scholarly journals AN EXAMINATION OF SYRIAN STUDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AT SCHOOL FROM THE REFLECTIONS OF TEACHERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 754-776
Author(s):  
Nermin Karabacak
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Academic Barriers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Keywords Education ◽  
State Schools

Education is the most effective tool for enabling immigrants’ integration into the country they live in. The aim of this research is to determine teachers’ views related to the education of Syrian students attending state schools. By presenting them through the experiences of their teachers, this paper deals with how the educational experiences at school of Syrian children of school age are shaped in state schools. The research is planned with a qualitative approach as a case study design. The participants of the research were 34 teachers working in state schools and having Syrian students in their classes. The research data were collected via focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews in Rize, Turkey between the years 2017-2019. The data in the focus group and semi-structured interviews were supported by means of observations. The research findings reveal that the biggest problem in teachers’ opinions was the language problem and the communication and academic barriers resulting from this, that Syrian students suffered from depression and trauma because of war and migration, that they had a feeling of loneliness, and that nevertheless, they were happy at school. Therefore, this research reveals that teachers working with Syrian students are in need of vocational training and development consolidation in order to provide academic and psychological support for these students. Successfully addressing the educational needs of Syrian students in school will be especially beneficial for enabling Syrian children’s integration into society. Keywords: education experience, qualitative research, Syrian students, teacher reflection, Turkey

scholarly journals Assessing the poverty impact of internal resettlement programs on the ethnic minorities in Lao PDR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Souphalack Bounpadith
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
The Government ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Resettlement Programs

<p>This research assesses how poverty-based resettlement programs make a contribution to poverty reduction and controlling migration of ethnic people in rural Laos. In 2009, the government of Laos launched new resettlement programs in six northern provinces. The programs aimed to improve the accessibility to land of people who were remaining poor in some rural areas. Primarily, poor people were required to resettle in a village where land could be available for them.  I investigated two resettlement sites in Thathome district, Xiangkhoang province. I applied a qualitative approach to examine the poverty experiences of settlers. In particular, I focused on identifying the causes and impacts of poverty-based resettlement programs on ethnic migrants. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather responses from migrants, government officers and host villagers. Two focus group interviews were organized with migrant participants who came from different locations.  The findings revealed that poverty-based resettlement programs did not directly address the core causes of poverty and migration of poor people in rural Laos. Conversely, the improper planning and implementation of programs were responsible for poverty that happened in the resettlement sites. The programs were carried out while the local government was hampered by insufficient funds. There was little support and assistance provided to settlers during the transitional periods. As a result, settlers faced worse hardship than they had in their original villages. Poverty-based resettlement programs instead of reducing poverty had created a situation whereby there was a greater potential for poor people to become trapped in continued poverty.</p>

Challenges Facing the Effective Functioning of Ward Committees as a Mechanism to Promote Local Democracy in the Former Tlokwe Local Municipality (TLM)

Politeia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melvin Diedericks ◽  
Sello Seitlholo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Effective Functioning ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Group Interviews

This article investigates the challenges facing the effective functioning of ward committees as a mechanism to promote local democracy in the former Tlokwe Local Municipality’s (TLM) area of jurisdiction. Ward committees in South Africa (SA) were specifically established to strengthen the participation of communities in local governance. A qualitative research design was used to collect and analyse data for purposes of achieving the objectives of this study. This involved a literature review designed to contextualise effective ward committee functioning in a developing South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were held with senior officials from TLM. Officials were selected based upon their expert knowledge with regard to the facilitation of public participation and for being responsible for effective ward committee functioning within TLM. Focus group interviews were also held with at least four ward committees operating within the boundaries of the municipality. The purpose of using focus group interviews in this study was to identify specific operational challenges as experienced by the ward committees, including how these challenges affected the fulfilment of their responsibilities. Significant findings include that communication was a critical aspect to address challenges, and that a lack of resources was hampering ward committees in functioning more effectively in the area.

Employment Relations System in the SMEs Sector: A Study on the Hospitality Sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Mishra ◽  
Partha Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Special Reference ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Hospitality Sector ◽  
Group Interviews

The present paper highlights certain aspects of employment relations in the SME sector in India with special reference to the hospitality sector. Based on the inputs obtained from the different stakeholders through structured interviews, the authors have analysed the ‘actors’, ‘context’ and the ‘processes’ in the perspective of employment relations system in the hospitality SME sector. Moreover, questionnaire survey and focus group interviews have been conducted with a group of employees with a view to recognise and analyse the relevant issues in a better way. The study has been carried out in select hotels in Varanasi. The unique aspects of the different ‘actors’ of employment relations in the Indian hospitality SME sector have been examined. The paper also highlights the relevance of ‘context’ in the employment relations system. Finally, the authors have developed a model on employment relations system in the hospitality SMEs sector.

scholarly journals Unprofessional behaviour of GP residents and its remediation: a qualitative study among supervisors and faculty

