American Journal of Qualitative Research (AJQR) welcomes original research articles and book reviews for its next issue. The AJQR is a biannual and peer-reviewed journal published in June and December.
We are seeking submissions for a forthcoming issue published in February 2023. The paper should be written in professional English. The length of 7000-10000 words is preferred. All manuscripts should be prepared in MS-Word format and submitted online: https://www.editorialpark.com/ajqr
Due to the high volume of submissions in the American Journal of Qualitative Research, the editorial board decided to publish quarterly starting in 2022.
Research Article
Joanna Farrer Mackie, Janet Shim, Catherine Duarte, Robert Ream, Irene Yen
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 1-22
ABSTRACT
Higher educational attainment has been linked to better health and economic outcomes. However, little is known about how family caregiving responsibilities influence individuals’ educational trajectories in the United States (U.S.). Currently, 26% of U.S. undergraduates have at least one dependent child. While some literature describes the experiences of college-student parents, few studies examine the myriad ways family caregiving may singly or simultaneously present, including caregiving for children, relatives, household members, and older adults. The literature shows that caregiving for relatives, household members, and older adults is a common experience, with 20% of Americans providing care for an adult. Guided by social reproduction theory and reproductive labor, this paper examined qualitative interviews (n=31) from the Educational Trajectories & Health study to understand how caregiving responsibilities, broadly defined, influenced educational trajectories. Participants who identified as women discussed bearing disproportionate expectations to take on family caregiving responsibilities, including caregiving for siblings and aging parents. For most participants, family caregiving responsibilities substantially influenced educational decisions. Some experienced additional caregiving responsibilities but still attained their educational goals; others with family caregiving responsibilities discussed stretching and substituting resources in an effort to manage but ultimately having to step back from their stated educational pursuits. Situating these findings within broader social and structural contexts, this analysis examines educational disruption when family caregiving responsibilities arise. Findings have implications for policies that support students with family caregiving responsibilities at school, state, and federal levels.
Keywords: Family caregiving, reproductive labor, qualitative research.
Research Article
Mohamed Abdullahi Nuh, Sultan Juma Kakuba
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 23-44
ABSTRACT
The study sought to investigate the IGAD's socio-economic, political, and environmental contributions contribution to peace and stability in Mogadishu, Somalia. A qualitative case study design was used in this work. Among the 15 people who took part in the survey were IGAD officials, parliamentarians, civil society activists, political analysts, and ministers. These participants were chosen using snowball sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data were gathered from these participants through interviews conducted with the aid of an interview guide. The findings revealed that IGAD contributed to Somalia's peace and stability by initiating mediation, and re-establishment of the Transitional Federal Government and its security capabilities It also contributed to the socio-economic development of the region by promoting regional economic integration, free movement of goods, services, and people, the creation of a conducive environment for cross-border trade, the promotion of sustainable development, the provision of social services such as schools and hospitals, and immigration issues. According to the study, it also established a drought disaster resilience sustainability program, as well as complementary programs aimed at implementing the drought resilience agenda in arid and semi-arid areas. The study also discovered that IGAD improved Somalia's access to early warning systems.
Keywords: IGAD, Peace and Stability, Early Warning System, Conflict.
Research Article
Alvita Nathaniel
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 45-59
ABSTRACT
Glaser and Strauss (1967) sprinkled suggestions about the use of the literature throughout their seminal work as did Glaser in subsequent years. They, however, did not lay out a clear and structured overview of how to use the literature. The aim of this paper is to weave together the recommendations from classic grounded theory originators and to describe how, why, and when to review the literature and which literature to review. The paper includes a section debunking the no literature myth followed by descriptions of the three phases of the classic grounded theory literature review—the introduction phase, the integration phase, and the disposition phase. The three phases work together to substantiate, confirm, and enhance an emerging grounded theory and situate it within the existing body of knowledge.
Keywords: literature review, extant literature, grounded theory, classic grounded theory.
