Instrumental Case Research Articles

The Co-Regulatory Coaching Interface Model: A Case Study of a Figure Skating Dyad

Very little research has investigated co-regulated learning (CRL; Hadwin et al., 2011) in the context of sport coaching for skill acquisition. Although research indicates self-regulated learning (SRL) helps elite competitive athletes optimize their skill acquisition (McCardle et al., 2019), coaching literature has yet to examine how co-regulated learning experiences in joint work between a coach and athlete are associated with SRL competencies in an athlete. Thus, the objective of this instrumental case study was to describe the nature of joint work between an experienced female coach (aged 53, national level) and a male figure skater (aged 15, provincial level) in a naturalistic environment. Season-long data collection involved analysis of recorded dialogue at 16 practices and three interviews with each participant. Using inductive reflexive thematic analysis, we developed higher-order themes related to macro- and micro-levels of CRL, and implications of the coach’s progression on the development of SRL. The Co-regulatory Coaching Interface Model, representing micro CRL interactions, outlines contributions from each member and dialogue processes facilitating skill acquisition. SRL was both an expected contributor to, and a consequence of interface interactions. We discuss coach-athlete dyadic processes, what they mean for athletes’ self-practice time, and how the model contributes a new perspective on collaborative work between coaches and athletes that has not been emphasized in the coaching science on talent development.

Capacity for gender equity initiatives: a multiple case study investigation of national sport organisations

To better understand mechanisms for gender equity in sport, the critical elements of capacity of Canadian national sport organisations (NSOs) to implement gender equity initiatives, and the relative strengths and challenges of those elements, were investigated. Environmental factors perceived to influence that capacity were also explored. The study was framed by Hall et al.’s (2003) multidimensional model of organisational capacity. Instrumental case studies were used to examine and compare the capacity of three NSOs engaged in addressing gender equity in their sport through their respective initiatives designed to increase the engagement of women in sport as athletes, coaches, and officials. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) were conducted with board members and staff across the three NSOs. Several common capacity strengths (e.g., knowledgeable and experienced staff, dedicated funding) and challenges (e.g., limited staff, constraints in external communication) were identified. Capacity elements unique to each NSO were also uncovered. Environmental factors influencing the NSOs’ capacity to implement their respective gender equity initiatives included the broad political climate, access to volunteers, and availability of additional funding sources . The findings address the call for further evidence of critical organisational practices for enacting gender equity, with a particular focus on NSOs, and framed by a multidimensional model of organisational capacity and environmental influences. The findings have implications for being aware of the capacity of NSOs to address government policy and directives for gender equity in sport, and for maintaining and building capacity to implement gender equity initiatives.

Correlation of urinary catheterization with histologic grading of eosinophilic cystitis: a single institutional review of 27 cases

Eosinophilic cystitis (EC) is an uncommon diagnosis, mimicking urothelial carcinoma. Multiple etiologies including iatrogenic, infectious, and neoplastic have been suggested, effecting both adults and pediatric population. A retrospective clinicopathologic review of patients with EC in our institution between 2003 and 2021 was conducted. Age, gender, presenting symptoms, cystoscopic findings, and history of urinary bladder instrumentation were recorded. Histologically, urothelial and stromal changes were noted, and mucosal eosinophilic infiltration was graded as mild (scattered eosinophils in the lamina propria), moderate (visible small clusters of eosinophils without brisk reactive changes), or severe (dense eosinophilic infiltrate with ulcer formation and/or muscularis propria infiltration). Twenty-seven patients (male to female ratio = 18/9, median age 58 [12–85 years]), of whom two were in the pediatric age group were identified. Leading presenting symptoms were hematuria (9/27, 33%), neurogenic bladder (8/27, 30%), and lower urinary tract symptoms (5/27, 18%). Four of 27 (15%) patients had history of urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder. Cystoscopy commonly revealed erythematous mucosa (21/27, 78%) and/or urinary bladder mass (6/27, 22%). Seventeen of 27 (63%) of patients had history of long-term/frequent catheterization. Mild, moderate, and severe eosinophilic infiltrates were seen in 4/27 (15%), 9/27 (33%), and 14/27 (52%) of cases. Proliferative cystitis (19/27, 70%) and granulation tissue (15/27, 56%) were additional common findings. All cases of long-term/frequent instrumentation cases had moderate or severe eosinophilic infiltrate. EC should be in the differential diagnosis; particularly in patients with long term/frequent catheterization.