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter C. Barnhoorn ◽  
Vera Nierkens ◽  
Marianne C. Mak-van der Vossen ◽  
Mattijs E. Numans ◽  
Walther N. K. A. van Mook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Unprofessional Behaviour ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Gp Training

Abstract Background Lapses in professionalism have profound negative effects on patients, health professionals, and society. The connection between unprofessional behaviour during training and later practice requires timely identification and remediation. However, appropriate language to describe unprofessional behaviour and its remediation during residency is lacking. Therefore, this exploratory study aims to investigate which behaviours of GP residents are considered unprofessional according to supervisors and faculty, and how remediation is applied. Methods We conducted eight semi-structured focus group interviews with 55 broadly selected supervisors from four Dutch GP training institutes. In addition, we conducted individual semi-structured interviews with eight designated professionalism faculty members. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim. Data were coded in two consecutive steps: preliminary inductive coding was followed by secondary deductive coding using the descriptors from the recently developed ‘Four I’s’ model for describing unprofessional behaviours as sensitising concepts. Results Despite the differences in participants’ professional positions, we identified a shared conceptualisation in pinpointing and assessing unprofessional behaviour. Both groups described multiple unprofessional behaviours, which could be successfully mapped to the descriptors and categories of the Four I’s model. Behaviours in the categories ‘Involvement’ and ‘Interaction’ were assessed as mild and received informal, pedagogical feedback. Behaviours in the categories ‘Introspection’ and ‘Integrity’, were seen as very alarming and received strict remediation. We identified two new groups of behaviours; ‘Nervous exhaustion complaints’ and ‘Nine-to-five mentality’, needing to be added to the Four I’s model. The diagnostic phase of unprofessional behaviour usually started with the supervisor getting a ‘sense of alarm’, which was described as either a ‘gut feeling’, ‘a loss of enthusiasm for teaching’ or ‘fuss surrounding the resident’. This sense of alarm triggered the remediation phase. However, the diagnostic and remediation phases did not appear consecutive or distinct, but rather intertwined. Conclusions The processes of identification and remediation of unprofessional behaviour in residents appeared to be intertwined. Identification of behaviours related to lack of introspection or integrity were perceived as the most important to remediate. The results of this research provide supervisors and faculty with an appropriate language to describe unprofessional behaviours among residents, which can facilitate timely identification and remediation.

scholarly journals Assessing the poverty impact of internal resettlement programs on the ethnic minorities in Lao PDR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Souphalack Bounpadith
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
The Government ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Resettlement Programs

<p>This research assesses how poverty-based resettlement programs make a contribution to poverty reduction and controlling migration of ethnic people in rural Laos. In 2009, the government of Laos launched new resettlement programs in six northern provinces. The programs aimed to improve the accessibility to land of people who were remaining poor in some rural areas. Primarily, poor people were required to resettle in a village where land could be available for them.  I investigated two resettlement sites in Thathome district, Xiangkhoang province. I applied a qualitative approach to examine the poverty experiences of settlers. In particular, I focused on identifying the causes and impacts of poverty-based resettlement programs on ethnic migrants. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather responses from migrants, government officers and host villagers. Two focus group interviews were organized with migrant participants who came from different locations.  The findings revealed that poverty-based resettlement programs did not directly address the core causes of poverty and migration of poor people in rural Laos. Conversely, the improper planning and implementation of programs were responsible for poverty that happened in the resettlement sites. The programs were carried out while the local government was hampered by insufficient funds. There was little support and assistance provided to settlers during the transitional periods. As a result, settlers faced worse hardship than they had in their original villages. Poverty-based resettlement programs instead of reducing poverty had created a situation whereby there was a greater potential for poor people to become trapped in continued poverty.</p>

scholarly journals Factors influencing mothers’ decisions regarding obstetrical care in Western Kenya: a mixed-methods study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Umutesi ◽  
Matthew D. McEvoy ◽  
Kemberlee Bonnet ◽  
Sophie Druffner ◽  
David G. Schlundt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Obstetrical Care ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Group Interviews

Abstract Background Siaya County in Western Kenya has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Kenya. We sought to elucidate factors that influence mothers’ decisions regarding where to seek obstetrical care, to inform interventions that seek to promote effective use of obstetric services and reduce maternal mortalities. To guide our research, we used the “Three Delays Model”, focusing on the first delay—seeking care. While interventions to reduce maternal mortalities have focused on addressing delays in accessing and receiving care, context-specific data on drivers of the first delay are scarce. Methods We used a mixed-method study to assess how maternal decision-making of birth location is influenced by personal, contextual, and cultural factors. We conducted structured interviews with women aged 14 years or older living in Siaya, Bondo, and Yala, rural districts in Western Kenya. We then conducted focus group interviews with a subset of women to elucidate this question: How do drivers of the first delay (i.e., seeking care) affect the decision to seek home versus hospital delivery, potentially negatively influencing maternal mortality. Results Three hundred and seven women responded to the surveys, and 67 women (22%) from this group participated in focus group interviews. Although we focused on type 1 delays, we discovered that several factors that impact type 2 and type 3 delays directly contribute to type 1 delays. Our findings highlighted that factors influencing women’s decisions to seek care are not simply medical or cultural but rather contextual, involving many elements of life, particularly in rural communities. Conclusions It is imperative to address multiple-level factors that influence women’s decisions to seek care and have in-hospital deliveries. To curtail maternal mortality in rural Western Kenya and comparable settings, targeted interventions must take into consideration these important influencers.

