Browsing by Subject "mixed methods"
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Item The Decision To Speed In the United States – A Mixed Methods Study(2020-06) Peterson, ColleenSpeeding remains a major and consistent cause of U.S. roadway fatalities. The current research used a mixed methods approach to build a more comprehensive understanding of which U.S. drivers decide to speed and why to inform novel speeding interventions. Data came from an online survey of a diverse group of drivers (N=309) from across the U.S. The survey collected information on participant demographics, driving history, behaviors, and related attitudes in the form of both open- and close-ended questions. The first manuscript identified qualitative themes from narratives explaining how and why participant speeding behaviors changed with age. Results show U.S. drivers often make deliberate choices to speed and do not consider speeding to be dangerous after achieving perceived driving mastery, but they tend to speed less due to family responsibility and prioritizing safety. The second manuscript featured latent class analysis resulting in four driver typologies representing: Externally Motivated Reactors, Non-Reactors, the Perceived Invulnerable, and the Perceived Vulnerable. Externally Motivated Reactors and Non-Reactors class members had the highest probability of extreme speeding, while Perceived Vulnerable class members endorsed a host of less risky driving responses. The third manuscript identified quantitative and qualitative commonalities and differences between minor, moderate, and extreme speeders. Speeders were most differentiated quantitatively by proportion of high risk and sensation-seeking personalities and qualitatively by the permanence and extent of speed reductions after crashes, speeding tickets, or driving with passengers. For all speeder types, considering oneself a good driver or not at-fault for a crash reduced intention to change speeding behaviors. These mixed methods results holistically describe a spectrum of U.S. drivers, their perceptions, attitudes, and contexts that lead to different speeding behaviors, and how these change with age. Findings show that effective means of encouraging U.S. drivers not to speed may be multi-pronged interventions encompassing environmental, social, and cognitive reframing approaches. Anti-speeding campaigns should target high sensation seekers, emphasize the safety of all roadway users, explain the connection between speed and safety, underscoring how speeding reduces driver control. Broad-based use of safe systems road design and expanded law enforcement strategies are also recommended.Item Devising superconvergent HDG methods by M-decompositions(2016-05) Fu, GuoshengIn this thesis, we develop the concept of an M-decomposition as an effective tool for devising high-order accurate hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods and hybridized mixed methods that superconverge on unstructured meshes of shape-regular polyhedral elements for three linear elliptic partial differential equations, namely, the (steady-state) diffusion equation, the equations for linear elasticity, and the equations for incompressible Stokes flow.Item Dual-Trauma Couples: Examining the Reciprocal Roles of Dual-Traumatic Exposure on Dyadic Functioning and Resiliency Processes(2020-06) Braughton, JacquelineExtant literature on traumatic stress has predominately focused on the exploration, identification, and treatment of trauma-related symptoms and diagnoses in individuals. In addition, conceptualization and examination of the role of traumatic stress exposure on couples have generally typified partners as comprised of one primary and one secondary trauma survivor (commonly referred to as “single-trauma couples” (STC). As a result, there are critical gaps in the examination of the lived experiences of dual-trauma couples ([DTC]; i.e., wherein both partners meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD or have a history of exposure to traumatic stress), and in understanding(s) of dual-traumatic exposure on couples’ functioning. The research presented herein aims to address these limitations and expand upon existing dual-trauma scholarship using a mixed methodology, two study approach. In the first study, I used cross-sectional data from the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE) to analyze and compare the relationship between (a) childhood trauma exposure (i.e., physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence) and (b) relational satisfaction and stability, and perceived partner flexibility in a non-clinical sample (n=4,308) of STC and DTC. Principles from the Couples Adaptation to Traumatic Stress (CATS) informed construction of latent constructs (i.e., trauma exposure, relational satisfaction, perceived partner flexibility) that comprised all six actor-partner interdependence models. Actor-partner effects indicated greater exposure to or frequency of childhood trauma had significant adverse effects on STC and DTC relational satisfaction and stability, and DTC perceived partner flexibility. Notable gender differences were found among both STC and DTC samples. Post hoc analyses illustrated that problems in child-rearing had a greater negative effect than childhood trauma exposure on DTC and STC relational constructs. In the second study, I focused on the DTC non-clinical sample from Study 1 and conducted a data reductive thematic analysis on dual-trauma female partners’ (n=822) and male partners’ (n=831) perceived relational strengths and weaknesses to ascertain individual and dyadic resiliency processes. Short-answer participant responses were taken from the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE). Eight salient processes that promoted and hindered couple resiliency emerged from the data, providing insight into the perceptions, behaviors, dyadic interactions, and past experience that may foster or hinder effective resilience in DTC. Further, findings corroborate extant literature and support a balanced (inclusion of adaptive and maladaptive interactions) conceptualization of DTC relational dynamics. Global implications of both studies illustrate evidence that dual-traumatic exposure has influence on relational constructs (i.e., satisfaction, stability, perceived partner flexibility) and couple