Teaching Citizenship Through Music Education: A Case Study of a Community Youth Orchestra Program

Abstract This instrumental case study was designed to elicit a nuanced view of perspectives and approaches to citizenship education in one context of music teaching and learning. I chose an El Sistema-inspired youth orchestra program as an instrumental case of citizenship education given the program's explicit mission: to educate students as citizens through intensive ensemble-based music instruction. Throughout one academic year, I conducted observations of the program's routine activities and engaged with five participants in interviews and processes of member reflection. Through these interviews, one program director, two instructors, and two student participants illuminated the phenomenon of citizenship education within the case. I chose a theoretical framework encompassing Nussbaum's (1998, 2000) world citizenship, as well as categories of legalism and communitarianism, to analyze perspectives and program practices relevant to citizenship education. Primary themes related to participants’ perspectives on citizenship education included expectations for individual development via musical and intrapersonal skills. Additionally, program participants discussed possible instruments of wider social and community change through long-term program outcomes. Based on this analysis, I suggest that organizations intent on citizenship education more closely examine whether classical techniques and curricula inspired by El Sistema best fulfill their missions or if the needs of their communities transcend these traditions.

Collaborative Leadership in the Institution of Higher Education: A Sociocultural Context of Pakistan

The need for collaborative leadership to advance knowledge sharing, novel ideas, inclusion and employee engagement has increased in modern organizations, with the aim being to make organizations more effective and responsible. Yet, an interesting question arises about how this kind of leadership model, which is arguably of Western origin, is understood and whether it can be applied in sociocultural contexts where top-down leadership tends to be exercised. This study addresses this question and explores the meaning of collaborative leadership from a cultural viewpoint in Pakistan, where collaborative relationships across hierarchical levels are not common. The applicability of collaborative leadership in the study context is also highlighted. The qualitative instrumental case study was conducted in a higher education institution in Pakistan, where the data were gathered with the help of open-ended interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Two central themes were explored: the tradition of leadership collaboration and the exclusion of some groups from collaboration. The study shows that the traditional cultural attribute called Otaq lays a foundation for understanding collaborative leadership in the study context. Similarly, it was discovered that several cultural features place limits on specific people’s opportunities to participate in leadership collaboration. Cultural features and how they are linked to the inclusion of the studied organization members in collaborative leadership efforts are highlighted. It is concluded that more contextually sensitive knowledge about collaborative leadership activities is needed in the future.

Schoolhouses above the Rock: The Shale Gas Rush and School Funding in Appalachian Ohio

Abstract This research article draws attention to how the shale gas rush phenomenon is creating path dependence and threatening community viability. The article features an instrumental case that includes school districts across seven Appalachian Ohio counties: Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Guernsey, Harrison, Monroe, and Noble. There, it has become commonplace for public schools to lease oil and gas rights; to factor revenue from ad valorem taxes, industry-related construction, and pipeline construction into district budgets; and to engage in tax negotiations for natural gas-fired power plants and affiliated industrial growth. The case is prefaced by a review of school funding norms in the United States and a discussion of the influence that path dependence has on school funding in the Appalachian region. Following this, the case of eastern Ohio schools is presented. The article culminates with a list of actions stakeholders can take to foster public school and community viability in Appalachia.

Factors Influencing Professional Identity Construction in Fourth-Year Pharmacy Students

Objectives. To explore the key factors that influence professional identity construction in fourth-year pharmacy students enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy program.Methods. A single-site instrumental case study of current fourth-year pharmacy students from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, was used. Thirteen students participated in semistructured interviews. Poststructural social identity theories were used to analyze the data and identify themes that influence identity construction in pharmacy students.Results. Data analysis identified five overarching themes that influence pharmacy student professional identity construction: path to pharmacy, curriculum, environment, preceptors, and patient interactions. The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy curriculum prioritized the health care provider identity, which influenced the students desire to "become" clinicians. Based on their internalized health care provider identity, they rejected preceptors and practice environments that negatively impacted their ability to embody this identity.Conclusion. The findings of this study suggest that pharmacy students align themselves strongly with health care provider identities at the cost of other potentially relevant identities. Pharmacy education programs may benefit from curricular reforms that incorporate and legitimize multiple pharmacist identities to ensure a strong pharmacy workforce for the future.

