Narrative Case Study Research Articles

Praxeological action research: a Froebelian approach for professional development, flourishment and wellbeing

ABSTRACT This paper presents a narrative case study of an innovative Froebelian approach to professional development, implemented in a large Nursery School and Family Centre in southern England undertaken as part of an extended programme of research and development funded by the Froebel Trust from 2021–2024 which was trans-national, including two early childhood settings, one in England and one in New Zealand. The research and development programme had two overarching aims: 1. To document and develop a Froebelian pedagogic approach for contemporary times; 2. To generate and disseminate a Froebelian professional development process which secures development, flourishment and wellbeing for both child and educator. The professional development process was documented and thematically analysed by 20 educators and 5 researchers working collegially as a Community of Practice (CoP) and resulted in the development of a Praxeological Approach to Professional Development (PAPD) embodying seven empowering PD processes. Our evidence suggests this approach has improved wellbeing of the educators enabling them to flourish in four domains: Professionally, Personally, Psychologically and Civically, and countered key challenges facing the early childhood workforce in England generating a crisis in recruitment and retention. This paper sets out the theoretical, methodological and ethical approach embodied in the PAPD and presents qualitative evidence of its impact on the 20 educators involved suggesting that PADP has potential for wider transferability across the early childhood sector to enhance workforce recruitment and retention.

An Early Career Perspective on the Value of Interdisciplinary Training Networks

As a global society, we face various challenges that threaten economic, social, and ecological stability and security. Tackling complex global challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change, requires collaboration and the integration of diverse perspectives from across the full spectrum of disciplinary approaches. This requires an increasing number of effective interdisciplinary researchers. In this reflective article, I present a case study narrative based on my own experience to examine how my interactions with an interdisciplinary training scheme (the Medical Research Foundation’s National PhD Training Programme in Antimicrobial Resistance Research (MRF-PhD-AMR Programme)) helped me develop as an interdisciplinary early career researcher. I describe three key interactions I had with the MRF-PhD-AMR Programme during and after my doctoral studies, and how these interactions offered me different opportunities to develop the capacity to effectively navigate interdisciplinary spaces. My reflections help highlight the importance of supporting doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in engaging in training opportunities that cross disciplinary boundaries, to enable them to become more effective interdisciplinary researchers. Funding Acknowledgment My doctoral research exploring antimicrobial usage in UK livestock farming was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/J500148/1]. My attendance at MRF-PhD-AMR Programme events was funded by the Medical Research Foundation [grant number MRF-145-0004-TPG-AVISO]. At the time of writing, I am employed as a Knowledge Exchange Fellow on the ACCESS (Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science) project, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/W00805X/1].

‘At sea with Lucas’: narrative case study of an early childhood educator faced with a critical incident / ‘En la mitad del mar con Lucas’: estudio de caso narrativo de una maestra de educación infantil ante un incidente crítico

The purpose of this article is to identify and understand the voices and I-positions of Francia, an experienced Chilean educator, in a critical incident that proved fundamental in her identity construction. The adaptation to a school institution in her novice professional development period as an early childhood educator emerges as a significant episode worth exploring. Through a narrative case study and the application of dialogical self-analysis tools, internal, external and outer voices are identified, like the I as someone postponed, the I as a protector, the I as a professional, the I as a collaborator and the school as an outer protective voice. This case highlights the tension between childcare and teacher self-care, revealing a transition towards professionalism. What stands out are collaboration and the need for professional learning in how to deal with critical situations, especially situations related to diversity, underscoring the importance of ethics and consideration of institutional contexts.

English Language Teaching Materials and Religious Moderation in Indonesian Primary Schools: A Narrative Case Study

English Language Teaching Materials and Religious Moderation in Indonesian Primary Schools: A Narrative Case Study

When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership

<i>Community leadership has been studied for decades, yet more still needs to be understood about its development among members of an area. While scholars can investigate phenomena from various methodologies and disciplines, there are other methodologies that can help researchers delve deeper into understanding a concept such as this. Narrative case study research with an emphasis on counter-narratives and embodiment is one way to understand community leadership. Through this single holistic narrative case study, I examined how community leadership developed in a low-income and segregated community. The findings of this study focus on four main areas: (1) care work with subthemes such as community leadership among church members and community members, (2) entrepreneurship, and (3) embodiment of the counter-narrative. The insights from this article serve as a way for scholars to identify the emergence of counter-narratives, as well as ways in which counter-narratives can help others learn about community leadership.</i>

Facilitating Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers’ professional development through the “Kampus Mengajar” program

