Parents’ experiences during the transition from childhood to adolescence with Type 1 Diabetes: Parent-child relationships and support received during this time and clinical research portfolio

Background: Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) management often worsens as children become adolescents. This can be a difficult time for parents as they hand over responsibility of diabetes management to their adolescent. Objectives: To look at the experiences of parents with a child with T1D as they move to adolescence and take more responsibility for their diabetes management. To find out about parents’ experience of support during this transition. Subjects: Three parents of adolescents with T1D. Participants were recruited from the NHS Highland Paediatric Diabetes Service. Methods: Participants took part in a one-to-one semi-structured interview with a researcher. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the interviews and find common themes across the interviews. Results: Participants experienced worry throughout their child’s transition to adolescence. They found it difficult to let their child take responsibility for their diabetes but acknowledged that their involvement caused tensions with their adolescent. Participants’ experience was that there were a number of practical adjustments to be made with a diagnosis of T1D and educating the network around their child was important. The participants reported that the diagnosis of T1D had an impact on the whole family and not just the child with the diagnosis. The parents felt well supported medically but said that the amount of time before their first clinic appointment felt too long. All participants had concerns about their adolescent moving to the adult diabetic service. Conclusions: Participants experienced worry relating to aspects of their adolescents T1D that they could not control, but were aware of the tensions caused by trying to keep elements of control. Areas of future research were identified.

Impacto do cancro da mama: Mudanças em diferentes fases do ciclo de vida da mulher

Dissertação de Mestrado realizada apresentada no Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para a obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica

The links between head injury and homelessness: A qualitative study

Background and aims: Head injury (HI) is a cause of cognitive impairment within the homeless population (Hwang et al, 2008). One study reported that over a 30-year period, the prevalence of hospitalised HI was 5.4 times higher in the homeless than in the general population (McMillan et al, 2015). This study explores the perceptions of homeless adults who have sustained a HI and their views regarding the relevance of HI to their homeless status. Methods: Participants were seven homeless adults with a moderate or severe HI. They were asked to talk about their journey to homelessness and in particular, to reflect on any perceived links between HI and their homeless status. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results and conclusions: Emerging themes included: impairment following HI; substance misuse, feeling let down by services and difficult relationships with family. Evidence for the role of HI in precipitating and maintaining homelessness was found. Despite this, co-morbid difficulties complicate the picture. Four out of seven participants viewed substance misuse as their primary difficulty. This illustrates the need for in-depth assessment within this population in order to ensure that difficulties are fully understood and that the correct supports/ interventions are offered.

Caregivers' experiences and coping strategies relating to patient's subjective treatment-related cognitive impairment following Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT)

The treatments involved in cancers of the blood and bone marrow can be physically and psychologically challenging and be associated with adverse secondary effects, including cognitive impairment. The incidence and severity of treatment-related cognitive impairment varies widely, however it can significantly impact quality of life by interfering with patients’ activities of daily living, relationships and future plans. It can also pose challenges for the patients’ caregivers, an area which has received comparatively less research attention. The aim of this study was to investigate caregivers’ experiences of treatment-related cognitive impairment in patients who have undergone Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT); how they coped, both practically and emotionally, and what supports they believe could help them. Participants were caregivers to individuals who had undergone HSCT within the past 20 years and who had reported cognitive changes at the HSCT Late Effects Clinic, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. Five participants completed a single semi-structured interview. The data was then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results of this analysis illustrated four super-ordinate themes: noticing change; managing expectations, managing personal feelings and commitment. Findings from the current study highlighted the importance of caregiver education regarding post HSCT cognitive and behavioural changes and providing caregiver emotional support. Future research should explore the mutual needs of both care recipient and caregiver.

A experiência de Suporte Social em mulheres com cancro da mama

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica.

