Using action research to develop a real-time measure of job satisfaction in the operating room setting

This paper outlines how action research was used to develop a real-time job satisfaction measurement tool for the operating room (OR) setting. It offers insight into how collaborative action research can be used in a complex interprofessional setting to create a practical, valid and relevant tool. The study was conducted within one New Zealand hospital OR department during the period of March 2018 – June 2019. Using action research cycles, researchers and hospital personnel collaboratively created an innovative one-minute daily job satisfaction measure called the Morale-o-Meter. Complexities relating to its development and acceptability are explored and reflected upon, in order to draw insight for other researchers who are looking to use this methodology in a similar setting.

SENI DAN KEWARGAAN

Pengadaan Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival di Nagari Harau, Kabupaten Limapuluhkota, Sumatera Barat bertujuan untuk memberikan kontribusi pada tata kelola seni dan peluangnya mengambil bagian dalam proses demokratisasi di Indonesia. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian tindakan dimana para peneliti ikut terlibat langsung dalam upaya menumbuhkan kembali dan melestarikan nilai-nilai budaya yang ada di Nagari Harau. Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival merupakan suatu tindakan yang dipilih untuk diimplementasikan dalam penelitian ini, dimana pelaksanaan kegiatannya sudah disesuaikan dengan sistem/struktur organisasi yang baru. Struktur organisasi ini menyatu dengan Pemerintah Nagari Harau, institusi adat, dan bersifat fleksibel terdiri dari unsur-unsur Rapat Nagari, Dewan Festival, Direktur, Kurator, dan keuangan. Refleksi yang merupakan salah satu rangkaian dalam siklus penelitian tindakan mencatat dua hal penting yaitu 1) diperlukan suatu upaya yang lebih gigih untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan dan juga akses dari masyarakat setempat dalam upaya pelestarian nilai budaya di Nagari Harau dan 2) perlu adanya antisipasi terkait munculnya pelaku bisnis pariwisata yang hanya peduli pada keuntungan atau ajakan kolaborasi penuh resiko oleh birokrasi dalam pelaksanaan kegiatan Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival.ART AND CITIZENSHIPThe Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival in Nagari Harau, Limapuluhkota Regency, West Sumatra was conducted with the purpose to preserve the art values upheld in the community. It was also considered as an opportunity to take parts in the democratization process in Indonesia. This research implemented an action research approach where the researchers directly involved in the efforts to nurture and preserve the cultural values existed in Nagari Harau. Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival was chosen to be implemented in this study in which the implementation of its activities has been adjusted to the new organizational system/structure. This organizational structure was integrated with the Nagari Harau Government, local culture institutions, and was executed flexibly, consisting of the elements of the Nagari Meeting, Festival Council, Director, Curator, and finance. In the Reflection cycle, which was a part of this action research cycles, two important points were noted: 1) a more persistent effort was needed to gain trust and access from the local community in the effort to preserve cultural values in Nagari Harau and 2) anticipation was needed regarding the emergence of business people who only cared for profits and risky collaboration with political parties/ bureaucracy in the implementation of the Pasa Harau Art and Culture Festival

Evolving from Didactic to Dialogic: An Action Research for Improving Teaching Practices in the mini-CEX Workshops

BackgroundFaculty development is imperative to ensure successful outcomes in the training of competent physicians. However, how faculty developers can improve the delivery of an assessment workshop through researching their individual teaching practices remains unexplored.MethodsIn 2016, the authors conducted four cycles of action research in the context of mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) workshops. Multiple sources of qualitative data, including a faculty developer’s reflective journal, field notes taken by a researcher-observer, and post-workshop written reflection and feedback from fourteen workshop attendees, were collected and analyzed thematically.ResultsBy doing action research, the faculty developer scrutinized each step as an opportunity for change, enacted adaptive practice and reflection on teaching practices and formulated action plans to transform a workshop design. In so doing, a workshop evolved from didactic to dialogic with continuous improvement on enhanced engagement, focused discussion and participant empowerment through a collaborative inquiry into feedback practice. These action research cycles also supported development of adaptive practice and identity formation in the faculty developer.ConclusionsThe systematic approach of action research serves as a vehicle to enable faculty developers to investigate individual teaching practices as a self-reflective inquiry, to examine, rectify, and transform processes of program delivery, and ultimately introduce themselves as agents for change and improvement.