Research on the Kampus Mengajar program has revealed challenges for teachers, particularly in advancing their professional development. However, other studies suggest that the program holds the potential for a significant positive impact on teacher professional growth. This study explores how the Kampus Mengajar program contributes to the professional development of pre-service teachers, focusing on their perspectives and experiences. This narrative case study involved four pre-service teachers from a private university in Surabaya, Indonesia. Data were collected through reflective notes and semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis deductively to explore prominent themes. The findings indicate that the Kampus Mengajar program supports pre-service teachers' professionalism by enhancing their pedagogical knowledge, teaching skills, and problem-solving abilities. Participants appreciated the program for boosting their self-efficacy and helping them master the 4C skills: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. This study underscores the value of teaching practicums in fostering future teachers' professionalism. Despite some challenges in the program's implementation, the empirical evidence suggests that the Kampus Mengajar program should be continued.

‘I view teaching differently’: identity development of university teachers doing professional doctorates

ABSTRACT Through the lens of identity, this study explored the lived experiences of two Chinese university English-as-a-foreign-language teachers who were doing a professional doctorate for professional development. Adopting a narrative case study design and informed by activity theory, the study drew on a rich dataset comprising narrative frames, interviews, informal communications, netnographic observations and artefacts. Thematic and activity systems analyses revealed how the two focal teachers developed different identities through interacting with the external influences in the dual activity systems of professional work and doctoral study. In particular, the analyses unravelled hidden structural tensions inherent in the dual activity systems and showcased the participants’ mediated actions and strategies for dealing with these tensions. The study suggests developing sustainable mechanisms and tailored programmes to support in-service teachers’ degree studies, while also calling for teachers to creatively retool contextual affordances for continuing professional development.

A Family Therapy Case Study on Family Dynamics Associated with the Truancy of a Middle School-Aged Child in South Korea

ABSTRACT This study examined a family therapy case of an adolescent with truancy to explore family dynamics associated with the adolescent’s development of truancy. The adolescent was a 14-year-old Korean male who had been truant for over a year in South Korea. His family involved in the therapy included the adolescent, his 45-year-old father, 44-year-old mother, 17-year-old sister, and 11-year-old younger brother. The parents sought therapy to address their son’s truancy issues. Using therapy logs and transcriptions, we employed a narrative case study to understand the family dynamics and therapeutic interventions. The identified characteristics of family dynamics were as follows: First, both parents had formed a negative internal working model and dysfunctional coping style due to their family-of-origin experiences. Second, the parents’ internal working model and coping style had a significant impact on the client’s development of his internal working model and coping patterns. Third, the client experienced unresolved emotions from the family at school, contributing to his truancy. The findings have implications for using the family systemic framework in addressing truancy, highlighting the interconnectedness of family dynamics and their impact on adolescent behavior.

Kinship and Cultural Strengths—Learning from an Aboriginal Perspective

ABSTRACT Kinship is core to Aboriginal culture, values and wellbeing. However, the strength of culture and relationships is often not fully recognised or respected by Westernised systems. This article highlights cultural strengths through use of a detailed case study narrative illustrating the importance of community self-determination when an Aboriginal child needs to be relocated to other carers/family members. Situated within an Aboriginal participatory action research methodology, we utilised a case study method where a participant and co-author (*Amelia) collaborated with two academics to tell her story as an illustration of the strengths of community and kinship that can support vulnerable children. Through this partnership we learn the importance of Aboriginal community involvement in Amelia’s progression from early childhood experience of family violence to thriving young adulthood. We confirm the importance of including Aboriginal knowledges and practices in raising at-risk Aboriginal children and we contribute to social work practice knowledges by learning from Indigenous experience. We conclude that social work needs to build on the strengths of Aboriginal communities’ abilities by valuing kinship support systems. IMPLICATIONS When faced with adversity such as family violence, Aboriginal culture can be a protective factor. Social workers need to understand the importance of culture in the healing process for Aboriginal children. Keeping Aboriginal children connected to culture is paramount for long-term recovery and the ability to create healthy relationships.

From research reading and doing to research use: Tracking trajectories of becoming research-informed second language teachers

Despite the crucial role of teachers in connecting research to classroom practices, very little is known about the processes of research-informed practice through their reading, doing, and use of research. Also largely unknown is how the potential interconnections among these activities could influence teachers’ evaluations of research relevance and sustainability of their research-informed practice. This study, therefore, explores trajectories of teachers in adopting research-informed practice. Relying on an ecological theoretical lens through a narrative case study approach, we collected data from three in-service EFL teachers using in-depth individual interviews, multiple follow-ups, teacher-generated research logs, and researcher-made analytic memos. Data analysis revealed specific starting conditions (e.g., subject-matter explorations) for development of rudimentary familiarity, turning moments (e.g., developmental thresholds) giving rise to more sophisticated reception, and bottlenecks (e.g., disciplinary identity) for sustained involvement in research-informed-practice for teachers. Furthermore, on top of cyclical links among reading, doing, and use of research, we found perceived signature patterns of reading (i.e., empirical papers), doing (i.e., action research), or use (i.e., successful classroom application) for each teacher, as evidence for threshold crossing. Implications for theory and research, professional development, and policymaking, including key prerequisites that must be provisioned to prepare teachers for research-informed practice, are discussed.

