighted the multifaceted nature of the participants’ experiences, revealing both the positive and negative impact being a mother has on the work of a music therapist and the complex ways in which these roles intertwined with each other. During the research process, a broader picture emerged, placing the participants’ experiences within the context of Western culture’s idealised expectations of motherhood, which appeared to exert a powerful influence. It also drew attention to the limitations inherent in the ‘maternal metaphor’ which parallels the roles of mother and therapist, questioning its gender-specificity and the impact this has on music therapist-mothers. This small study provides a starting point for discussion regarding the challenges music therapist-mothers – as well as music therapists who are not mothers – face in a profession in which women make up the majority of the workforce.

Multiple Voices of Democracy in a Cosmopolis

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-180
Author(s):  
Jaap Boonstra ◽  
Henk van de Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Strategy Formulation ◽  
Research Survey ◽  
Multiple Voices ◽  
Search Conference ◽  
Survey Feedback

This article describes an action research process to solve problems of democracy in neighborhoods in a modern European city. A relational constructionist approach has been used as the theoretical basis for this work. The methodological framework is based on action research, survey feedback and search conferences. The article begins by describing the historical and cultural context of democracy in the city. Special attention is paid to the development of the relationship between researchers and members of neighborhood associations on the one hand, and to the building of a mutual consensus on the problems, focus and methodology of action research on the other. Multiple voices of democracy start to make themselves heard in a process of data gathering and feedback. New futures and strategies for the associations were developed at a search conference. After the search conference had taken place new relationships were established in a communal dialogue with neighborhood councils. An evaluation of the process focuses on lessons learned by members of the associations in terms of strategy formulation; the establishment of relationships during the process; the multiple voices of democracy in a modern city; the effectiveness of the combination of a start up conference, survey feedback and search conference; and the way representative democracy can be improved in a relational process of social construction.

scholarly journals Implementation of Microteaching in Special Teaching Methods I And II Courses: An Action Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Feray Özbal
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Management Issues

The aim of this study is to implement micro teaching method in Special Teaching Methods I and II courses in order to teach preservice teachers how to make lesson plans and help them gain experiences in classroom management issues; i.e. to improve their teaching skills. The study was designed according to the principles of action research. Pre-service teachers carried out micro teaching sessions during the fall and the spring term as a requirement of Special Teaching Methods I and II courses. The research process started at the beginning of each term. In the first 7 weeks, the instructor provided preservice teachers with theoretical knowledge about special teaching methods. The practice phase started after the mid-term exams, in which the participants were divided into groups and taught lessons on predetermined topics by using micro teaching methods. The teaching practices were video recorded. The data of the study were obtained from video recordings of the micro teaching sessions, the semi-structured interviews conducted with the participants and the learner diaries. A total of 40 preservice teachers participated in the study; however, the data from 10 participants were used in the analysis. The results revealed that preservice teachers gained experience in teaching and improved their teaching, classroom management, and lesson plan preparation skills thanks to this implementation.

scholarly journals The Violin in Music Therapy: How do I use the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disabilities or neurological conditions?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lucy Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Clinical Notes ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Performance Techniques ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
Primary Instrument

<p>In this research I explored my use of the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disability and neurological conditions. I am interested in this topic because the violin is my primary instrument and I wanted to learn more about its therapeutic potential. My research methodology was Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data, and the data were my clinical notes and research journal. Findings were generated through thematic analysis of the data. Five themes emerged. Specifically, I found that the violin’s voice-like timbre was helpful in fostering connections and encouraging emotional and communicative expression. Similarly, the ability to physically share the instrument, and to play it while mobile, also fostered connections between me and my participants. Because of my expertise on the violin I was able to utilize a vast variety of performance techniques both with familiar music and within improvisations that elicited meaningful musical moments. My relationship with the violin has developed and changed throughout this process and the violin has become a part of my identity as a music therapist. I anticipate that findings will interest other music therapists, and perhaps encourage them to use alternative instruments within their practice.</p>

scholarly journals Extending Youth Voices in a Participatory Thematic Analysis Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692093461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Liebenberg ◽  
Aliya Jamal ◽  
Janice Ikeda
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Thoughtful Discussion