Research Article
Sam Prough
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 60-73
ABSTRACT
While observation research strives to capture the diverse experiences of participants, a researcher’s interpretation is often foregrounded in the work. As a result, those observed and how they interpret the meaning of their actions can fade into the background. I argue for a shift in traditional models of observation to include an observation debrief to unite the purpose of interview and observation while centering the participant’s perspective through a more immediate reflection of a participant’s observed experience. I describe the benefit of an observation debrief through a narrative account of one participant in a study about parents’ mathematical interactions with young children.
Keywords: debrief, mathematics education, narrative, observation, parent engagement.
Research Article
Aaron Leo, Kristen Wilcox, Jessie Tobin
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 74-98
ABSTRACT
Previous scholarship has identified factors that can influence peer relationships at the classroom level, while others have noted how school-level characteristics and practices can impact the interactions among young people. Little scholarship, however, has addressed the connections between these school systems as well as to the wider community. Moreover, few studies have offered a qualitative analysis of peer relationships in varied settings. To address this gap, this study draws on data gathered among educators and students from two secondary schools in New York State to better understand the various influences on peer relationships. In this analysis, we draw on social-ecological theory to demonstrate how elements from the various systems in which youth participate impact peer relationships in these schools. Our contribution offers practical value for educators and policymakers seeking to improve relationships among youth while providing a qualitative contribution to a topic that has largely been examined through quantitative analysis.
Keywords: adolescents, teachers, mentoring, extracurricular, Bronfenbrenner.
Research Article
Semiha Topal
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 99-123
ABSTRACT
This paper covers how the merging of political Islam and the Turkish state led to the monopolization of public Islam and describes how the erasing of diverse meanings underlying Islamic ethical practices has led pious Muslim women to unveil as part of their search for their own subjectivity without falling into the binary of Islamist and secularist political projects. Towards illustrating the search for non-politicized piety, I refer to the narratives of six informants. Their stories reveal that the attempt of cultivating non-politicized piety still takes place within, and in relation to the political upheavals created by the political rule as it shifts into authoritarianism. Contrary to the framing of unveiling as a repudiation of Islamic norms, the cases of unveiling in this study aim to show how acts of unveiling communicate an intricate form of political and religious agency expressed from within an insecure, vulnerable position. More than all, they express the difficulty of establishing and maintaining an Islamic self-cultivation regimen under the shadow of a political symbolism that has been hoisted upon a major tool of this pious self-construction.
Keywords: Muslim women, piety, veiling, unveiling, secularism, Islamism, Turkey.
Research Article
Kazi Shahidullah, Muhammed Mahbubur Rahaman
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 124-136
ABSTRACT
Teacher education is one of the key strategies to enhance higher education quality and transform from traditional education to 21st-century-oriented higher education in Bangladesh. This paper evaluates the experiences of the Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Teaching (PGDHET) program gained through the journey toward developing a higher education teacher professional development program and implementing it. This six-month-long program, titled Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Teaching (PGDHET), was launched by the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). The key themes and elements of this teacher education program were academic program and curriculum, teaching-learning in higher education, professional practices in higher education, the well-being of students, ICT in higher education, assessment, research, and supervision in higher education. It offered a focused pathway for quality assurance activities, which is crucial in reinforcing and strengthening a culture of quality teaching-learning in Bangladeshi universities. A comprehensive, rational approach was adopted for developing this paper. Both authors were involved in the development of this program, so their voices were considered a valuable source of data. Their journal entries and conversations with various stakeholders were the primary data collection methods, whereas an intensive review of 86 higher education teaching-learning program programs offered by 80 universities on six continents around the world was supportive of understanding the global trends in tertiary teacher education programs. The analysis revealed that developing such a comprehensive program for tertiary teacher development was not an easy task, as many issues and complexities were involved, like the duration, vision and mission, design, and assessment guidelines during the development phases. The challenges were multifaceted and multidimensional, such as fitting the program content to be applicable across the teaching disciplines and ensuring its suitability for those teaching in face-to-face, flexible, and online learning environments.
Keywords: Education reformation, professional development, higher education, quality assurance.