“You’re a whole group of people singing”: sharing and learning together in The Choir of the Hawthorn U3A

For older people group music making can assist them remain independent and active in the community. Across Melbourne there are many non-competitive leisure based choirs made of older, active volunteer participants. This paper presents the findings of a phenomenological qualitative case study that was undertaken with members of The Choir of the U3A Hawthorn. This group is auspiced by the international University of the Third Age (U3A) that promotes life-long learning and personal fulfilment amongst older people. In 2008 we began a large joint ongoing research project between Deakin University and Monash University, Well-being and ageing: community, diversity and the arts in Victoria. In 2013 members of the U3A Hawthorn Choir were interviewed about their perceived benefits concerning active music engagement in choir membership. Participants recounted joining the group for different reasons including a positive attitude to singing, convenience, and a desire for social connectedness. Those interviewed considered ongoing choir membership an effective use of leisure time that also provided opportunities for shared learning and personal validation. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and are reported under two themes: Music engagement and Social connections. Membership of the Hawthorn U3A choir provided participants opportunities for friendship, companionship, happiness, a sense of belonging, and acceptance. This resilient community music group (first formed in 1996) has maintained a busy schedule of rehearsals and performances. This music making offers significant ways for older people to maintain well-being and contribute to the wider community.

Community music making and philanthropy: with One Voice choirs

Across the globe there are numerous philanthropic organizations that support community music engagement. Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others and is generally supported by the generous donation of money to good causes. One such group situated in Melbourne is Creativity Australia who oversees the With One Voice choirs. This program offers weekly community choirs that are led by a professional conductor. Each meeting is followed by supper. The choirs are supported by public sponsorship and currently around 68% of the choir members are subsidised. In this multiple case study we interviewed stakeholders, conductors and members of several of the choirs. This research is part of a larger joint research project, begun in 2008, Well-being and ageing: community, diversity and the arts in Victoria. Data were gathered from documentary sources and by individual and focus group semi-structured interviews (2014-2015) and were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. This paper explores the intersections of community music making and philanthropy

Community music: making social, community and music connections in Australia

Choirs are an important part of the social and cultural tapestry of any community. Participating, learning music and performing are key factors to joining music organisations such as choirs. Singing in a choir as a music activity within communities is found to be participatory and voluntary, providing an opportunity for civil expression, identity and connectedness. The focus of this paper involves three choirs from my wider research project ‘Spirituality and Wellbeing: Music in the community’ that started in 2013, in Melbourne (Australia). In May 2014, I visited three choirs for a week in the city of Warnnambool, a regional district in Victoria (Australia). I draw on Yin’s (2003) categorisation of case study methodology that is explanatory, exploratory and descriptive. I draw on observation notes and focus group semi-structured interviews to analyse and code the data using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings include why people join choirs in regional towns, what they enjoyed that contributed to their wellbeing and why they want to sing about issues that make connections to social justice, the environment and the community. Though generalisations cannot be made to other towns or choirs, it is hoped that the findings may provide a vehicle for further dialogue where

The positives and negatives of organizational politics: a qualitative study

The study aimed to develop a richer understanding of how employees perceive organizational politics in contemporary organizational contexts, and to identify whether organizational politics is described in both positive and negative terms. Design/methodology/approach: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with 14 employees across three organizations. Findings: Participants’ perceptions of organizational politics were interpreted according to four levels: reactive, reluctant, strategic, and integrated. The four levels captured how individuals defined, described, and perceived outcomes of organizational politics. Definitions included organizational politics as destructive and manipulative (reactive), as a necessary evil (reluctant), as a useful strategy that helps get things done (strategic), and as central to organizational functioning and decision-making (integrated). Political behaviors were described in terms that correspond to five established bases of organizational power: connection power, information power, coercive power, positional power, and personal power. Descriptions of organizational politics encompassed positive and negative individual and organizational outcomes. Implications: Traditional negatively framed definitions of organizational politics need to be extended and elaborated. Definitions of organizational politics need to accommodate a range of understandings. Originality/value: Despite numerous calls for qualitative research regarding organizational politics, this is one of very few qualitative studies in this area. The proposed classifications of levels, definitions, and behaviors complement and extend existing conceptualizations of organizational politics. We contribute an understanding of organizational politics that is more balanced than existing negatively skewed conceptualizations and that will have implications for measurement and management of organizational politics.

