Assessing competency-based evaluation course impacts: A mixed methods case study

The contexts in which evaluators develop and apply their expertise are increasingly complex; evaluator education needs to provide robust opportunities to support and assess the progressive, lifelong development of relevant knowledge and skills. This mixed methods case study begins to address the dearth of empirical evidence assessing the impacts and learner experiences of competency-based approaches to evaluator education. A decade-in-the-making doctoral evaluation course based on the Canadian Evaluation Society’s Competencies for Canadian Evaluation Practice created an opportune study setting. We applied a systems perspective to Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model to frame the case study analysis and presentation of the complex impacts generated by pre/post course competency self-assessments and reflections, integrated with an end-of-course focus group. Seven insights shed new light on the effective course design and implementation features for developing intended and unintended evaluator competencies. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical, practical, and methodological implications for effective competency-based evaluator education.

• •Keywords: Case study; Competency-based approach; Evaluator education; Mixed methods research

     

Negotiating stigma: Understanding mothers' responses to accusations of child neglect

Current child protective service policies encourage family preservation and reunification. Yet little is known about how mothers accused of child neglect experience being labeled neglectful or how this influences compliance with child protective services (CPS) service plans. This paper reports the results of a case study of mothers' perceptions of being labeled neglectful. Drawing on symbolic interactionist theories of identity, interviews with sixteen mothers and sixteen child protective service caseworkers, and content analysis of interview data obtained, this paper describes the strategies mothers employ to resist the stigma of being labeled a neglectful mother, strategies that ultimately put them at odds with child protection goals. Findings suggest that mothers' identity preservation and maintenance have powerful implications for CPS policy.     

Understanding "elder abuse and neglect": a critique of assumptions underpinning responses to the mistreatment and neglect of older people

This article provides an overview of the ways in which the mistreatment and neglect of older people have come to be understood as a social problem, one which is underpinned by a variety of substantive and theoretical assumptions. It connects the process of conceptualizing elder abuse and neglect to political-economic and social evolution. The authors draw on a review of the literature, government sources, interest group websites, and their own research to provide a critical commentary illustrating how these understandings have become manifest in legislation, policies, and programs pertaining to "elder abuse and neglect" in Canada. Suggestions are provided for changes in direction for policies, programs, and research.     

Understanding the philosophical positions of classical and neopragmatists for mixed methods research

Pragmatism is the most popular philosophy/paradigm in the international field of mixed methods research (MMR). This article therefore introduces, describes, and contrasts the philosophies of the most well known pragmatists, including the three most important classical pragmatists (Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey) and two neopragmatists (Richard Rorty and Susan Haack). It is shown that Rorty and James fit well with qualitatively driven MMR (i.?e., MMR where the qualitative component of the study is primary); Peirce fits well with quantitatively driven MMR (i.?e., MMR where the quantitative component is primary); and Dewey fits well with MMR that attempts to treat qualitative and quantitative research/philosophy equally (i.?e., equal-status mixed methods research). Importantly, it is shown here that pragmatism offers a way out of many philosophy of science quagmires facing social researchers and it offers a promising philosophy for mixed methods research practice.     

Sociology and the effects of affirmative action: A case of neglect

A literature review reveals that sociology has largely neglected to study the social effects of affirmative action, even though the policy’s assumptions and concepts are sociological. Non-sociological treatments of the policy’s consequences are examined and found wanting: polemics, legal commentaries, philosophical commentaries, economic analyses, psychological studies and organizational analyses. Sociological treatments—including opinion surveys and studies of overall societal effects—are examined and found to be mostly outdated and meager. Ten specific avenues of future research are described whereby our profession can fill this gap in our knowledge. where he has taught since 1969. He is editor of the forthcomingRelative Strangers: Studies of Stepfamily Processes (Littlefield-Adams).     

Understanding communities of neglectful parents: child caregiving networks and child neglect

This article focuses on family social networks and the community of caregivers of neglected children. If neglect is part of family functioning, who watches over the children? Using a case study approach, this study researched 12 children and their parents. Several concepts, such as multiple caregiving and kin keepers, revealed that study children were cared for by many people. Social network mapping used in this study indicated that families were not isolated from the larger community, had various forms of negative and positive social support, were low income, and were involved in substance abuse and domestic violence. Understanding the patterns that emerge from the complex web of family, friends, social service agencies, and the larger social community in which neglected children live can result in better community building.     

