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Self-regulated learning (SRL) and metacognitive processes are important in education because they contribute to effective learning and improved academic performance. Metacognitive SRL may be facilitated by the implementation of computer technology. This qualitative study examined the presence and use of metacognitive SLR processes among elementary school students as they completed computer-and paper-based reading assignments. Students in two after-school programs were recruited from a public school district in a southeastern region of the United States (U.S.). The participants consisted of 52 elementary students in Grades 2-5. Students participated in two, counterbalanced, conditions that involved computer- and paper-based reading assignments. Observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results indicated that students were more likely to apply metacognitive SRL skills when reading on paper than reading on a computer. Overall, students showed signs of planning more in the paper than in the computer condition but student behaviors and responses differed between grades. Monitoring practices appeared in both the computer- and the paper-based reading assignment, with monitoring connected with background knowledge in Grades 2 and 3 but reading content in Grades 4 and 5. Control processes such as retrying and representing graphically were more common in the computer- than in the paper-based reading across all grades. Students used their score in a reading assignment as an evaluation tool to assess performance in the computer- and paper-based reading condition. These findings suggest that the utilization of prior information, integration of multimedia and verbal signals, and comfort level with the reading medium all influenced students' SRL decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of "community-engaged research" (CEnR) within the context of Veteran health care delivery and reintegration programs. A multi-sector expert panel (msExP) was formed to evaluate and make recommendations on Veteran community reintegration research and programs. The panel consisted of Veterans, care partners, clinical providers, researchers, community stakeholders, and subject matter experts. The paper examines the composition and lifecycle of the panel, highlighting the characteristics and experiences of the participants. Shifts in the panel's purpose and engagement levels occurred in response to unanticipated disruptions, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The transformation of the panel emphasizes the importance of aligning individual and group needs and deepening intrapersonal relationships Findings based on observations, surveys, and interviews with panel members contribute to the field of community-engaged research by demonstrating the utility of catalytic validity that balances group and individual development. As part of a broader study on Veteran reintegration, the panel and its development over time allowed for various perspectives on Veteran experiences and reintegration within the community that shaped the overall project. Despite the challenges of developing and maintaining a panel alongside a research study, feedback from the panel members on their participation provides insight into the potential for future working alliances in community-engaged health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The regulatory environment is one of the key factors in successfully bringing an innovative medical product, like a drug-device combination product, to market. This paper offers insight into the experiences of those involved in obtaining regulatory approval of drug-device combination products in the European Union and the United States. Methods: The research consisted of two phases, qualitative data collection (through semi-structured interviews) and analysis, followed by quantitative data collection (through an online survey) and analysis. Results: A conceptual model was developed that depicted the facilitating factors for obtaining regulatory approval of a drug-device combination product, relevant to the European Union and United States systems, respectively. Conclusions: This model provides, for the first time, a comprehensive understanding of these factors, providing a foundation that could be adapted to reflect specific drug-device combination products. This research demonstrated originality of approach in interviewing thought leaders in the life sciences sector as well as conducting a survey that spans two of the largest jurisdictions for drug-device combination products in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urban policy transfer between the US and UK has long been of interest to researchers and practitioners. Given the recent wider context of reduced direct funding and the absence of a coherent regeneration policy, this paper considers the introduction of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to the UK as a method of stimulating spatially targeted economic development initiatives. The paper explores whether TIF could be considered a form of policy transfer, and in doing so uncovers whether the transfer of TIF could – (a) be successful and unsuccessful under certain circumstances; (b) require the actions of certain stakeholders; and (c) be enabled via prescribed frameworks and negotiation. The results are evidenced using qualitative approaches and find that TIF is more of a modified policy ‘idea’ rather than transfer. Further discussion argues that TIF can be successful, if it considers flexible but local elements and has the capacity to balance stakeholders for development brokerage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper I examine my experience of submitting a research proposal to the Institutional Review Board of a university. In the United States of America Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are federally mandated ethics committees that evaluate research proposals to ensure the rights of human subjects are protected by conducting a risk benefit analysis of proposed research, ensuring that informed consent and confidentiality protocols are applied appropriately, and that the selection of participants is just and equitable. While accepting the need for IRBs, I suggest that their documentation and practices privilege specific research practices. This