interactions. Individual perception of trauma, as well as, the complex delineation of the influence of childhood trauma exposure and the role of daily stress within dual-trauma couples’ lives are discussed. Implications for clinical practice are also described. Future directions demonstrate the need for continued empirical studies to ascertain accurate reflection of the lived experiences of dual-trauma couples.Item Efficiency, Equity, and Eliminating Homelessness in Hennepin County(2024-05-01) Adams , Edward; Banishoraka, Yasmin; Gebeck, Madison; Goudie-Averill, Alex; Makari, DeborahThe Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a process utilized by Hennepin County to facilitate the intake, assessment, and referral of homeless individuals and families with the highest needs to housing opportunities. This study sought to identify the challenges Hennepin County staff and service providers face when moving homeless individuals and families through CES and offer recommendations on how to increase efficiency and ensure equity in the referral process to guarantee successful housing outcomes. Through qualitative interviews with the aforementioned actors and quantitative analysis of key County reports, we make offerings around assessments, documentation, HMIS, program and referral misalignment, County and service provider goals, County-provider collaboration, and comprehensive support for clients.Item Feedback and Creativity in Interior Design Studio: A Case study-mixed methods of a Junior Level Light Fixture Project(2021-08) Vo, Khanh HoaFeedback plays a critical role in nurturing creativity. Current literature, however, indicates that feedback can enhance or impede students’ creativity depending on its practices. Furthermore, theoretical framework and empirical evidence for effective feedback practices in interior design studios are insufficient. The present study, thus, built upon intensive reviews from the field of educational psychology on the relationship between feedback and creativity plus mediators such as feedback preferences and levels of interest. Via a case study-mixed methods approach, the study then explored effective feedback practices for students’ creativity in an interior design studio at the University of Minnesota in fall 2020. Data were collected from junior students (n=30) in a five-week light fixture design project in a studio. Feedback sources included the studio instructor and the CEO of a lighting design organization. Two independent judges rated students’ creativity using the Creative Product Semantic Scale (CPSS). Paired t-tests of CPSS ratings during the design process detected significant increases in Novelty of students. Pre-and post-surveys showed that students perceived the instructor’s feedback as positive while they expected more from the CEO’s feedback. No change was detected in students’ levels of interest. Follow-up interviews with students of high creativity (n=10) revealed that effective feedback practices came (a) in abundant quantity, (b) at the right timing, and (c) met students’ expectations. Future research needs to explore the correlation between feedback experiences and students’ creativity in multiple studio years, especially in terms of Resolution and Style, two other criteria of CPSS.Item Infusing Neuroscience Into Teacher Professional Development(American Educational Research Association, 2013-08-01) Dubinsky, Janet M; Roehrig, Gillian; Varma, SashankBruer advocated connecting neuroscience and education indirectly through the intermediate discipline of psychology. We argue for a parallel route: The neurobiology of learning, and in particular the core concept of plasticity, have the potential to directly transform teacher preparation and professional development, and ultimately to affect how students think about their own learning. We present a case study of how the core concepts of neuroscience can be brought to in-service teachers—the BrainU workshops. We then discuss how neuroscience can be meaningfully integrated into preservice teacher preparation, focusing on institutional and cultural barriers.Item Latino Children at the Intersection of Immigration and Health Care Policy: A Mixed-methods Study of Parental Documentation Status, State-level Policy, and Access to Coverage and Care(2015-08) Pintor, JessiePurpose: Latino children experience the highest uninsurance rate among their peers and those with immigrant parents experience the greatest coverage disparities. Most (60%) of these 10 million children belong to mixed-status families in which parents and children have different documentation statuses that confer differential rights, benefits, and vulnerabilities. Immigrant adults face significant restrictions on public coverage, and barriers created by documentation status suggest that policies intended to restrict access for immigrant adults may ultimately exclude their children, most of whom are U.S.-born citizens. Because of these federal restrictions – which are maintained under the ACA – the bulk of immigrant healthcare policymaking is ultimately delegated to states. My first objective was to estimate gaps in insurance coverage by parental documentation status among a nationally representative sample of citizen children of Latino immigrants. Second, in light of immigrant healthcare policymaking at the state level, I sought to examine whether disparate state-level healthcare policy moderated the relationship between parental documentation status and children’s coverage. My final objective was to explore the mechanisms through which parental documentation status affects children’s access to coverage and care. Methods: My mixed-methods sequential explanatory design integrated secondary data analysis with semi-structured interviews. In AIM 1 I used the Survey of Income & Program Participation (SIPP) to estimate differences in insurance by children’s citizenship and parental documentation status within a nationally-representative cross-section of 4,227 children of Latino immigrants. I pooled a cross-section of 1,260 children of Latino immigrants from the final wave of the 2004 SIPP Panel (August-December 2007) with 2,967 children from the 2nd wave of the 2008 Panel (December 2008-March 2009). I first estimated uninsurance and coverage type by children’s citizenship and parental documentation status. I then estimated binary