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Unmasking Alienation in the Lived Experiences of Songwriters
Title
Unmasking Alienation in the Lived Experiences of Songwriters
Year Issued
2023
Abstract
This critical narrative inquiry explores autobiographical narratives of songwriters, calling attention to experiences of alienation. Silver’s (2018) “wheel of alienation” is the conceptual framework for alienation used in this study: a sociological model synthesizing...
Show moreThis critical narrative inquiry explores autobiographical narratives of songwriters, calling attention to experiences of alienation. Silver’s (2018) “wheel of alienation” is the conceptual framework for alienation used in this study: a sociological model synthesizing critical theory (Benjamin, 1935/2008; Brookfield, 2004; Fromm, 1941; Horkheimer & Adorno, 1944/2020), existentialism (Howie, 2014; Jaeggi, 2014; Rae, 2010) and interpretivist sociology broadly (McIntyre, 2008, 2011, 2019; Scarborough, 2017; Silver, 2018). The author provides this multi-factor scaffolding both to identify non-dominant narratives by applying multiple theoretical perspectives (Bruner, 1991; Hadley, 2013b; Morgan, 2002; White, 2007), and to put forth alienation, the “cutting off” of the ability to act on one’s own accord within a given social context, as a useful concept in understanding experiences of agency, authenticity, growth and integration–or lack thereof–in our current pluralistic world (Jaeggi, 2014; Kalekin-Fishman & Langman, 2015; Rae, 2010; Silver, 2018). The author interviewed four songwriters about experiences of alienation that emerge within their process of inspiration, drafting, collaboration, performance, recording, touring, marketing, and so on (Cobb, 2016; Long & Barber, 2017; McIntyre, 2008, 2011, 2019). Four themes emerged as salient in the narrative data: interaction with normative expectations, agentic actions, alienation experiences, and communal experiences, which were then separated into subthemes such as discovery of creative agency, split identity, alienation from family, and external/internal ego fixations. Considerations for community music therapy are discussed, as well as how institutions and individuals might foster ecological conditions for more meaningful and sustainable songwriting experiences.
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Author
Schachner, Kay
The untapped superpower of comics
Title
The untapped superpower of comics
Abstract
The purpose of this mixed methods action research case study was to determine if the use of a researcher-created comic reading curriculum would improve students’ knowledge of Tier Two academic vocabulary, increase oral reading fluency rates, and lead to increased lev...
Show moreThe purpose of this mixed methods action research case study was to determine if the use of a researcher-created comic reading curriculum would improve students’ knowledge of Tier Two academic vocabulary, increase oral reading fluency rates, and lead to increased levels of student engagement in a pull-out special education classroom. A multiple-choice vocabulary pretest was administered at the start of the study, followed by a nine-week intervention period in which students were instructed with a researcher designed comic curriculum. The vocabulary test was administered again at the conclusion of the study. A running record was used as the assessment to determine student reading fluency growth. The data (scores) collected from the running record examined any effects in student oral reading fluency from the first day of research to the ninth week of research. The researcher, acting as a participant observer, took daily notes in a field log with attention to behaviors of student engagement. The four student participants were selected by the researcher. The researcher taught for nine weeks, thirty minutes a day. The data from the pre and posttest was analyzed using a paired sample t-test to determine if the scores of participants showed a significant improvement. The data collected from the running records of reading rates for each student were analyzed using linear regression analysis to determine if improved reading rates were statistically significant. Observational data was entered into Dedoose qualitative data analysis software and analyzed using a Grounded Theory (Glaser et. al. 1968) approach in which new theories emerged through a deductive process. The results of the t-test showed that all students made significant improvements in knowledge of the targeted Tier Two vocabulary. Analysis of running records showed that only one student had a significant increase in their rate of oral reading fluency. All students exhibited increased behaviors of engagement as demonstrated by their abilities to complete three tasks in a session and to contribute to a positive learning environment. The results imply that practitioners could use a comic curriculum with similar components to achieve positive academic outcomes for students receiving special education support. Future research of a similar curriculum might focus on its potential uses for English Language Learners.