Recent decades have seen a more thoughtful discussion regarding the inclusion of children and youth in research and decision making, challenging how we conduct child and youth-focused studies. Included is a focus on Youth Participatory Action Research approaches and how they facilitate engagement of child and youth voice. Similarly, there is a smaller yet equally important questioning of how we understand “voice,” drawing attention to the conceptualization of “voice,” and the need to account for its social positioning and construction. Despite these various advances, current discussions focus predominantly on research design and data gathering, with an emerging focus on the dissemination of findings. Discussions focused specifically on data analysis remain limited. This omission seems important, given the bridge analysis forms between data gathering and dissemination of findings, and how this impacts youth engagement in the research process overall. By not considering more thoughtfully the ways in which children do or do not engage in the analysis of their data, how are we impacting the positioning of their “voice” in the findings? Similarly, how does our analysis unintentionally strengthen or undermine the platform from which youth share their findings, especially with those in positions of power? In response to these questions, we use this article to consider data analysis in relation to voice and subsequent knowledge production. We also share our approach to participatory thematic analysis in the Spaces & Places research project, a participatory action research program with Indigenous youth in three communities of Atlantic Canada. Through the discussion and exemplar, we hope to contribute to how researchers consider “voice,” ours and those of child and youth collaborators, and the ways in which we can account for both in the analysis process, and enhance the voices of children and youth as knowledge brokers in the dissemination that follows.

Design of the Tool (web) EMAeHealth supporting decision-making during pregnancy and postpartum: Collaborative Action Research Study. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Artieta-Pinedo ◽  
Carmen Paz-Pascual ◽  
Paola Bully ◽  
Maite Espinosa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
Patient Decision ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum

BACKGROUND Background: Despite the benefit it can give women, Maternal Education needs new tools that increase its effectiveness and scope OBJECTIVE To develop a multifunctional, personalized eHealth platform aimed at the self-management of health in relation to maternity METHODS The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) were applied. A website prototype was developed for implementation in the public health system using a collaborative action research process in which experts and patients participate, with qualitative research techniques as well as prioritization and consensus techniques. RESULTS A website is proposed which includes (1) systematically updated information related to clinical practice guidelines, (2) interaction between peers and users/professionals, (3) instruments for self-assessment of health needs as a basis for working on counseling, agreement on actions, help in the search for resources, monitoring and evaluation of results and (4) access for women to their clinical data and the option of sharing them with other health agents. These components, with different access requirements, would be permanently reviewed through iterative cycles depending on the frequency and effectiveness resulting from their use and would be accessible from any digital device CONCLUSIONS This public healthcare website would facilitate use, maintenance and effectiveness to increase quality of care without increasing costs. The participation of professionals and users in the creation of new tools will result in greater satisfaction with their use, with the decisions made, and with the decision process itself.

scholarly journals Mask-Making and Drawing as Method: Arts-Based Approaches to Data Collection With War-Affected Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160940691983247
Author(s):  
Amber Green ◽  
Myriam Denov
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Northern Uganda ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Mask Making ◽  
In Captivity

Globally, the numbers of children living in conflict zones and displaced by war have risen dramatically over the past two decades, and with this, scholarly attention to the impacts of war on children. More recently, researchers have examined how war-affected children are being studied, revealing important shortcomings. These limitations relate to the lack of child participation in research, the need for researchers to engage children in the research process as “active agents” rather than “passive objects” under study, as well as the need for researchers to pay closer attention to ethical dilemmas associated with researching war-affected children. To address these realities, innovative research methods that can be adapted across diverse sociocultural contexts are warranted. In light of these shortcomings, our research team integrated two arts-based methods: mask-making and drawing, alongside traditional qualitative data collection methods with a particularly marginalized population of young people: children born in captivity within the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda. In this article, we provide information on the context of northern Uganda. We describe how the use of mask-making and drawing was used as data gathering tools and the ways in which these arts-based methods had important benefits for the research participants, researchers, and impacted on the validity of the research as a whole. We propose that the use of these participatory visual methods enriched the themes elicited through more traditional methods. The article describes how these arts-based mediums fostered community building among children typically excluded from their communities and were successful as a tool to build trust between participants and the research team when exploring sensitive topics. The article concludes with implications for future research with war-affected children.

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