paper seeks to highlight the emerging consistencies and contradictions of this documentation when applied to a research approach seeking to study an urban science classroom and argues that there needs to be an ongoing dialogue to examine and acknowledge these contradictions in their documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses what a researcher can expect when doing qualitative research in an American Indian community. Despite an attempt to adequately prepare for fieldwork the author found that the research process differed in important respects from the qualitative methods literature. The paper chronicles key differences concerning gatekeepers and the research bargain, establishing rapport and gaining acceptance, the roles assigned to the researcher, the role of key informants and brokers, and several uniquely Indian processes the author experienced. The paper concludes with a summary of salient characteristics of research among American Indians and argues that such research takes longer, the research bargain is a matter of constant negotiation, gatekeepers are ubiquitous within the community, and the researcher needs to be prepared to make some accommodations to his or her hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines dark tourism consumption motivations. Using a qualitative and interpretative mixed-method approach, this study traces the dark tourism motivations related to “blackpackers” and fans of the musical performance art known as black metal. Steeped in anti-Christian motifs and themes, with a history of past violence, black metal is a long-existing and still burgeoning art form that is growing in popularity throughout Europe and the United States. Through examination that involved participant observation, nethnography and content analysis, simulation, coupled with the emotional contagion were found to be key motivating aspects of this dark tourism related to black metal. Additionally, it was found, that similar to media tourists, many black metal fans seek tourism activity to reconcile comparisons between imaged landscapes and topographical reality. In addition to discussing specific aspects of the blackpacking phenomenon, larger theoretical implications related to the greater realm of dark tourism motivations are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we explore whether the enhancement of urban ecosystem services through large-scale, metropolitan tree-planting initiatives is being planned and executed as a component of traditional municipal government or represents new, transdisciplinary strategies in environmental governance. Drawing on qualitative interviews with stakeholders in six major cities (n =58) we further explore institutionalization of these initiatives and relationships. While much current discourse posits government cannot “go it alone” in providing preventative, “front-end” solutions to complex environmental problems, we found the public sector dominant in the visioning, planning, and management of these green infrastructure initiatives and the role of the private sector to be minimal. We also found that, despite this dominance, the initiatives had limited success in becoming institutionalized. This dichotomy reflects that while discourses labeling the public sector unable to grapple with complex environmental issues and the private sector dominant in environmental governance regimes are premature, institutionalizing the solutions into the machinery of government remains a contested arena. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chinese tourists visiting the U.S. were interviewed to explore their shopping behaviours and to understand their shopping experiences. This study revealed that the Chinese tourists were interested in a very large variety of U.S. merchandise, ranging from antique watches and jewellery to health products and running shoes. They perceived the quality of American products to be consistent with prices lower than similar products at home. Male tourists in the study tended to be more satisfied with their shopping experiences than females, but all informants expressed a desire for more Chinese-speaking sales assistants as well as Chinese shopping guides and signage. Informants asked that Chinese credit cards be accepted in the U.S. stores, and would encourage banks of both countries to find ways to cooperate with payment methods to make tourists’ shopping experience more enjoyable and free from inconveniences. Informants had a positive image of shopping in the U.S., especially when compared to some European and Asian destinations. Implications of both the methods and the findings for destination marketing strategies are also discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Education decentralisation in Pakistan started from 2001 through an all-out devolution programme of the government across sectors. To strengthen the decentralisation reform and to build capacity of district educational managers a USAID sponsored programme Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA) was launched in 2003. In order to assess the impact of these capacity building initiatives, a research study was carried out during 2005-2006. The research used qualitative design and was carried out in one of the ESRA target districts in Sinh province. The paper argues that improper communication of policy severely compromised the achievement of intended policy objectives. The research noted that most of the management staff at district level had limited and distorted understanding of basic policies. This lack of understanding is caused by poor channels through which policy is communicated and which severely compromises the reform initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the TPACK model and how it was used to guide the design and development of a school district's teacher development program that was funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Education. The usefulness of the TPACK model as a framework for teacher development projects was evaluated using interviews of teachers who participated in a project. The results indicate that TPACK is a very powerful and appropriate model when used as a framework for such projects. Even critiques and recommendations made by teachers were often expressions of TPACK basic principles or assumptions that highlighted where the project could have better