"Music therapy helped me get back doing": perspectives of music therapy participants in mental health services

BACKGROUND: Mental health service development internationally is increasingly informed by the collaborative ethos of recovery. Service user evaluation of experiences within music therapy programs allows new phenomena about participation in services to be revealed that might otherwise remain unnoticed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate how asking service users about their experience of music therapy can generate useful information, and to reflect upon the feedback elicited from such processes in order to gain a deeper understanding of how music therapy is received among service users in mental health. METHODS: Six mental health service users described their experiences of music therapy in one or two individual interviews. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using the procedures and techniques of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. RESULTS: Interviews with mental health service users provided rich, in-depth accounts reflecting the complex nature of music therapy participation. Super-ordinate themes refer to the context in which music therapy was offered, the rich sound world of music in music therapy, the humanity of music therapy, and the strengths enhancing opportunities experienced by service users. CONCLUSIONS: Participants indicated that they each experienced music therapy in unique ways. Opinions about the value of music therapy were revealed through an interview process in which the researcher holds an open attitude, welcoming all narrative contributions respectfully. These findings can remind practitioners of the importance of closely tuning into the perspectives and understandings of those who have valuable expertise to share about their experience of music therapy services in mental health.

Fostering cultural diversity in Australia: a case study of teaching, learning and assessing African musical arts

Australia is forged by ongoing migration welcoming a range of cultures, languages and ethnicities thus celebrating a diverse range of musical arts. In this multicultural society, music and dance may serve as a positive medium to transmit and promote social cohesion. I argue that the inclusion of innovative and immersive practice of African music in particular where authentic teaching and learning is facilitated may help foster understandings of culture in educational settings and the wider society. As a migrant forming part of the African Diaspora in Melbourne, I am strongly connected to my ancestral homeland (South Africa) when teaching African music to Australian tertiary students. Having gained ethical clearance to undertake the two research projects at Deakin University in Melbourne (Attitudes and perceptions of Arts Education Students: preparing culturally responsive teachers and Pre-service teacher attitudes and understandings of Music Education), I discuss tertiary students experience in relation to the teaching and learning of African music within higher education courses. Drawing on interview, questionnaire, observation notes, anecdotal feedback and narrative reflection, I employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyse and code the data into themes. By offering a discussion of assessment and evaluation, I explore and invite international dialogue in regards to how best we can prepare, assess and evaluate our students to improve the quality of musical arts education.

The power of play: preparing international higher education students for practicum

With an increased number of international students undertaking higher education courses (degrees), Australian universities are challenged to prepare international students with the necessary understandings, knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the workplace. For many students, understanding Early Childhood Education in Australia is a new way of viewing teaching and learning from their own cultural perspective. In order to facilitate successful engagement during pre-service teacher practicums (placements) and in response to concerns raised by mentorteachers in the workplace, a pilot program was run at Deakin University in 2015 for students to undertake before placement. The program focused on ‘play’ as an innovative model of teaching. This paper situates itself as part of a wider study Improving work placement for international students, their mentors and other stakeholders. It draws on narrative reflection, classroom observation, questionnaire and interview data from the early childhood strand within the Master of Teaching course at Deakin University. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis the data was analysed and coded into two emerging themes: building confidence and competency skills and connecting to the early childhood context. Generalisationscannot be made to other educational institutions or context however; the findings reveal that ‘play’ can be used as a powerful tool to empower students to make connection with early childhood settings. It is hoped that the findings may provide a platform for further dialogue with other universities regarding how best we can prepare international education students at Australian universities for their practicum experience.