Accusative-instrumental alternation in Polish

Summary The present study provides a corpus account of the factors governing the choice between the accusative and the instrumental case for object marking in Polish. The two cases are near-interchangeable with a set of Polish verbs primarily expressing physical manipulation. Following profile-based approaches, a sample of representative usage data has been extracted and manually annotated for subsequent multivariate modeling. The results indicate the importance of construction-specific characteristics for the choice between the two forms and the complex nature of the influence of coarse-grained transitivity-related features. Specifically, two semantic features emerged as particularly associated with the choice of the instrumental: (i) holistic conceptualisation of the manipulated object and (ii) prominence of its physical contiguity to the acting force.

IT-based regulation of personal health: Nudging, mobile apps and data

Mobile health applications and devices (“mobile health apps”) play increasingly important roles in the lives of individuals interested in self-regulating their personal health behaviors. While some appear to be simply consumer products and services, many are embedded in regulatory programs aimed at compliance with expert guidelines. In this paper, we draw on de Vaujany et al.’s framework for organizational IT-based regulation systems to consider how systems operate in open and distributed contexts in which actors have strong agency and regulation is indirect and voluntary. To do so, we consider how IT artifacts become embedded in practices, how data are implicated in regulatory feedback loops, and how individual, organizational and technological actors are mobilized and with what regulatory outcomes. We develop an instrumental case study as a vignette of five regulatory episodes (continuous glucose monitoring systems used by persons with diabetes) to examine how expert rules materialized in mobile health apps, data about bodily states, and IT features such as displays and alarms “nudge” individuals towards compliance with self-regulatory guidelines and practices. Through this analysis, we identify two related regulatory affordances of mobile health apps for predicting and surveilling personal health. We theorize how multilevel networks composed of trifecta of rules, IT artifacts, and practices develop as a regulatory lattice through which social regulation is realized. We conclude by considering the broader implications of this analytical approach to study voluntary, data-enriched regulatory systems.

Evolution of the dative, instrumental and locative plural forms in *ŏ/*jŏ-declension based on Old Russian monuments of business writing

The article examines one of the morphological innovations in Old Russian noun declension system, so-called the a-expansion, as a result of which the words of all declensions acquired inflections with the formant -a- (-амъ, -ами, -ахъ) in the dative, instrumental and locative plural forms. An analysis of the relevant *ŏ/*jŏ-stem noun forms, which were found in the five studied corpora of Old Russian business writing monuments of different geographical origin, made it possible to reveal several patterns in the development of this process that are significant for historical morphology. Thus, the data show that the a-expansion either was evolving more slowly in the instrumental case than in the dative and locative cases or was less often reflected in writing. Based on the studied material, the article concludes that neuter nouns could succumb to the a-expansion faster than masculine words. In addition, the data of the studied texts allowed assuming that the a-expansion began earlier and was evolving faster in the northwest, while in the central zone this process proceeded slower.

Investigating Sport Stakeholders' Understanding of Behaviour Management within a Competitive Youth Baseball Team.

The following study employed an instrumental case study to investigate sport stakeholders' understandings of behavioural management strategies used in competitive youth baseball, including the identification of common strategies and interpretations of these as punishment or discipline. Twenty-one participants, from one competitive (AAA) all-boys baseball team, including three coaches, eleven baseball players, and seven parents, were recruited to participate in an individual semi-structured interview. Interviews ranged between 30 and 150 min, and data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Several behaviour management tactics were identified, of which exercise, benching and yelling negative comments were most often reported. While participants interpreted excessive exercise and benching as punitive and/or disciplinary approaches to behavioural management, yelling was consistently viewed as punitive. Participants confused punishment and discipline as interchangeable, thus suggesting a lack of awareness regarding developmentally appropriate strategies of behavioural management and highlighting the normalization of certain punitive tactics in youth sport. The results underscore the necessity of imparting knowledge to the sports community regarding age-appropriate behavioural management interventions to foster safe and enjoyable athletic experiences for youth competitors.