“Students Getting Pregnant Are Not Gonna Go Nowhere”: Manifestations of Stigma in Adolescent Mothers’ Educational Environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Autumn M. Bermea ◽  
Michelle L. Toews ◽  
Leila G. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
School Policies ◽  
School Year ◽  
Group Interviews

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent mothers’ perceptions of how individuals within the schools viewed them and how those views shaped their educational experiences. The sample consisted of 83 primarily Hispanic adolescent mothers who participated in one of 19 semi-structured focus group interviews during the 2014-2015 school year. Although we did not specifically explore stigma, the adolescent mothers described feeling stigmatized by school personnel and their non-parenting classmates. They also discussed how school policies were not conducive to parenting. Based on the results, recommendations are provided that will help school personnel effectively meet the needs of this population by creating an atmosphere in which the students feel safe, supported, and are able to learn.

scholarly journals Critical Success Factors of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems Implementation in Sri Lankan Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-72
Author(s):  
Shanika Wijenayake ◽  
H M R P Herath
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Enterprise Resource Planning ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Organization Culture ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Systems Implementation ◽  
Group Interviews

Enterprise Resources Planning Systems (ERP) are implemented in organizations to optimize the supply chain to improve the overall performance. Yet, it is observed that many organizations have not achieved the desired level of performance through this strategic move. Literature suggest that the implementation barriers can be a main reason for this.  Hence the problem centered in this study is to identify the success factors and challenges of ERP systems implementation in the FMCG industry in Sri Lanka. This study uses the case study approach for four companies in the FMCG industry. Focus group interviews were used to gather data and the participants of the focus group interviews were key users who had an important role during the implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by an experienced interviewer using an interview guide with semi-structured questions. Success factors included the technological know-how, high management commitment, lesser government regulations, and experience of the process re-engineering. Challenges included investment in resources, information management, changing the organization culture to the best practices of the system, lack of the user training and limitation of the proper consultancy services. Findings of the study can be used as a framework to understand the ERP implementation success factors and the potential challenges faced by organizations in the FMCG industry.  

scholarly journals Substance abuse and the risk of readmission of people with schizophrenia at Amanuel Psychiatric Hospital, Ethiopia

Curationis ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Bimerew ◽  
F.C.T. Sonn ◽  
W.P. Kortenbout
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Psychiatric Hospital ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Psychiatric Service ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Frequent readmissions of people with schizophrenia pose considerable pressure on the psychiatric service provision of Amanuel Psychiatric Hospital. The purpose of the study was to ascertain factors mainly contributing to the rate of readmissions of people with schizophrenia. Descriptive survey methods and qualitative focus group interviews were employed to conduct the study. Random sampling techniques were used to select 43 respondents of people with schizophrenia from 231 people with schizophrenia who were readmitted for two or more times in the last two years and who gained access during the time of the study. Structured interviews were used for respondents of people with schizophrenia. Fourteen (N = 14) family members/caregivers were selected using purposive sampling methods for focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS Version 11.00 program and the qualitative data was analyzed by generating themes and categories. The results suggest that alcohol and that abuse were contributing factors for the rate of readmissions of people with schizophrenia into the Amanuel Psychiatric Hospital. It was found that communities contribute to the problems of substance abuse by providing and/or selling it to those mentally ill people. The study also revealed that patients use alcohol and that in order to tolerate the severe side effects of the anti-psychotic drugs, to suppress hunger due to shortage of food and to avoid drowsiness. Raising community awareness, psycho-education, strengthening the capacities of caretakers and laws to prevent substance abuse, as well as campaigning to prevent people from abusing mentally ill sufferers, should be established.

Interviews

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-154
Author(s):  
Aaron Williamon ◽  
Jane Ginsborg ◽  
Rosie Perkins ◽  
George Waddell
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Music Research ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Group Interviews

Chapter 6 of Performing Music Research sets out the characteristic features of research interviews, introducing four types of interview: open interviews, which often arise spontaneously or informally and which are largely unstructured or explore an overarching topic of interest; semi-structured interviews, an approach often taken in music research that relies on a predetermined yet flexible set of principal questions; structured interviews, which make use of fixed and unchangeable questions within an entirely predetermined format; and focus group interviews, which take place with groups of participants rather than individuals. The chapter addresses some of the challenges of using different types of interviews, presents ways to design and conduct interviews effectively, and considers ways to write about and report them.

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