sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Baas, Rhoads, and Thomas on narratives about assessment in higher education

Baas, Larry R., James C. Rhoads, & Dan B. Thomas (2016, January-March).  Are quests for a “culture of assessment” mired in a “culture war” over assessment? A Q-methodological inquiry.  SAGE Open, 6(1), 1-17.  (DOI: 10.1177/2158244015623591)  Published on-line (accessible: http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/spsgo/6/1/2158244015623591.full.pdf)

Abstract:  The “Assessment Movement” in higher education has generated some of the most wide-ranging and heated discussions that the academy has experienced in a while. On the one hand, accrediting agencies, prospective and current clientele, and the public-at-large have a clear vested interest in ensuring that colleges and universities actually deliver on the student learning outcomes that they promise. Anything less would be tantamount to a failure of institutional accountability if not outright fraud. On the other hand, it is no secret that efforts to foster a “culture of assessment” among institutions of higher learning have frequently encountered resistance, particularly on the part of faculty unconvinced that the aspirations of the assessment movement are in fact achievable. One consequence of this tension is the emergence of an embryonic literature devoted to the study of processes that monitor, enhance, or deter the cultivation of a “culture of assessment” with sufficient buy-in among all institutional stakeholders, faculty included. Despite employment of a wide-ranging host of research methods in this literature, a significant number of large unresolved issues remain, making it difficult to determine just how close to a consensual, culture of assessment we have actually come. Because one critical lesson of extant research in this area is that “metrics matter,” we approach the subjective controversy over outcomes assessment through an application of Q methodology. Accordingly, we comb the vast “concourse” on assessment that has emerged among stakeholders recently to generate a 50 item Q sample representative of the diverse subjectivity at issue. Forty faculty and administrators from several different institutions completed the Q-sort which resulted in two strong factors: the Anti-Assessment Stalwarts and the Defenders of the Faith. Suggestions are offered regarding strategies for reconciling these “dueling narratives” on outcomes assessment.

James C Rhoads <jrhoads@westminster.edu> is in the Department of Political Science, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA (USA).

lynkathlene Article, Projects, Publication

Sustainable citizenship by Priya Kurian, Debashish Munshi, Lyn Kathlene & Jeanette Wright

Sustainable Citizenship as a Methodology for Engagement: Navigating Environmental, Economic, and Technological Rationalities

The emergence of more and more new technologies ranging from genetic modification to nanotechnology is significantly affecting the environment in many different ways. Yet, policy making has not been able to keep pace with the rapid development of these technologies because of deeply entrenched divisions among stakeholders who prioritize different, often radically opposed, sets of values associated with technological interventions. Drawing on a theoretical framework of “sustainable citizenship” and a methodological platform of Q-surveys, this article identifies the shared values embedded in the overtly polarized positions of stakeholders to provide policy makers a common ground to work on. The article highlights a novel form of public engagement that interweaves socio-ecological rationalities with those of the economic and the technological. Mapping the values and beliefs of a variety of stakeholders and finding what is common to them paves the way for more inclusive policy responses to the challenges of new and emerging technologies.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Winner of the 2009 Harold Lasswell Award for best article in Policy Sciences

The Harold Lasswell Prize for the best article in the 2009 volume of the journal Policy Sciences has gone to the following:

Rutherford, Murray B., Michael L. Gibeau, Susan G. Clark, & Emily C. Chamberlain (2009 May). Interdisciplinary problem solving workshops for grizzly bear conservation in Banff National Park, Canada. Policy Sciences, 42(2), 163-187.

Abstract. We used the policy sciences as an organizing framework for a series of workshops with stakeholders in Banff National Park on “Interdisciplinary problem solving for grizzly bear conservation and management”. In recent years, bear conservation efforts in this region have been hindered by acrimonious disputes about the production and use of scientific knowledge in management. The workshops introduced the policy sciences as a means of thinking more effectively about problems, and encouraged participants to use this approach to develop innovative solutions to the problems of grizzly bear conservation. Each workshop addressed different aspects of the policy sciences framework: (i) Standpoint Clarification; (ii) Problem Orientation; (iii) Social Process Mapping; and (iv) Decision-Process Mapping. In this article, we discuss the design and outcomes of the workshops and assess their effectiveness in integrating knowledge to find common ground.