Parents' concerns about future pregnancy after stillbirth: a qualitative study

Objectives: As stillbirth has a devastating impact, it is imperative to understand the importance of clinical and emotional care after stillbirth and how it influences subsequent pregnancies. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the consideration and planning of a subsequent pregnancy by parents in the weeks following stillbirth. Design: A qualitative semi-structured interview format was utilized. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed as the analytic strategy. Participants and setting: The recruitment strategy focused on couples whereby the parents of ten stillborn babies were contacted; however, five men declined to participate in the study. The final sample of 15 parents were all Irish: ten of whom were female and five of whom were male. Results: Findings revealed two superordinate themes relating to a subsequent pregnancy after stillbirth: aspirations for future pregnancy and expectations of future care. Parents disclosed how the prospect of a subsequent pregnancy was daunting with fears about the potential loss of another child. Despite these fears, parentsâ aspirations differed in the days following stillbirth; mothers wished to plan a future pregnancy while fathers were reluctant to consider any pregnancies. Parents were unsure of what to expect in terms of the level of care that would be provided to them in a subsequent pregnancy. Additional appointments at the maternity hospital were considered crucial to provide reassurance during a subsequent pregnancy. Conclusions: These findings underscore the far-reaching and contrasting effects of stillbirth on parents. These complex needs highlight the importance of the multidisciplinary team approach.Objectives: As stillbirth has a devastating impact, it is imperative to understand the importance of clinical and emotional care after stillbirth and how it influences subsequent pregnancies. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the consideration and planning of a subsequent pregnancy by parents in the weeks following stillbirth. Design: A qualitative semi-structured interview format was utilized. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed as the analytic strategy. Participants and setting: The recruitment strategy focused on couples whereby the parents of ten stillborn babies were contacted; however, five men declined to participate in the study. The final sample of 15 parents were all Irish: ten of whom were female and five of whom were male. Results: Findings revealed two superordinate themes relating to a subsequent pregnancy after stillbirth: aspirations for future pregnancy and expectations of future care. Parents disclosed how the prospect of a subsequent pregnancy was daunting with fears about the potential loss of another child. Despite these fears, parentsâ aspirations differed in the days following stillbirth; mothers wished to plan a future pregnancy while fathers were reluctant to consider any pregnancies. Parents were unsure of what to expect in terms of the level of care that would be provided to them in a subsequent pregnancy. Additional appointments at the maternity hospital were considered crucial to provide reassurance during a subsequent pregnancy. Conclusions: These findings underscore the far-reaching and contrasting effects of stillbirth on parents. These complex needs highlight the importance of the multidisciplinary team approach.

Understanding the Coach-Coachee-Client relationship: A conceptual framework for executive coaching

Objectives: There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of how coaching processes psychologically operate. This paper presents the findings from a study aimed to characterise the coaching process experience and to identify how specific experiences contribute to coaching outcomes. Design: A qualitative design was adopted. Data was analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2008). Method: Data was collected from 10 participants, this included coaches (N=4), coachees (N=5) and one commissioner, three times along the coaching process. A total of 30 interviews were undertaken. Findings: Coaching outcomes can be generated by three essential mechanisms: Projection of Future Self; Perspectivation of Present Self; and Confirmation of Past/Present Self. Each mechanism’s name represents a particular effect on coachee’s self and may evolve diverse coaching behaviours. Although they all can be actively managed to generate sustainability of outcomes, each mechanism tends to contribute differently to that sustainability. Conclusion: The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the different methodological and experiential ingredients of the coaching process and its implications. While most coaching research is focused on identifying coaching results based on a retrospective analysis, this is one of the first studies accompanying longitudinally the coaching process and capturing an integrative understanding of its dynamics. Moreover, the study provides evidence of how coaching can differently deliver sustainable outcomes and be used as a valuable developmental tool in organisations. The study contributes to our understanding of theory building and raises questions for further research on the uniqueness of coaching interventions.