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Year Issued
2022
Author
Nolan, Peter
Sub-title
the positive effects of a comic reading curriculum in a special education classroom
Why parents choose or do not choose cyberschools for their children
Title
Why parents choose or do not choose cyberschools for their children
Year Issued
2023
Abstract
Parents and guardians have many options regarding the type of educational institution that their child can attend. The two most common options for school-aged children are a traditional brick-and-mortar school or a cyberschool. Since children come from diverse backgr...
Show moreParents and guardians have many options regarding the type of educational institution that their child can attend. The two most common options for school-aged children are a traditional brick-and-mortar school or a cyberschool. Since children come from diverse backgrounds, have individual needs, and learn differently, it is important for children and their parents and guardians to understand what each type of school has to offer so they can make an informed decision. This study aimed to understand the specific reasons why parents and guardians choose cyberschools for their children. Ten participants were asked to complete a survey and answer open-ended interview questions; answers were analyzed using Weiss’s 4 I’s framework to determine key factors of school choice. Furthermore, participant responses and collected enrollment data were analyzed to determine student enrollment trends over the past five years at six cyberschools in Pennsylvania. The findings of this study indicated that there are specific, but different, characteristics that both cyberschools and brick-and-mortar schools possess that influence parents and guardians choices regarding educational institutions. Based on this study some parents and guardians prefer the safety and teacher communication that cyberschools offer, and some parents and guardians prefer the extracurricular activities that brick-and-mortar schools offer. Additionally, this study analyzes if the Covid-19 pandemic persuaded parents and guardians to choose one type of school over the other. The data collected from this study can help parents and guardians make informed decisions, based on their children’s needs, to which type of schooling would be most beneficial to them. Additionally, data can help school administrators make changes within their school to help maintain or increase student enrollment by meeting a larger range of student needs.
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Author
Furka, David
Workload manageability
Title
Workload manageability
Abstract
Legal reform measures and evidence-based referral processes significantly expanded speech-language pathologists’ scope of practice; however, contemporary research initiatives fail to directly address perceived challenges that arise as a result of workload inequities....
Show moreLegal reform measures and evidence-based referral processes significantly expanded speech-language pathologists’ scope of practice; however, contemporary research initiatives fail to directly address perceived challenges that arise as a result of workload inequities. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of workload management within the public-school setting. The contents of this narrative systematically describe federal and state legislative actions pertaining to professional responsibilities and the conceptual frameworks that are often used to evaluate personal and job-related workload implications. A purposeful sampling approach allowed the co-investigator to assemble a team of eight school-based speech-language pathologists, currently employed in public-school districts located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, who met an explicit set of criteria relevant to the premise of the investigation. Participants were interviewed and data was analyzed utilizing descriptive coding followed by NVivo coding in order to identify major themes and patterns in regard to the following research questions: What workload responsibilities do school-based speech-language pathologists perceive as the most demanding? How do school-based speech-language pathologists describe the relationship between perceived workload demands and job performance? How do school-based speech-language pathologists view the impact of perceived workload demands on their body, mood, and/or behavior? Four major themes emerged from the data and indicate the following: SLPs have a clear understanding of the terms caseload and workload in regard to school-based speech and language support services; Workload obligations perceivably cause SLPs to encounter psychological and physical implications, including stress, anxiety, and frustration; Workload obligations perceivably impact SLPs’ ability to meaningfully provide therapeutic services; and the roles and responsibilities of school-based SLPs are perceivably misinterpreted and/or misunderstood by educational stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, and parents. Findings from this study may contribute to future professional development initiatives, caseload dissemination methods, and the growing body of literature related to the topic.
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Year Issued
2021
Author
Pringle, Kerry McLaughlin
Sub-title
exploring the perceptions of school-based speech-language pathologists