Understanding and Supporting Parents of Academy Footballers

The aim of this thesis was two-fold: firstly, to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of academy football parents and identify support that may be beneficial, and; secondly, develop, implement, and evaluate programmes of support for parents of academy footballers. Two action research cycles were carried out to address these aims. The exploration and reflection phases of action research cycle one, sought to understand parents’ experiences and offer recommendations for supporting parents within youth academy football. An instrumental case study of one football academy was conducted, with data collected over an eight-month period through interviews, focus groups, informal conversations, reflexive diary, fieldwork, and observations. It was recommended during this study that parents may benefit from a programme of support, along with a series of cultural changes that focused on enhancing their experience. Subsequently, based on these initial findings, reflections, and recommendations made, a programme of support for academy parents, combined with cultural changes, was developed and implemented. The initial programme was evaluated using interviews, observations, informal conversations, practitioner reflections, fieldwork, and an online survey. Overall, parents found the sessions useful for gaining information and benefitted from talking with other parents. However, attendance was poor and some academy staff did not buy-in to the proposed cultural changes. As such, following a period of reflection and building on the findings of the first action research cycle, a second programme was planned and delivered. This was a condensed programme, comprising one 90-minute face-to-face session and booklet. Further cultural changes were also promoted. This programme was evaluated using an online survey, observations, fieldwork, informal conversations, and practitioner reflections. As with the first programme, parents suggested that the condensed version was useful for increasing their knowledge, they enjoyed learning from others, and gained social support. Despite the condensed programme, the issues pertaining to attendance and buy-in continued. Based on the findings of the two action research cycles, general suggestions for working with parents and developing parent support interventions are presented.

Enhancing Student Engagement Using a Blended Learning Approach

Student engagement is the core of the teaching and learning practice in higher education. This exploratory action research project was designed to enhance teaching and learning using a blended learning approach to increase student engagement prior, during, and after lecture and seminar sessions of a module run for first-year undergraduate students. Within an academic semester, three action research cycles were carried out to collect data and redesign the classroom practice. Different data collection techniques were used along with Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook. This article presents three case studies of individual students to demonstrate how the digital workspace helped to develop the practice of participatory teaching and learning during a first-year undergraduate module. This study indicates that listening to students' voices through a blended learning approach helped to increase student engagement, thus increasing student participation in shaping and redesigning teaching and learning to engage them within the classroom and beyond.

Development and Implementation of a Nurse-Led Model of Care Coordination to Provide Health-Sector Continuity of Care for People With Multimorbidity: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

Background Innovative strategies are required to reduce care fragmentation for people with multimorbidity. Coordinated models of health care delivery need to be adopted to deliver consumer-centered continuity of care. Nurse-led services have emerged over the past 20 years as evidence-based structured models of care delivery, providing a range of positive and coordinated health care outcomes. Although nurse-led services are effective in a range of clinical settings, strategies to improve continuity of care across the secondary and primary health care sectors for people with multimorbidity have not been examined. Objective To implement a nurse-led model of care coordination from a multidisciplinary outpatient setting and provide continuity of care between the secondary and primary health care sectors for people with multimorbidity. Methods This action research mixed methods study will have two phases. Phase 1 includes a systematic review, stakeholder forums, and validation workshop to collaboratively develop a model of care for a nurse-led care coordination service. Phase 2, through a series of iterative action research cycles, will implement a nurse-led model of care coordination in a multidisciplinary outpatient setting. Three to five iterative action research cycles will allow the model to be refined and further developed with multiple data collection points throughout. Results Pilot implementation of the model of care coordination commenced in October 2018. Formal study recruitment commenced in May 2019 and the intervention and follow-up phases are ongoing. The results of the data analysis are expected to be available by March 2020. Conclusions Nursing, clinician, and patient outcomes and experiences with the nurse-led model of care coordination will provide a template to improve continuity of care between the secondary and primary health care systems. The model template may provide a future pathway for implementation of nurse-led services both nationally and internationally. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15006