‘Finally, it's all in vain’: A Chinese as an additional language teacher's agency in navigating the teaching-research nexus in a neoliberal Chinese university

The neoliberal emphasis on performance metrics, such as research outputs and citations, has weakened the symbiotic relationship between teaching and research in language education. However, language teachers' experiences of navigating the challenge that neoliberalism creates for the teaching-research nexus have been largely absent, with the existing literature predominantly focusing on documenting the impact of neoliberalism on research and teaching. This narrative case study aims to address this gap by tracing a Chinese as an additional language (CAL) teacher's agency in navigating the teaching-research nexus in a neoliberal Chinese university. Based on data from three rounds of interviews, informal conversations, notes, and policy documents, this study identified a noticeable shift in the participant's narrated experiences, progressing from active engagement with research to enhance teaching practices, to pragmatic engagement in research for scholarly publication, and eventually to disenchanted retreat from the academic battlefield. This trajectory highlights the escalating challenges faced by the participant in navigating the teaching-research nexus. Practical implications are discussed to strengthen the link between teaching and research in language education in the neoliberal context.

Reading Lists as Enablers of Learning in an Immersive Block Teaching Model

Reading lists have been described as a stalwart of the academic environment. This article explores the role of reading lists as a pedagogical tool and describes how reading lists contribute to an immersive block teaching model at an Australian university. Little has been written about the application of reading lists in block teaching models. This narrative case study explores how prescribed learning resources and reading lists were reframed as an enabling element of a student-centred, university-wide curriculum renewal project. With a limited number of readings permitted for each unit, a manageable volume of learning was fostered, reducing students’ cognitive load. This article builds on existing knowledge about the use and experience of reading lists in higher education and demonstrates how reading lists contribute to constructively aligned pedagogy in immersive block teaching models.

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Radial blended-collaboration in doctoral education: Insights from an Indonesian higher education institute

This study explored how doctoral educators apply a radial blended collaborative (RBC) strategy to teach EFL speaking. This study used a narrative case study design and a qualitative approach. In doing so, teachers employed eight RBCs' strategies: raising collaboration awareness, forming groups based on 21st-century skills, using controlled-chosen topics and theme-based prior knowledge, employing snowball questioning techniques, engaging in role-play in different contexts, conducting peer evaluations, and providing oral and written feedback. This study found that technology integration, such as WhatsApp, Zoom Meeting, Google Classroom, and electronic mail, enhanced the learning experience, whereas pooling WhatsApp messages was used to direct the chosen discussion topics. The results demonstrated that RBC significantly improved students' speaking performance across four instructional dimensions: collaborative awareness, active learning, classroom interaction, and technological integration. Future research should aim to enhance spoken communication by integrating technology in assessments and fostering collaborative learning environments.

Social connection and self-neglect: A case for broader exploration.

Self-neglect (SN) is the most common report to Adult Protective Services (APS) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality risks for older adults. Lack of instrumental support is a well-evidenced etiologic factor in the development and continuation of SN, but little is known about other modifiable social connection characteristics. The social connection framework provides evidence-based characteristics across structure, function, and quality missing from SN studies that could be identified if explored. These factors could provide prevention and intervention targets related to poor health. A narrative case study is presented using quantitative and qualitative data to explore social connection across structure, function, and quality in the context of SN. The findings highlight the complexity of social connection that may be observed in SN cases reported to APS. Strategic utilization of direct and indirect social interventions to support social connection in this case are presented. The results from this case give rise to considerations that may be generalizable to other SN cases. Recommendations for future research on social connection in this population are provided.

Operative Management of Y-Shaped Metatarsal with Biphalangeal Sixth Toe.