Leveraging Telehealth to Address Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Access Disparities in Rural Communities.

There are persistent gaps in access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in rural and underserved areas, yielding health and legal disparities for survivors. These inequities prompted federal investment in novel telehealth programs to improve SANE access. The aim of this study was to examine program case studies from two sexual abuse/assault (SA) telehealth centers, illuminating successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Two state SA telehealth program directors used a collective instrumental case study approach to understand telehealth SANE (teleSANE) program challenges/lessons learned, outcomes, and recommendations for the field. Cross-program commonalities and differences were examined, pooling experiences to derive recommendations to sustain telehealth to increase SA health equity. Collectively, the two programs have served 18 remote sites and provided 335 consultations. Both programs provide access to 24/7 teleSANE consultation, quality assurance, and mentoring. Unique to each program were engagement of hospital leadership in advisory boards, use of telehealth technology, training programs, and fiscal sustainability. Both programs identified flexibility, offering a tailored implementation approach, regular site support and communication, and teleSANE mentoring aligned with the Quality Caring Model as essential to success. Critical needs identified to sustain programs included (a) multilevel community and hospital buy-in, (b) sustainable funding specific to local institution needs, and (c) robust processes to oversee clinical and technology support. Cross-program similarities and differences show the impact telehealth can have on equitable SA care. Program evaluation showed common challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations to advance equitable SA care access in underresourced communities.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Simulation-Based Translational Research: A Qualitative Study.

Translational research has been identified as a research priority for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). Despite a larger focus on translational research in recent years, the overall amount of simulation-based translational research remains low. Greater understanding of how to approach translational simulation is required to inform novice simulation and translational researchers. This study sought to answer the following research questions: How do simulation experts describe the barriers and facilitators to implementing translational simulation programs? How do simulation experts describe their various approaches to implementing translational simulation programs? What recommendations do simulation experts describe for overcoming barriers to implementing translational simulation programs? A qualitative instrumental case study was used to elicit multiple instances of translational simulation research to gather an in-depth description from study participants. Three data sources were used: documents, semistructured interviews, and a focus group. Data analyses revealed 5 major themes: clarifying goals and definitions, special considerations, social networking, research, and factors external to the simulation program. Key findings include a lack of a standardized definitions for translational simulation and simulation-based translational research, the challenge of demonstrating the value of translational simulation, and the need for translational simulation programs to be integrated into departmental quality, patient safety, and risk management work. The findings and advice from the experts in this research can assist new researchers or those encountering challenges in implementing translational simulations.

Ayahuasca in Western society and the metacognitive counselling approach

AbstractAyahuasca is a hallucinogenic plant used throughout South America for religious, cultural and healing ceremonies. Previous studies have analysed it as a therapy method from either the microperspective, such as physiological and psychological effects of substance use, or the macroperspective, such as legal issues or cultural appropriation of ayahuasca by Westerners. There is a need to combine those two aspects to fully understand the effects of ayahuasca for therapists and clients in Western communities. By utilising an autoethnographic instrumental case study, we discuss the possible risk of ayahuasca gaining popularity in Western societies without an understanding of how the social context plays a tremendous part in healing using this method. We also discuss the risk of intrapsychic experiences brought about by ayahuasca that may deter individuals from seeking appropriate treatment. It is not our intention to present ayahuasca as an illegitimate or invalid method of healing; rather, we emphasise the importance of integrating micro‐ and macroperspectives in psychotherapy practice. We suggest that the metacognitive counselling approach be taken by both clients and therapists when adopting indigenous methods of therapy which may add a significantly positive effect. Although we hope this study offers realistic and lived experiences to generate pragmatic solutions for therapists and clients, we recognise that it is necessary to collect data from a larger number of both clients and therapists to better support our suggestion of the metacognitive counselling approach.