Development and Implementation of a Nurse-Led Model of Care Coordination to Provide Health-Sector Continuity of Care for People With Multimorbidity: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Innovative strategies are required to reduce care fragmentation for people with multimorbidity. Coordinated models of health care delivery need to be adopted to deliver consumer-centered continuity of care. Nurse-led services have emerged over the past 20 years as evidence-based structured models of care delivery, providing a range of positive and coordinated health care outcomes. Although nurse-led services are effective in a range of clinical settings, strategies to improve continuity of care across the secondary and primary health care sectors for people with multimorbidity have not been examined. OBJECTIVE To implement a nurse-led model of care coordination from a multidisciplinary outpatient setting and provide continuity of care between the secondary and primary health care sectors for people with multimorbidity. METHODS This action research mixed methods study will have two phases. Phase 1 includes a systematic review, stakeholder forums, and validation workshop to collaboratively develop a model of care for a nurse-led care coordination service. Phase 2, through a series of iterative action research cycles, will implement a nurse-led model of care coordination in a multidisciplinary outpatient setting. Three to five iterative action research cycles will allow the model to be refined and further developed with multiple data collection points throughout. RESULTS Pilot implementation of the model of care coordination commenced in October 2018. Formal study recruitment commenced in May 2019 and the intervention and follow-up phases are ongoing. The results of the data analysis are expected to be available by March 2020. CONCLUSIONS Nursing, clinician, and patient outcomes and experiences with the nurse-led model of care coordination will provide a template to improve continuity of care between the secondary and primary health care systems. The model template may provide a future pathway for implementation of nurse-led services both nationally and internationally. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/15006

Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future—co-designing perinatal strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex trauma: framework and protocol for a community-based participatory action research study

IntroductionChild maltreatment and other traumatic events can have serious long-term physical, social and emotional effects, including a cluster of distress symptoms recognised as ‘complex trauma’. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people are also affected by legacies of historical trauma and loss. Trauma responses may be triggered during the transition to parenting in the perinatal period. Conversely, becoming a parent offers a unique life-course opportunity for healing and prevention of intergenerational transmission of trauma. This paper outlines a conceptual framework and protocol for an Aboriginal-led, community-based participatory action research (action research) project which aims to co-design safe, acceptable and feasible perinatalawareness, recognition, assessmentandsupportstrategies for Aboriginal parents experiencing complex trauma.Methods and analysisThis formative research project is being conducted in three Australian jurisdictions (Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria) with key stakeholders from all national jurisdictions. Four action research cycles incorporate mixed methods research activities including evidence reviews, parent and service provider discussion groups, development and psychometric evaluation of a recognition and assessment process and drafting proposals for pilot, implementation and evaluation. Reflection and planning stages of four action research cycles will be undertaken in four key stakeholder workshops aligned with the first four Intervention Mapping steps to prepare programme plans.Ethics and disseminationEthics and dissemination protocols are consistent with the National Health and Medical Research Council Indigenous Research Excellence criteria of engagement, benefit, transferability and capacity-building. A conceptual framework has been developed to promote the application of core values of safety, trustworthiness, empowerment, collaboration, culture, holism, compassion and reciprocity. These include related principles and accompanying reflective questions to guide research decisions.

Moving from imitation to innovation: Exploring a Chinese model of early childhood curriculum leadership

School leadership plays a critical role in providing appropriate and sustainable curriculum practices. However, there remain significant knowledge gaps in understanding early childhood curriculum leadership in Chinese contexts. In order to examine early childhood curriculum leadership in such contexts, this study analyses and interprets data from interviews with leaders in five Chinese kindergartens. Data from classroom observations and curriculum documents are used to supplement the interviews. The evidence indicates that, in each of the Chinese kindergartens, (1) early childhood curriculum innovations led by the curriculum leaders evolved through stages from imitating imported models to innovating practices; (2) the leaders played various roles in different stages of the early childhood curriculum innovations; and (3) the leading process in early childhood curriculum innovations involved critical events along the action research cycles. The characteristics of early childhood curriculum leadership are drawn from these cases to develop a multistage integrated model. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed to inform the enhancement of early childhood curriculum and early childhood curriculum leadership practices in Chinese societies and beyond.