and multinomial probit models to estimate the marginal effects of children’s citizenship, parental documentation status, and their interaction on the probability of being insured (binary probit) and the probability of being insured by employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), Medicaid/CHIP, and direct-purchase or other private coverage (multinomial probit). In AIM 2, I used multilevel models to examine whether state-level policy on immigrant access to coverage moderated the effect of parental documentation status among a sample of 3,615 citizen children of Latino immigrants in 30 states with sufficient sample size for multilevel modeling. AIM 3 consisted of semi-structured interviews with 14 Latino immigrant parents and 6 key informants in Minnesota, with the objective of uncovering mechanisms to help explain the relationship between parental documentation status and children’s coverage identified in AIMS 1 and 2. Findings: The children of Latino immigrants experienced high uninsurance rates and low rates of ESI. Non-citizen children fared the worst, with an uninsurance rates of 54.1% compared to 28.2% for citizen children (p<.001). Citizen children with at least one undocumented parent had lower rates of insurance than their counterparts (32% vs. 27% for citizen children with citizen/legal permanent resident (LPR) parents, p<.001). These differences were no longer significant after adjusting for age and immigration-related and socioeconomic barriers and facilitators. In adjusted multinomial models, citizen children with undocumented parents were significantly less likely to hold ESI coverage than citizen children with two citizen parents. State-level policy on immigrant access to prenatal coverage moderated the effect of parental documentation status. In states where all (income-eligible) pregnant women are eligible for Medicaid coverage regardless of immigration status, there were no differences in children’s uninsurance rates by parental documentation status. In these states, both children with at least one undocumented parent and their counterparts had an uninsurance rate of 26%. In states where undocumented pregnant women are not eligible for Medicaid prenatal coverage, 45% of citizen children with at least one undocumented parent were uninsured, 17 percentage points higher than children with citizen/LPR parents (p<.001). These differences held up in adjusted models. Finally, Latino immigrant parents for the most part did not feel their own documentation status affected their citizen children’s access to coverage. Two key policies in Minnesota help explain why parental documentation status was not identified as a major barrier to coverage for citizen children. Prenatal coverage is available to all income-eligible pregnant women, regardless of immigration status, and newborns are automatically enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP when their mother is covered by the same at birth. In contrast, undocumented children are restricted from Medicaid/CHIP coverage, and as a result faced the greatest barriers to coverage and care. Conclusions: The bulk of research on coverage disparities for children of immigrants has focused on parental citizenship. Examining parental documentation status – an often masked distinction – provides insight into lack of insurance generally and ESI specifically, and reveals further disparities. The degree of insurance and ESI followed a strong gradient where children with undocumented parents experienced the most vulnerability and children with two citizen parents the least. The gap in ESI– which persisted after adjusting for several parental and family characteristics – appears to be the driving force behind these disparities. State-and local-level analyses provided a more complete picture of coverage disparities by parental documentation status.Item A Mixed-Methods Theory-Based Evaluation of a Program Supporting Underrepresented Minority STEM Students(2022-12) Zhang, YueThere is a need to address disparities in the underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students’ degree attainment and retention, vs. non-URM students. A literature review suggests that URM STEM students face barriers related to demographic, academic, and social-cognitive factors. The Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) seeks to address these factors and promote URM student success in STEM disciplines. However, there is a gap in knowledge regarding LS-NSSA’s mechanism and outcomes. The current study investigates factors influencing URM STEM students’ retention and graduation, investigates LS-NSSA program effectiveness, and investigates the path by which outcomes are achieved. A theory-based evaluation approach is utilized in an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design guided by LS-NSSA’s theory of change. The results of three sub-studies suggest the importance of first-semester experience and academic outcomes for URM STEM students’ graduation and retention. Participation in LS-NSSA is associated with a higher level of academic preparation to pursue a bachelor’s degree, compared to URM students not affiliated with the program. URM STEM students participating in LS-NSSA’s research mentorship programs have higher levels of confidence, interest, science identity, sense of belonging, and commitment to STEM. The current study offers evidence supporting LS-NSSA’s theory of change regarding student academic and social-cognitive trajectories. The current study suggests directions for future evaluative studies of LS-NSSA.Item Moral Injury Among Professionals In K-12 Education: A Mixed Methods Inquiry(2018-06) Sugrue, ErinThis dissertation presents an explanatory sequential mixed methods study of moral injury among professionals in K-12 public education. Moral injury refers to the lasting psychological and existential harm that occurs when an individual engages in or witnesses acts that violate deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. Two hundred eighteen licensed K-12 professionals in one urban school district in the Midwest completed an on-line survey that included measures of moral injury and emotional and behavioral correlates. The K-12 professionals exhibited levels of moral injury similar to those experienced by military veterans, and those working in high-poverty, racially segregated