Although it does not say so in the abstract, Q methodology was critical to this study. Q Method appears among the keywords and was instrumental in establishing the various stakeholder standpoints referred to in point (i) above. Murray Rutherford and Emily Chamberlain are in the School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. (Rutherford was the program chair for the 2005 Vancouver Q conference.) Michael Gibeau is with Parks Canada, Mountain National Parks, Lake Louise, AB, Canada. Susan Clark is in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

This is the second year in a row in which a Q-based study has won the journal’s Lasswell Award, the 2008 winner being David G. Ockwell’s “‘Opening up’ policy to reflexive appraisal: A role for Q methodology? A case study of fire management in Cape York, Australia”, Policy Sciences, 41(4), 263-292. It is also worth remembering that the 1999 Lasswell Award winner went to the Q study by David Pelletier et al., “The shaping of collective values through deliberative democracy: An empirical study from New York’s North Country” Policy Sciences, 32, 103-131. And while on the topic, it is also worth remembering that the best article of 2001 in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (vol. 20, pp. 391-414) went to Michel van Eeten for his “Recasting intractable policy issues: The wider implications of The Netherlands civil aviation controversy”.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

La Paro et al. on beliefs of preservice early childhood education teachers

La Paro, Karen M., Kathy Siepak, & Catherine Scott-Little (2009, January). Assessing beliefs of preservice early childhood education teachers using Q-sort methodology. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 30(1), 22-36.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the beliefs of students and faculty in a 4-year birth-kindergarten teacher preparation program using the Teacher Belief Q-Sort (TBQ). Data were collected over one academic year from a total of 63 students, 35 students at the beginning of their coursework and 28 students at the end of their program, completing their student teaching experience. The faculty (n = 8) in the program completed the TBQ to provide a criterion sort as well as to assess the consistency in philosophy across faculty members who teach preservice teachers. Compilations of rankings are presented to describe beliefs related to children, discipline, and teaching practices held by students who are at different points in their education program. Criterion comparison results indicate that student teachers at the end of their education program report beliefs more similar to faculty beliefs than students at the beginning of their education program. However, findings suggest that the student teaching experience does not appear to significantly alter beliefs about children, discipline and teaching practices. These results are discussed in terms of child-directed versus teacher-directed styles of preservice teachers and implications of assessing beliefs for teacher preparation programs.

Karen M La Paro <kmlaparo@uncg.edu>is in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Lee et al. on Korean perceptions of good death

Lee, Hyun Ji, Kae Hwa Jo, Kyong Hee Chee, & Yun Ju Lee (2008, October). The perception of good death among human service students in South Korea: A Q-methodological approach. Death Studies, 32(9), 870-890.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the subjective opinions of Korean college students about good death. Q methodology was used to analyze 34 Q-statements from 37 respondents who majored in social work, nursing, or education at a university in South Korea. With the use of a PC-QUANL software package, 4 types of perceptions about good death were identified. They are a resolute acceptance type; a reasonable, natural lifespan type; a relational, sentimental type; and an altruistic, satisfied type. Results of this study indicate that approaches to death education need to be differentiated to take into account this typology and the characteristics of the students that fall into each category.

Hyun Ji Lee is with Catholic University, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, South Korea. Co-authors Jo and Lee are also at Catholic University. Chee is at Texas State University-San Marcos, USA.

sbrownkentedu Article

Day on Q applied to policy process theories and frameworks

Day, Shane (2008, Summer). Applications of Q methodology to a variety of policy process theories and frameworks. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior, 11(2), 141-171.

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of a form of factor analysis, Q methodology, and suggests how it might be applied in an institutional analysis setting. Q methodology provides for a middle ground between positivist and phenomenological methods, and that its usage will not necessarily result in overly contextualized findings that render generalization impossible. The paper’s primary focus is to suggest several uses of Q methodology within different established policy studies frameworks, namely the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework, the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), and the policy process as conceptualized by Lasswell’s Policy Sciences approach.

Shane Day is a doctoral candidate in the Joint Ph.D. Program in Public Policy, School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Department of Political Science, Indiana University, Bloomington. His teaching and research interests are in public policy, international relations, environmental policy, identity politics, and the politics of indigenous groups.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

ten Klooster, Visser, and de Jong on Q and Likert scales

ten Klooster, Peter M., Martijn Visser, & Menno D.T. de Jong (2008). Comparing two image research instruments: The Q-sort method versus the Likert attitude questionnaire. Food Quality and Preference, 19, 511�518.