In the literature, there is no consensus regarding the surgical management of postaxial polydactyly, and few cases of polymetatarsia with polydactyly have been reported. Treatment of the complete deformity will prevent further foot and gait disorders. To identify literature relevant to the operative management of Y-shaped metatarsal with biphalangeal sixth toe and related skin and wound care to improve surgical treatment protocols from a clinical experience perspective. The authors searched several electronic databases in December 2022 for articles related to postaxial polysyndactyly in the feet and polymetatarsia. Databases searched included PubMed, SciELO, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar gray literature. Two independent researchers conducted the searches and read the article titles and abstracts. Studies were included if they were narrative reviews, case studies, or observational studies; written in English or Spanish; and published between 2012 and 2022. Nonhuman studies were excluded. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were fully evaluated. Disagreements between reviewers were resolved by consensus, and when there was no consensus, a senior researcher was consulted. The following data were extracted from the included studies using a standardized form: author and year of publication, study type, number of participants, sex, polydactyly location, polymetatarsia, type of polydactyly, participants' history of hereditary associated diseases or malformations, treatment, removal criteria, and timing of surgery. Authors evaluated 11 studies of postaxial polydactyly that included a total of 153 participants (64 men, 89 women). They also document their clinical experience with a surgical technique used in cases of bilateral postaxial polydactyly of the foot with a Y-shaped metatarsal with biphalangeal sixth toe. Surgical correction with lateral removal of the sixth toe is a resolutive treatment to improve the functionality of the foot, its aesthetic appearance, and the patient's quality of life. Case-specific treatment should be applied and tailored to meet the individual needs. The biomechanics of gait and shoe problems in these patients improve with surgical treatment, without presenting secondary aesthetic problems in skin care.

Diabetic acidosis with severe fetal hypoxia in pregnancy: Narrative review and case study.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in pregnancy could be a disastrous event with increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. DKA can occur with a normal blood glucose level, known as euglycemic DKA. It particularly affects pregnant women with type I diabetes. Here, we report the case of a 28 year-old primigravid patient, with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes for 8 years. This patient consulted our department at 29 weeks of gestation with a previous history of headaches, vomiting and diarrhea for 9 h. Blood glucose level was 8.8 mmol/L with a ketone test positive (>15 mg/dL). Blood test showed high anion gap (17.9 mmol/L) with low serum bicarbonate rate (21 mmol/L). Systemic examination and fetal heart rate (FHR) was reassuring. The patient was subsequently discharged. She returned to the clinic 19 h later with further symptoms of nausea, polyuria-polydipsia, asthenia and a weight loss of 4 kg since the day before. Blood sugar was 14.3 mmol/L and a ketone test was strongly positive. Cardiotocography showed fetal tachycardia and repeated late decelerations. A diagnosis of DKA was made and emergency cesarean was performed for fetal distress. At delivery, pH was acidosis (pH: 7.02, lactates: 6.2). The patient was successfully treated with intravenous hydration and insulin. Neonatal evolution was favorable. Pregnant women with type I diabetes can develop euglycemic DKA. Early recognition and prompt treatment could help prevent severe maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. DKA in pregnant women can induce fetal acidosis with abnormal FHR. In this situation, a cesarean can be performed to improve neonatal outcome even inducing a premature delivery. Prolonged pregnancy can lead to irreversible neonatal brain abnormalities.

Mortal Man: How a Black male initiative changed me

AbstractIn this article, I use an autobiographical narrative case study to discuss my journey with my mental health and the ways that being a part of a Black men's initiative—first as a member, next as a peer mentor, and lastly, as the teaching assistant—helped me to undo some of the neglectful and toxic ways that I was avoiding my body, mind, and soul while pursuing my undergraduate degree. This article calls for campus leaders and administrators to understand and prioritize the need for Black men's initiatives. These initiatives create a crucial space for Black men at historically White institutions to access a culturally situated environment that can ultimately support their wellness.

Waking up with Alzheimer’s, or never quite waking up: A case study

ABSTRACT There is a paucity of literature demonstrating the efficacy of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for patients with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. This paper examines the challenges and richness of this kind of treatment for both patients and analyst through the use of a narrative case study.

MULHERES UNIVERSITÁRIAS VÍTIMAS DE VIOLÊNCIA NO ESPAÇO ACADÊMICO

The present research aims to verify views regarding violence against women in the university environment, with university women from a private institution in the interior of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Through a case study narrative in which a conversation circle was used as a data collection method, between 22 (twenty-two) students from different courses offered by the higher education institution. The results show that 65% of the participants have already suffered some type of violence, of which 52% said they had suffered sexual harassment at university. The participants reveal that they have experienced acts of coercion, intellectual disqualification, moral and psychological aggression in the academic space. They also state that they do not feel safe in the university environment and experience learning difficulties, depression, anxiety, and stress in relation to academic spaces. In this study, it was possible to find information about the patterns of occurrence of these cases, such as: the types of violence, the places where they occur and the characteristics of the aggressors, which helps to identify risk areas and develop strategies for prevention and intervention, the to create a safer and more equal environment for all women in the university context.