A educação intercultural na formação contínua de professores de línguas

Situado entre o discurso investigativo e o profissional da Didática de Línguas, o presente estudo assenta: num entendimento da educação em línguas como um processo valorizador da diversidade linguística e cultural, tendo como fim último a promoção da intercompreensão e do diálogo intercultural, dentro dos pressupostos de uma didática das línguas e do plurilinguismo; na conceção do professor de línguas como um dos principais atores na educação de cidadãos / comunicadores interculturais, vendo-se, portanto, a braços com novas exigências, para as quais, muitas vezes, não se sente preparado; e nos pressupostos de que a identidade profissional condiciona fortemente a forma como o professor desempenha a sua ação didática, sendo este processo de se tornar professor contínuo e dependente, quer do sujeito-professor e dos seus percursos profissionais e formativos, quer do contexto (profissional, local, nacional, global) em que este se insere. Pretende-se, com este estudo, contribuir para que a educação intercultural seja uma realidade nas nossas escolas, potenciando a sua migração contextualizada dos documentos orientadores das políticas linguísticas e educativas nacionais e transnacionais e dos discursos da investigação em Didática de Línguas. Para o efeito, desenvolvemos um programa de investigação/formação denominado O Professor Intercultural, durante o ano letivo 2006/2007, com professores de línguas (materna e estrangeiras) de três escolas básicas e secundárias do distrito de Aveiro. Este programa integrava um curso (25 horas) e uma oficina (50 horas), ambas as ações de formação acreditadas pelo Conselho Científico-Pedagógico da Formação Contínua. Do ponto de vista formativo, com este programa pretendíamos levar as professoras em formação a desenvolver competências pessoais e profissionais que lhes permitissem gerir a diversidade nos seus contextos profissionais, tendo em vista o desenvolvimento nos seus alunos de uma competência de comunicação intercultural (CCI). Do ponto de vista investigativo, não só pretendíamos compreender as representações dos sujeitos relativamente à educação intercultural em geral e à CCI em particular; como também identificar princípios e estratégias de formação potenciadores do desenvolvimento de competências profissionais docentes para trabalhar a CCI, a partir das perspetivas dos próprios sujeitos. Trata-se, portanto, de um estudo de caso de cariz qualitativo e interpretativo / fenomenológico, com potencialidades heurísticas, que pretende evidenciar os sujeitos, as suas representações, as interações consigo e com os outros e a forma como conceptualizam a identidade profissional docente e as suas dinâmicas de desenvolvimento. Como instrumentos de recolha de dados, privilegiámos os Portefólios Profissionais que foram sendo construídos ao longo do percurso de formação; a sessão “Entre Línguas e Culturas” da plataforma Galanet (www.galanet.eu), recurso de formação no âmbito da oficina (entre fevereiro e maio de 2007); o “Diário do Investigador”; e as “entrevistas narrativas e de confrontação” efetuadas sensivelmente um ano após o final do programa de investigação/formação. Os resultados da análise de conteúdo revelam que os sujeitos consideram a CCI uma competência multidimensional e complexa, reconhecendo três componentes: afetiva (domínio do saber ser e saber viver com o outro), cognitiva (domínio do saber) e praxeológica (domínio do saber-fazer). A componente afetiva constitui, de acordo com os resultados, o motor de arranque do desenvolvimento desta competência, que, posteriormente, é alargada em dinâmicas de informação-(inter)ação-reflexão. Por outro lado, dada a grande pertinência que atribuem à abordagem intercultural e à urgência com que veem a sua integração escolar, os sujeitos consideram a CCI uma das competências inerentes à competência profissional docente, elemento integrador da identidade profissional, numa forte ligação com a missão ética e política que cada vez mais é associada ao docente (de línguas). Para além disso, percecionam o seu desenvolvimento profissional docente como um processo que os acompanha ao longo da vida, fruto das idiossincrasias e predisposições do próprio indivíduo, mas também das dinâmicas da sua formação, das caraterísticas dos contextos em que se movimenta e da colaboração com o Outro, no seu espaço profissional ou fora dele. Importa salientar que este desenvolvimento profissional é potenciado, segundo os nossos resultados, por propostas de formação assentes numa abordagem acional e reflexiva, articulando dinâmicas investigação-ação-reflexão como as propostas no nosso programa de formação, nomeadamente no âmbito da oficina. Neste quadro, concluímos o presente estudo, indicando alguns caminhos possíveis para a formação de professores de línguas para a educação intercultural.