Abstract: Despite the attention for corporate, brand and product images, only few studies focus on methodological comparisons of image research methods. This article presents a comparison of two current instruments: the Q-sort method and a Likert attitude questionnaire. The study applies both methods to measure the image of beef, using the same assertions in similar samples of consumers. The two methods produce consistent results, but differ in the possibilities of data analysis and interpretation. An advantage of the Q-sort method is that it offers straightforward insights in the underlying structure of image within audience segments. On the other hand, the Q-sort method does not give overall indications of an image, and limits occur for analyzing the relationships between image and other variables.

M.D.T. De Jong and his co-authors are with the Institute for Behavioral Research, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Akhtar-Danesh et al. on simulation use in nursing education

Akhtar-Danesh, Noori, Pamela Baxter, Ruta K. Valaitis, Wendy Stanyon, & Susan Sproul (2009, April). Nurse faculty perceptions of simulation use in nursing education. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 31(3), 312-329.

Abstract: In this study nursing faculty perceptions of the implementation of simulation in schools of nursing across Ontario, Canada, were explored using the Q-methodology technique. Following Q-methodology guidelines, 104 statements were collected from faculty and students with exposure to simulation to determine the concourse (what people say about the issue). The statements were classified into six domains, including teaching and learning, access/reach, communication, technical features, technology set-up and training, and comfort/ease of use with technology. They were then refined into 43 final statements for the Q-sample. Next, 28 faculty from 17 nursing schools participated in the Q-sorting process. A by-person factor analysis of the Q-sort was conducted to identify groups of participants with similar viewpoints. Results revealed four major viewpoints held by faculty including: (a) Positive Enthusiasts, (b) Traditionalists, (c) Help Seekers, and (d) Supporters. In conclusion, simulation was perceived to be an important element in nursing education. Overall, there was a belief that clinical simulation requires (a) additional support in terms of the time required to engage in teaching using this modality, (b) additional human resources to support its use, and (c) other types of support such as a repository of clinical simulations to reduce the time from development of a scenario to implementation. Few negative voices were heard. It was evident that with correct support (human resources) and training, many faculty members would embrace clinical simulation because it could support and enhance nursing education.

Noori Akhtar-Danesh , Pamela Baxter, and Ruta K. Valaitis are at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario), which hosted the 2008 Q conference. Wendy Stanyon and Susan Sproul are affiliated with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Van Staa et al. on care of adolescents with chronic disorders

Van Staa, A., Jedeloo, S., Latour, J., & Van Exel, J. (2008). Using Q-methodology to explore preferences for care of adolescents with chronic disorders: 4 profiles. Pediatrics, 121(Suppl.), S154-S155. Available online

Introduction: Adolescents with chronic disorders are seldom asked to give opinions about their preferences for care, even though they are frequent health care users and soon need to take over the responsibility of managing their own care.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate care-related preferences of adolescents with chronic disorders.

Methods: A Q-methodologic study was conducted in a random sample of 31 adolescents with various congenital and acquired disorders from the total population of Erasmus Medical Center-Agia Sophia Children�s Hospital (12�19 years). Adolescents rank-ordered 37 statements about preferences for care and self-care using a quasi-normal distribution. Factor analysis was applied to identify clusters in the Q-sorts, groups of adolescents with common preferences.

Results: Four profiles were distinguished: concerned and compliant, backseat patient, opinionated and careless, and worried and insecure. Differences between profiles are related to independence competencies, level of involvement in management of the illness, adherence to therapeutic regimens, and appreciation of their parents� role. All adolescents want to have an important say in treatment-related decisions. Although adolescents are used to being accompanied by their parents in the consultation room, they sometimes prefer to be on their own.

Conclusions: Four different preference profiles were uncovered. Caregivers recognize these profiles in daily practice. Because the goal of Q-methodology is to establish different patterns but not their prevalence, the distribution of profiles will be explored in a large follow-up survey. Additional use of these profiles in daily practice will be also explored, because rank-ordering the statements stimulated adolescents to talk about care issues.

sbrownkentedu Article, Publication

Deignan on enquiry-based learning

Deignan, Tim (2009). Enquiry-based learning: Perspectives on practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 13-28.

Abstract: Traditional lecture-based teaching methods are being replaced or supplemented by approaches which call for reframing the roles and identities of teachers and learners. Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) is one such approach. This paper reports on a study investigating the perceptions of staff and students (N=25) involved in an EBL capacity building project in the north-west of England. Q methodology was used to investigate the subjectivities of the participants. The findings are discussed using sociocultural learning concepts relating to activity theory and communities of practice. The paper concludes that EBL may improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher education, but careful consideration should be given to the dynamics of the specific context in which it is introduced.

Tim Deignan is a freelance education consultant in West Yorkshire, UK.