Understanding peasant revolution: From concept to theory and case

Theory and Society -     

Understanding the implementation of the Grow! parenting program: Findings from a mixed methods pilot study

Evaluating the implementation of parenting interventions is critical to program diffusion and quality across populations and settings, and to enhancing treatment outcomes. This article presents implementation findings from a pilot study of Grow!, a universal parenting program targeting parents of five to eight years olds that aims to improve child outcomes through strengthened parenting. Grow! was implemented at two community sites in central Pennsylvania by trained facilitators. Implementation data was gathered from facilitators and participants using mixed methods, including surveys, observation checklists, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. These data were analyzed and integrated to explore, within the context of Proctor et al.'s (2011) implementation outcome framework, four implementation outcomes (i.e., acceptability, appropriateness, fidelity, and feasibility). Overall, these findings demonstrate that Grow! can be, and was, implemented effectively in a community setting. Moreover, they demonstrate how the Proctor et al. (2011) framework can be operationalized and applied specifically to hybrid effectiveness-implementation design studies.     

Health insurance literacy: A mixed methods study of college students

Objective: This study examines the health insurance literacy, or the ability to use health insurance effectively, of college students. Participants: A total of 455 students from a large, public university completed an online questionnaire in November 2016. Methods: A questionnaire examined students’ knowledge of commonly encountered health insurance terms and ability to apply that knowledge to determine cost-sharing in a clinical setting. Results: The majority of students were able to correctly identify the most commonly encountered terms, but could not identify terms related to plan types and options. Eighty-eight percent of students could not determine their cost-sharing for two presented scenarios. Approximately half of the students indicated they had been confused about their health insurance plan, with one-quarter of students stopping or delaying medical care due to confusion. Conclusions: Outreach and education for students should target specific deficits in knowledge such as those identified in this study.     

Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: A mixed methods approach

This paper discusses the development of a mixed methods approach to analyse research funding. Research policy has taken on an increasingly prominent role in the broader political scene, where research is seen as a critical factor in maintaining and improving growth, welfare and international competitiveness. This has motivated growing emphasis on the impacts of science funding, and how funding can best be designed to promote socio-economic progress. Meeting these demands for impact assessment involves a number of complex issues that are difficult to fully address in a single study or in the design of a single methodology. However, they point to some general principles that can be explored in methodological design. We draw on a recent evaluation of the impacts of research grant funding, discussing both key issues in developing a methodology for the analysis and subsequent results. The case of research grant funding, involving a complex mix of direct and intermediate effects that contribute to the overall impact of funding on research performance, illustrates the value of a mixed methods approach to provide a more robust and complete analysis of policy impacts. Reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology are used to examine refinements for future work.     

Understanding of elder abuse and neglect among health care professionals in Malaysia: An exploratory survey

ABSTRACT

Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) is a hidden public health challenge for Malaysia. This cross-sectional survey studied the awareness of EAN among 148 doctors and nurses from two neighboring states in Malaysia using a self-administered questionnaire exploring their knowledge, perceptions, practices, and experience concerning EAN. Both doctors and nurses demonstrated poor understanding of signs of EAN and exhibited misperceptions on reporting requirements. Both groups perceived EAN as a national burden and reporting it as their responsibility; but most felt they had not been trained to diagnose it. Many were unsure of procedures and whether their own intervention could be effective. Only four (nurses) of 41 participants who suspected abuse during the past year reported the cases. Targeted education and uniform protocols are mandatory to ensure best practice with regards to EAN. Further research is crucial to extend this inquiry into the broader health care workforce.     

Street children and crime in the UK: a case of abuse and neglect

It is claimed that many incidences of children running away from home and residential care involve issues around violence, bullying and child abuse and neglect. Surveys show that between 14 and 20% of children run away from home for at least one night and that 2% run away 10 times or more from home or a care setting. The potential reasons for running away are discussed together with the increased possibility for further victimization, delinquency and criminal behaviour. Four ‘streetwork projects’ that provide information and support to young runaways in the UK are described and their limitations discussed. It is proposed that counselling should be a part of intervention with street children and that trained counsellors/psychotherapists should be available free to these young people with social and emotional difficulties outside the usual health/social service provision. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Abuse,neglect and exploitation in assisted living: an examination of long-term care ombudsman complaint data

Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates who empower and assist residents with complaints relating to quality of care and violations of resident rights in assisted living (AL) and skilled nursing facilities (SNF). Given that long-term care residents are vulnerable to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation (ANE), and existing gaps in the literature addressing ANE in AL, more research is needed to understand the prevalence of ANE in these communities. Ombudsman complaint data (n = 140,497 complaints) in 3,171 Texas long-term care facilities were analyzed using proportion Z tests. Findings showed that SNF had higher rates of ANE per resident. For both AL and SNF, verbal/psychological abuse was the most reported type of ANE and sexual abuse was the least reported. AL residents had disproportionately high rates of financial exploitation. We explored factors that may contribute to these findings and recommend strategies for preventing ANE.     