schools were significantly more likely to endorse experiences of moral injury. Based on these findings, 21 professionals who had demonstrated high levels of moral injury during the quantitative portion of the study were invited to participate in individual interviews about their experiences. Using a post-intentional phenomenological approach, and informed by Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality Theory, the analysis demonstrates how structures and processes of race and class oppression produce an education context that is rife with moral wrongs and accompanying distress. Recommendations are made for how the construct of moral injury can be employed to work towards eliminating educational injustice.Item A Symphony of the Effects of Music Therapy on Children with Intellectual-Developmental Disabilities(2023-01) Wu, YueThe structure of this dissertation is a multi-chapter format. Since it is music related, I used symphony as an analogy for this dissertation work and each chapter is one of the movements of the symphony. This dissertation depicts the story of curiosity, compassion, innovation, collaboration, and perseverance in building the bridge. You will read about music therapy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), telehealth, the experiences of having a child with disabilities in both China and the U.S., the pilot study of tele-music therapy on children with ASD, and a project called Light in the Well, honoring people with disabilities and their families. This dissertation captured the evolution of my research agenda throughout my PhD career. My historical research project on the development of music therapy in China from my master’s program was completed and published at the beginning of my PhD program. With the understanding of the history, I started to participate service projects in different regions in China. From there, I took more interest in learning about accessibility of disability services and people’s experience of having a child with disabilities. That is how the mixed method China study (Movement 2) came to exist. The relationship formed with the local people led me to this question: how to develop a strategy to serve this population in China remotely? This led me to the core of my dissertation: the tele-music therapy study (Movement 3). The original plan was to compare tele-music therapy and in-person music therapy. Due to COVID restrictions, I only could test the feasibility and efficacy of tele-music therapy. The purpose was to eventually provide tele-music therapy to people in China, so they can also receive the service. At the same time, my work as a music therapist propelled me to look at how to bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities and engage all people through music. I started a project using music to tell the stories of people with disabilities and their families, called Light in the Well (Movement 4). The performance allowed musicians with and without disabilities to come together to tell the emotional journey those featured families have been on. Both people with and without disabilities were in the audience. Light in the Well allowed both groups of people to share an experience at the same time in the same space. This project disseminated previous research funding through fine arts, actualizing the work of music therapy in performance art.Item Unified hybridization of discontinuous Galerkin, mixed and continuous Galerkin methods for second order elliptic problems(2008-09-16) Cockburn, B.; Gopalakrishnan, J.; Lazarov, R.We introduce a unifying framework for hybridization of finite element methods for second order elliptic problems. The methods fitting in the framework are a general class of mixed-dual finite element methods including hybridized mixed, continu- ous Galerkin, non-conforming and a new, wide class of hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods. The distinctive feature of the methods in this framework is that the only globally coupled degrees of freedom are those of an approximation of the solution defined only on the boundaries of the elements. Since the associated matrix is sparse, symmetric and positive definite, these methods can be efficiently implemented. Moreover, the framework allows, in a single implementation, the use of different methods in different elements or subdomains of the computational domain which are then automatically coupled. Finally, the framework brings about a new point of view thanks to which it is possible to see how to devise novel methods displaying very localized and simple mortaring techniques, as well as methods permitting an even further reduction of the number of globally coupled degrees of freedom.Item Using Mixed Methods to Evaluate Modified Schema-Based Instruction in General Education Classrooms(Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 2024) Bowman, Jessica A; McDonnell, John; Karp, Karen; Coleman, Olivia F; Clifton, Carrie; Aiono Conradi, Lyndsey; Ryan, Joanna; Farrell, MichaelIn this convergent mixed methods design study, single subject and qualitative data were collected concurrently to provide an in-depth picture of the impact of a modified schema-based instructional intervention. The intervention was delivered using instructional trials embedded across general education math lessons and a modified concrete-semiconcrete-abstract instructional sequence (CSA). This study investigated the impact of the intervention on the word problem solving, strategy use, and concept acquisition of three students with extensive support needs (ESN). The paraprofessional-delivered intervention was implemented in elementary general education mathematics classrooms using embedded instruction and focused on teaching students to solve addition and subtraction word problems. Single-subject data indicated that all three students learned to solve word problems given concrete materials but needed more time to master the use of semiconcrete supports. Qualitative data indicated that students used taught and untaught strategies to solve word problems, and mastered addition word problems before subtraction when they were taught simultaneously. Data were integrated in narrative format to explore how strategy use and concept acquisition related to student word problem-solving performance. Limitations and implications for research are discussed.