met TPACK ideals. However, TPACK does not appear to be a model that can be used as a single source of conceptual guidelines. The interview data highlighted important, even crucial, aspects of a project that are not directly addressed by the TPACK model. Chief among these were logistical issues, the need to consider principles of adult learning and diffusion models when designing development projects, and the crucial importance of building and supporting social/professional networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative research paper examines the processes that Filipino immigrants' daughters (Pinays) use to negotiate their realities at home and in college. A Peminist framework was used in constructing the interview questions and in analyzing the study's findings. Peminism is a framework that considers the uniqueness of Pinays' immigration background as it relates to their experiences in the United States. The interview data from twelve undergraduate Pinays revealed two issues regarding their majors and career aspirations: (a) parents' nonverbal expression of expectations, and (b) the children's unconscious desire to compromise. University personnel ought to pay attention to these students as a group that has realities that may not be shared by other Asian American communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a two part analysis of social justice programs (SJPs) at state universities in the United States of America (USA). Two main questions are addressed: firstly, in Part I, "What might it take to develop a social justice program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)?" and secondly, in Part II, "Why do some universities have social justice programs and others do not?" In Part I, a preliminary analysis of hard and soft-data is conducted in an attempt to locate a case study comparison with UTEP. This preliminary analysis revealed mixed results and suggests that the best comparative sample for case study with UTEP would be a university most alike in ideological position. Part II, presents a qualitative analysis of interviews obtained from twelve SJP representatives from seven state universities across the USA. The findings reveal numerous intertwined issues that are organized and discussed as common, salient, and unspoken themes. I argue that there is no one reason for the existence of a SJP at a state university, but this is a multi-factorial endeavor requiring all the "bits and pieces" to make it happen. The common, salient, and unspoken themes may also prove a helpful guide for a future SJP developer or coordinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative methods have become common in statistics education research, but questions linger about their role in scholarship. Currently, influential policy documents lend credence to the notion that qualitative methods are inherently inferior to quantitative ones. In this paper, several of the questions about qualitative research raised in recent policy documents in the U.S. are examined. Each question is addressed by drawing upon examples from existing statistics education research. The examples illustrate that qualitative methods can be used profitably to study statistical teaching and learning, and that in some cases qualitative methods are preferable to quantitative ones. By using the examples presented, qualitative researchers in statistics education can begin to more strongly situate their work within scholarly discourse about empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews qualitative research in the United States, highlighting the ways research has changed in the era of the third age. With growing attention to positive and uplifting aspects of aging, qualitative research has played a critical role in the exploration of the ways in which older adults are engaging in meaningful ways with others. We describe two key methodological approaches that have been important to examining positive aspects of aging and exploring the extent to which a growing number of years of healthy retirement are redefining the aging experience: ethnographic research and grounded theory research. We also review key topics associated with qualitative research in the era of the third age. These topics fit within two dominant frameworks - research exploring meaningmaking in later life and research exploring meaningful engagement in later life. These frameworks were critically important to raising attention to meaningful experiences and interactions with others, and we propose that the agenda for future qualitative research in the United States should continue contributing to these frameworks. However, we note that a third framework should also be developed which examines what it means to be a third age through use of a phenomenological approach, which will assist in the important task of theory building about the third age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews qualitative research in the United States, highlighting the ways research has changed in the era of the third age. With growing attention to positive and uplifting aspects of aging, qualitative research has played a critical role in the exploration of the ways in which older adults are engaging in meaningful ways with others. We describe two key methodological approaches that have been important to examining positive aspects of aging and exploring the extent to which a growing number of years of healthy retirement are redefining the aging experience: ethnographic research and grounded theory research. We also review key topics associated with qualitative research in the era of the third age. These topics fit within two dominant frameworks - research exploring meaning-making in later life and research exploring meaningful engagement in later life. These frameworks were critically important to raising attention to meaningful experiences and interactions with others, and we propose that the agenda for future qualitative research in the United States should continue contributing to these frameworks. However, we note that a third framework should also be developed which examines what it means to be a third ager through use of a phenomenological approach, which will assist in the important task of theory building about the third age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a content analysis of the titles and descriptions of