Research Article
Nathan Perron, Kwabena Yamoah, Benjamin Ricciardi
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 137-154
ABSTRACT
Mental health needs have received increased attention throughout the world, most notably in response to the impact of global events, such as pandemics and other world crises. Professional counselors offer a unique position to contribute to global mental health needs and to advocate for counseling in ways that advance the profession globally. This study reviews counseling themes internationally within the framework of multicultural competency, advocacy, and social justice, which remain areas of focus in the United States of America (US). Researchers utilized a content analysis approach to investigate the level of attention international counseling issues have received among key US professional counseling journals. Core themes identified among the journals included attention toward international students, country-specific counseling history, client cultural identity, career counseling, multicultural competence, international counseling students, and mental health practice. Practical applications for increasing international cultural competence, supporting international students, addressing career support, and advancing professional development throughout the world reflect tangible recommendations.
Keywords: International counseling, counseling advocacy, content analysis, multicultural competence, mental health awareness.
Research Article
Maria Koeppel, Brittany Hollerbach, Terry von Thaden, Hannah Kelley, Christopher Kaipust, Nattinee Jitnarin, Walker Carlos Poston, Christopher Haddock, Sara Jahnke
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 155-167
ABSTRACT
Bullying in the fire service has long been overlooked, although efforts to understand the phenomenon have increased over the past few decades. Recent research has highlighted high rates of bullying in the fire service, regardless of gender and race. Despite established issues of bullying, workplace bullying training has yet to be examined in the fire service. Using qualitative data from interviews with a national sample of firefighters and fire service leaders, this foundational research sought to understand current and future needs related to training on bullying prevention and effective messaging for the fire service. Common themes that emerged from the data include current training opportunities, the effectiveness of training, and components of effective training.
Keywords: qualitative methods, firefighters, bullying, training.
Research Article
Arthur Vasquez, Alejandro Rodriguez
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 168-188
ABSTRACT
Researching hard-to-reach populations that are criminally active is difficult. Gaining access to these populations is essential to the success of the project, however, strategies to obtain access can involve navigating through complex and dangerous situations. Prior research has identified a range of factors that can influence the ability of researchers to gain access to offenders. Qualitative projects that encompass obtaining information from individuals mandate researchers to consider from whom they need to gain information, and how to appeal to the individuals. This relationship building is facilitated by strategies of gaining access that aid not only the recruitment of participants but also increase the quality of interactions and data collection. In this paper, we examine the importance of identity, rapport, and commitment acts in relationship building to gain access to active offenders in fieldwork. This contribution offers examples in which researchers can negotiate the difficulties in gaining access.
Keywords: Qualitative, gaining access, identity, rapport, commitment acts.
Research Article
Ashley Shepard, David Diamond, Laura Willard, Jennifer Staples, Kirshjah Martin, Nicole Witherspoon
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 189-211
ABSTRACT
This study explored how discovering misattributed paternity in adulthood after commercial DNA testing impacts psychological well-being and identity formation. Thirty-three subjects participated in this phenomenological qualitative study. Eighteen had experienced misattributed paternity, while the other 15 subjects discovered misattributed paternity due to being donor conceived. Three fundamental themes emerged in both the misattributed group and donor-conceived group that could be perceived as the core themes are: (a) sadness, grief, and loss; (b) seeking connection and belonging; and (c) betrayal and anger. Other significant themes revealed by both groups included: Otherness, Curiosity, Relief and Comfort, Surprise, Acceptance, and Empathy and Rationalization. Additional themes also revealed by the donor-conceived group, but not revealed in the misattributed group are: (a) existential concerns, (b) self-assuredness, and (c) right to know and advocacy. Overall, findings in this study reveal unique experiences between both groups, suggesting the circumstances around conception and discovery vary depending on misattributed status.