Teachers Supervisory Practices in the Kindergarten Schools in Ghana: A Case of Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipality

The supervisory role of kindergarten teachers is primarily concerned with supervising and managing the efforts of their learning environment to create safe, positive learning environments for all learners. The purpose of this study was to assess teachers’ supervisory practices of learners in Kindergarten schools in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem municipality. (K.E.E.A) Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. The study employed the qualitative research approach using the interpretivism paradigm. The instrumental case study design was adopted for this study. Population of the study comprised public kindergarten schools in KEEA Municipality. A multi-stage purposeful random sampling technique was used to select sixteen (16) respondents for the study. The semi-structured interview and observation checklist were the main instruments employed in the data collection for this study. The qualitative data was analysed by the use of the interpretative method based on the themes arrived at during the data collection. The themes were related to the research question and interpreted on the number of issues raised by respondents. These were based on question on the semi-structured interview. The study indicated that, kindergarten teachers do not supervise their learners during out-door activities or at playground, thinking it is the available time to relax after learners are out to play. The study also revealed that, kindergarten teachers do not pay close attention to learners and their physical environment to detect danger and threats. Also, in relation to proximity in supervision, the study found that, kindergarten teachers do not maintain physical closeness supervision of their learners to promptly salvage them from occurring danger during supervision. It is recommended that, the Ministry of Education (MoE), Ghana Education Service (GES), and other Agencies in Education (AiE) should strategically and periodically organize workshop trainings and seminars on teacher supervision and safety for kindergarten teachers. It is also recommended that, Tertiary institutions like the teaching universities and colleges of education should mount courses specifically for Teachers Supervision and School Safety for pre-service teachers and school administrators.

Investigating the Impact of Food Rewards on Children’s Motivation to Participate in Sport

Children who are physically active and involved in organized sport report having the unhealthiest diets. Research suggests excessive calories may be attributed to the prevalence of fast food and candy which are often provided as rewards in sport. This study explored the use of food as a reward in youth sport and the perceived impact it has on children's motivation to participate in recreational soccer and ice hockey. A multiple instrumental case study approach was utilized. Children aged 4-12 (n = 64), parents (n = 30), and coaches (n = 18) were recruited within central and northeastern Ontario, Canada to participate in focus groups and individual interviews. Transcribed audio recordings underwent inductive thematic analysis. Key themes included: Fun and fast: The culture of food in youth soccer and hockey; (Un)importance of food rewards: The how and why of motivating children in sport; and Youth sport is expensive: Gratitude for sponsorship in youth sport. Themes explain the role of food and food rewards as an element of the youth sport culture as well as the importance of sponsors, regardless of food affiliation, in youth sport. Overall, children's participation and effort would continue without food rewards; however, they continue to be offered food to motivate and celebrate performance in youth sport. Findings highlight the need to increase knowledge and awareness among parents and coaches on what truly motivates children to help foster healthier strategies for celebrating success and supporting lifelong physical activity.

What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT as a case study of using chatbots in education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been progressing constantly and being more visible in different aspects of our lives. One recent phenomenon is ChatGPT, a chatbot with a conversational artificial intelligence interface that was developed by OpenAI. As one of the most advanced artificial intelligence applications, ChatGPT has drawn much public attention across the globe. In this regard, this study examines ChatGPT in education, among early adopters, through a qualitative instrumental case study. Conducted in three stages, the first stage of the study reveals that the public discourse in social media is generally positive and there is enthusiasm regarding its use in educational settings. However, there are also voices who are approaching cautiously using ChatGPT in educational settings. The second stage of the study examines the case of ChatGPT through lenses of educational transformation, response quality, usefulness, personality and emotion, and ethics. In the third and final stage of the study, the investigation of user experiences through ten educational scenarios revealed various issues, including cheating, honesty and truthfulness of ChatGPT, privacy misleading, and manipulation. The findings of this study provide several research directions that should be considered to ensure a safe and responsible adoption of chatbots, specifically ChatGPT, in education.