methods courses offered in 44 graduate programs in public policy at universities and colleges in the U.S., and compares the results to those of an earlier survey on the ethodological preferences of policy professionals. The rationale for classifying methods courses as quantitative and qualitative and the results of the past research on methods courses are discussed. The results of the analyses show that quantitative methods are used in a large majority of the courses studied and that they are prevalent in the practice of policy professionals. The authors question whether the prevalence of a quantitative/positivist methodological approach in public policy programs and practice is a good match for the demands of today's complex world of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U. S. media reports numerous stories of educators making improper decisions in the exercise of school/education law. The majority of these reported incidents result in costly litigation. The litigious nature of the American public makes it prudent for educators to possess a working knowledge and understanding of the basic law principles affecting schools and the educational environment as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to examine research supporting an addition to teacher preparation which would afford a democratic education for all involved by placing emphasis on adequate preparation for teachers in dealing with problem situations in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of controversy associated with large confined animal feed operations (CAFOs) on Sand Mountain in the northeast corner of Alabama, the tail-end of the Appalachian Mountains. We examine competing cultural frames developed by supporters and opponents of CAFOs that produce hogs. Both sides of the CAFO controversy utilize locally-specific cultural understandings of private property. Those opposed have framed their concerns both in terms of formal environmental standards of regulatory agencies and the responsibility of landowners not to engage in activities that adversely affect neighboring land owners. CAFO operators have framed the issue by drawing upon local traditions of individual rights over how one uses land, while calling upon reciprocal social relationships that stretch across multiple generations to win support or mute opposition. The controversy has spilled over into the legislative and regulatory arenas, where tradition-based cultural frames are repeated but in different forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Because most health information exchange (HIE) initiatives are as yet immature, formative evaluation is recommended so that what is learned through evaluation can be immediately applied to assist in HIE development efforts. Qualitative methods can be especially useful for formative evaluation because they can guide ongoing HIE growth while taking context into consideration. This paper describes important HIE-related research questions and outlines appropriate qualitative research techniques for addressing them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Polish sociologist and philosopher Florian Znaniecki, well-known by his research together with W. I. Thomas on Polish immigrants in the United States, explicated the principles of his ‘analytic induction’ in a later publication The Method of Sociology. This is a method in which research units are examined one by one and in which theoretical insights are adjusted to each observation. This process of continuous re-formulation of the research hypotheses completes when new observations do no longer offer new insights, i.e., when theoretical saturation takes place. In this paper a treatment of the original view of Znaniecki is offered. His starting-points—inductive approach, respect for the facts, dynamical fundamental attitude, special treatment of exceptions, attention for validity and intensional approach—are explained, as well as his formulation of analytic induction in four steps and the principle of structural dependence and the principle of causality. Starting from this original view, the advantages and disadvantages of analytic induction are balanced against each other and this method is examined with the aim of application. Critiques of the approach in the period around 1950, by Robinson, Lindesmith and Cressey and, later in time, by Peter Manning, are discussed and additional research examples from Belgium and the Netherlands serve as illustration of the arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While technology use in pediatric therapies is increasing, there is so far no research available focusing on how pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States use technology. Objective: This paper sought to determine if, and to what extent, pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps, to determine what purpose they are using them for, and to identify gaps in available technology to provide guidance for future technological development. Methods: Pediatric SLPs completed an online survey containing five sections: demographics, overall use, use in assessment, use in intervention, barriers, and future directions. Results: Mobile app use by 485 pediatric SLPs in the clinical setting was analyzed. Most (364/438; 83.1%) pediatric SLPs reported using technology ≤50% of the time in their clinical work, with no differences evident by age group (<35 years and ≥35 years; P =.97). Pediatric SLPs are currently using apps for intervention (399/1105; 36.1%), clinical information (241/1105; 21.8%), parent education (151/1105; 13.7%), assessment (132/1105; 12%), client education (108/1105; 9.8%), and other uses (55/1105; 5.0%). Cost (46/135; 34.1%) and lack of an evidence base (36/135; 26.7%) were the most frequently reported barriers. Most SLPs (268/380; 70.7%) desired more technology use, with no difference evident by age group (P =.81). Conclusions: A majority of pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps less than 50% of the time in a pediatric setting and they use them more during intervention compared to assessment. While pediatric SLPs are hesitant to add to their client's screen time, they would like more apps to be developed that are supported by research and are less expensive. Implications for future research and app development are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]