Recognizing,reporting, and responding to abuse,neglect, and self-neglect of vulnerable adults: an evaluation of the re:act adult protection worker basic curriculum

Abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults are significant problems, the identification and management of which is increasingly being made the legal responsibility of healthcare professionals. In response, some jurisdictions have developed training to assist professionals in these duties. This study evaluates the re:act Adult Protection Worker Basic Curriculum training from British Columbia, Canada. One hundred and fifty-seven participants, 109 training completers and 48 non-completers, answered a survey evaluating their confidence, knowledge, and applied knowledge in identifying, reporting, and investigating cases of suspected abuse, neglect, and self-neglect of vulnerable adults. Comparisons of training completers to non-completers showed significant gains in completers’ perceived confidence and knowledge, but no improvement in applied knowledge. The type of healthcare professional being trained and the length of training did not impact learner improvement. The results suggest ways in which both training and evaluation can be improved (e.g., supervised practice) to increase and detect gains in knowledge and practice.     

Protecting the paediatrician: responding to recrimination

Doctors involved in child abuse proceedings may be subjected to much blame and pressure because of their role as ‘messenger’. They frequently need assistance with complaints procedures, disciplinary proceedings, public inquiries, litigation, media problems and other threats to their professional integrity and reputation. The medical model of support which may be offered by the defence organizations has much to commend it to other workers in the field. The author is a medico-legal adviser at the Medical Defence Union, and was extensively involved in assisting doctors at the Cleveland and Orkney Inquiries. From this privileged position he surveys the various procedures which may be used by parents and others to challenge paediatricians, and sets out possible ways in which practical support may be given.     

Mental health in vietnam and the move to incorporate social work: A mixed methods study of staff perceptions and expectations

In 2010, Vietnam established social work as a profession. As part of their strategic plan, the government aims to incorporate social work into existing hospitals and health care facilities in the country, including psychiatric hospitals and mental health care centers. This paper, based upon survey and focus group data from 194 people working in three major mental health facilities in Hanoi, explores direct care staffs’ perceptions of this historic incorporation of social work, with a particular eye to the benefits and challenges of the transition. Results show most staff members thought social workers would provide great support to the many unmet needs of their largely underserved and impoverished patients. They also viewed social workers as a potential resource to the treatment team by reducing work overload. Existing staff, however, were less attuned to the clinical functions of social workers in mental health settings, often equating social work with community development and social movements. Some were concerned about social workers taking on their tasks; others about new social workers being hindered by the professional hierarchy in which doctors were placed at the top. Successful integration of social workers will hinge on strong support from policy-makers and leaders of mental health systems.     

Parenting stress of grandparents and other kin as informal kinship caregivers: A mixed methods study

Informal kinship caregivers provide the majority of out of home care to children who can no longer safely stay with their biological parent. Yet their parenting challenges are understudied since they are often left out from child welfare and other service systems. This mixed methods study, using a survey and focus groups of grandparent and other kin, examined predictors and sources of parenting stress. Quantitative findings suggested that the kinship family's needs and the caregiver's health and emotional well-being adversely affected parenting stress. Grandparent caregivers experienced an elevated level of parenting stress compared to other kin caregivers. Qualitative findings suggested that financial strains, concerns over children's behavior, navigating service systems and difficult relationships with birth parents contributed to their stress. It appeared that grandparent caregivers faced special challenges due to generational gaps, guilt and concerns over birth parents.     

Effective strategies for responding to rumors about risks: The case of radiation-contaminated food in South Korea

This experimental study explores how governments should respond to rumors about national-level risk issues. Informed by research in rumor psychology and risk/crisis communication, it investigates whether type of rumor and rumor response strategy have main and interaction effects on reducing rumor beliefs and intention to disseminate rumor. The two featured rumor types are the bogie rumor, which highlights feared outcomes, and the wedge rumor, which aims to reinforce differences between rival groups. Derived from Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the three response strategies examined are refuting the rumor, denying it, and attacking its source. Data were drawn from part of a large-scale online experiment, and the sample of the analysis was 942 South Korean adults. The experiment had a between-subjects design of 2 rumor type (wedge vs. bogie) x 3 government response strategies (refutation, denial, attack the attacker). Results show that all three rumor response strategies significantly reduced rumor beliefs, but only the refutation strategy significantly reduced intention to disseminate the rumor. Rumor type (bogie) and response strategies (refutation) had main, but not interaction, effects on reduction of intention to disseminate the rumor.     

Child deaths attributed to abuse and neglect: An empirical study

This study of 267 child deaths associated with abuse or neglect in Texas during 1975 through 1977 suggests a number of indicators for identifying potential child fatalities. Families where abuse or neglect is implicated in a child fatality are characterized by small family size, young parents, and under-utilization of community support services. Over three-fourths of the families in the study had never come to the attention of the state's child protective services agency. In addition, when fathers were present in the home, they were as likely to be involved in the abuse or neglect as mothers. Neglect was implicated in the death of a child as often as abuse. The study suggests the need for further examination of child fatality profiles associated with abuse and neglect and increased community outreach efforts to provide support to high-risk families, The study also has implications for social policy decisions, particularly in relation to efforts to resist attempts to exclude neglect from child protective service responsibility.