Specialised Knowledge of the Mathematics Teacher to Teach through Modelling using ICTs

Background: The study of the knowledge of the mathematics teacher has focused attention on differentiating mathematics preservice teachers from other types of professionals who know the area to establish specific characteristics that can identify the professional licensed for the teaching of mathematics. Objectives: To characterise the specialised knowledge of the teacher who incorporates information and communication technologies (ICT) in the teaching of mathematics using modelling. Design: Qualitative research based on an instrumental case study. Setting and participants: The study is carried out in a secondary basic education course, with a teacher with training and experience in teaching mathematics with technological resources. Data collection and analysis : The analyses focused on three subdomains of the mathematics teacher’s specialized knowledge model, namely: knowledge of the topics, knowledge of mathematical practices, and mathematical knowledge for teaching, by adapting indicators to the categories of knowledge of these subdomains, integrated with aspects of modelling. Results: The relationships that arise between categories of the subdomains were found and are evidence of the need for the teacher who teaches mathematics to know the subject discipline in depth and to relate it to their didactic-pedagogical knowledge to develop mathematical modelling processes using the ICTs. Conclusions: The construction of knowledge indicators of the KoT, KMP, and MKT allowed us to understand and interpret the specialised knowledge of the teacher when teaching conics, particularly, the circumference, through mathematical modelling with the specialised GeoGebra software.

The participation of deaf and hard of hearing children in non-formal science activities

Non-formal education is an important resource to foster scientific competence for active and responsible citizenship. However, these spaces do not always have the necessary requirements for everyone to access and participate. Therefore, with the intention of contributing to the creation of barrier-free spaces, the present study aims to identify the most appropriate psycho-pedagogical supports for the design and implementation of a scientific activity for a group of deaf and hard of hearing children. To achieve this objective, an instrumental case study was employed. The results, obtained through direct observation, satisfaction questionnaires, and interviews, show great interest among the children and both the sign interpreters accompanying the sessions and the organizers from the association assessed the activity in a positive light. These results also point to the need for spaces that could initially be controlled and that might strengthen the expectations among the participants and their families of participation in similar initiatives within more heterogeneous groups.

"We are the sun for our community:" Partnering with community health workers/promotores to adapt, deliver and evaluate a home-based collaborative care model to improve equity in access to quality depression care for older U.S. Latino adults who are underserved.

While depression is a leading cause of poor health, less than half of older adults receive adequate care. Inequities in both access and outcomes are even more pronounced for socially disadvantaged older adults. The collaborative care model (CCM) has potential to reduce this burden through community-based organizations (CBOs) who serve these populations. However, CCM has been understudied in diverse cultural and resource-constrained contexts. We evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of PEARLS, a home-based CCM adapted with and for community health workers/promotores (CHWs/Ps). We used an instrumental case study design. Our case definition is a community-academic partnership to build CHW/P capacity for evidence-based depression care for older U.S. Latino adults in the Inland Empire region of California (2017-2020). We aimed to understand adaptations to fit local context; acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity; clinical effectiveness; and contextual determinants of implementation success or failure. Data sources included quantitative and qualitative administrative and evaluation data from participants and providers. We used descriptive statistics and paired t-tests to characterize care delivery and evaluate effectiveness post-intervention, and deductive thematic analysis to answer other aims. This case study included 152 PEARLS participants and nine data sources (N = 67 documents). The CBO including their CHWs/Ps partnered with the external implementation team made adaptations to PEARLS content, context, and implementation strategies to support CHWs/Ps and older adults. PEARLS was acceptable, feasible and delivered with fidelity. Participants showed significant reductions in depression severity at 5 months (98% clinical response rate [mean (SD), 13.7 (3.9) drop in pre/post PHQ-9; p < 0.001] and received support for 2.6 social needs on average. PEARLS delivery was facilitated by its relative advantage, adaptability, and trialability; the team's collective efficacy, buy-in, alignment with organization mission, and ongoing reflection and evaluation during implementation. Delivery was challenged by weak partnerships with clinics for participant referral, engagement, reimbursement, and sustainability post-grant funding. This case study used existing data to learn how home-based CCM was adapted by and for CHWs/Ps to reduce health inequities in late-life depression and depression care among older Latino immigrants. The CBOs and CHWs/Ps strong trust and rapport, addressing social and health needs alongside depression care, and regular internal and external coaching and consultation, appeared to drive successful implementation and effectiveness.