Keywords: misattributed paternity, DNA testing, psychological well-being, identity, donor-conceived
Research Article
Jenna Aberz
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 212-228
ABSTRACT
This study adopts the lens of uncertainty management theory to understand how mothers of children with dyslexia construct and negotiate the uncertainty they face. Dyslexia is academically, mentally, financially, and emotionally challenging for families, but the voices of parents are often missing from the conversation. Interpretive thematic analysis of a large online support group for parents illustrated four major sources of uncertainty: the future, advocacy, communicating about the diagnosis, and the financial cost. Exploring the uncertainty of mothers themselves offers a more textured understanding of the meaning and sense-making processes of families as they navigate a common yet widely misunderstood learning disability.
Keywords: Dyslexia, uncertainty, families, parenting, online social support.
Research Article
Khaldoun Aldiabat, Enam Alsrayheen, Blessy Prabha Valsaraj, Rasha Abu Baker, Ibtisam Al-Harthi, Mohammed Qutishat, Khloud Aldamery
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 229-250
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to promote an in-depth understanding of lived experiences of Omani adults who were quarantined with COVID-19. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological qualitative method was used to collect and analyze data from twelve eligible participants, who were selected through purposive snowball sampling. Data were collected from eligible participants using interrogatory statements during semi-structured audio-recording individualized phone interviews. Five general structural descriptions (GSDs) reflected the essence of the lived experiences of Omani adults who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and experienced home quarantine. The GSDs of their lived experiences represented five phases: (1) before catching the infection (“No way I will get infected”), (2) between catching the infection and the quarantine (“I may be infected”), (3) early in the quarantine (“Oh my God, I am infected”), (4) in the middle and end of the quarantine (“So what? Yes, I am infected”), and (5) after the quarantine (“Praising God because I was infected”). The findings show that they experienced the quarantine period positively, as a time of self-growth and empowerment, highlighting the need to look at the brighter side of life. This qualitative study highlights that a positive outlook will help people regain their balance in any negative situation. It is the mindset that matters, not the situation.
Keywords: Covid-19, quarantine, lived experiences, Omani adults, phenomenology, nursing.
Research Article
Felicia Wolontis
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 251-268
ABSTRACT
Transitions, such as the school-to-work transition, are of particular interest to developmental science research because they mark different periods in life where a person moves from one period to the next. Using data from an ethnographic study with young women who recently moved from school to work, the researcher examines how the women construct identities through narratives and position themselves vis-à-vis others and vis-à-vis dominant discourses in both ethnographic interviews and participant observation. Making use of a fine-grained analytic approach referred to as the narrative practice approach, the researcher showcases how the women position themselves as having transitioned from the individual identities they had before moving into the workplace to more of a collaborative identity after having connected with others in their new work environment. With the analysis, the researcher also delves deeper into the uncertainties and the ambivalence of identity changes that the women claim having experienced. By investigating how the women actually experienced their school-to-work transition in situ and in vivo, and by studying the nuances and complexity of their experiences, the article makes contributions to both narrative research and psychology. It also informs organizations how they can train their employees and improve individual, team, and organizational performance by infusing collaboration into the organizational culture.
Keywords: ethnographic approach, identity construction, narrative practice approach, positioning, school-to-work transition.
Research Article
Regine Talleyrand, Carmen Gill Bailey, Mirella Saldana, Jennifer T. Tran, Zikun Li
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 269-286
ABSTRACT
Undocumented Latinx youth make up a sizeable group within the United State (U.S.) immigrant population and one that is particularly vulnerable due to their exposure to experiences of trauma, racism, discrimination, and lack of legal protection in their indigenous countries as well as during and after their migration to the U.S. at early developmental stages in their lives. As part of a community-based partnership, we conducted culturally responsive focus groups (CRFG) in a community setting in the Mid-Eastern region of the US to explore the lived experiences of 22 undocumented Latinx students who had recently migrated to the U.S. and were enrolled in local middle and high school settings. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze students’ migration experiences and the results revealed that students experience multiple stressors and could benefit from a peer, school, family, and community support to build students’ resilience. Implications for research and clinical practice are provided.
Keywords: culturally responsive focus groups, migration, acculturative stressors, undocumented Latinx youth.