theoretical frameworks
By Friday (note this is a day later than uual), post your initial response to the assigned discussion questions in the below Discussion Area. It is important to support what you say with relevant citations in the APA format from both the course materials and outside resources. Include the South University Online Library in your research activities utilizing not only the nursing resource database, but also those pertaining to education, business, and human resources.
No later than by the end of the week, review and comment on the discussion question responses posted by at least two of your peers. Be objective, clear, and concise. Always use constructive language. All comments should be posted to the appropriate topic in this Discussion Area.
Discussion Question
Visit Souths online library and review these two articles.
Connelly, L. M. (2014). Use of theoretical frameworks in research. MEDSURG Nursing, 23(3), 187-188.
Green, H. E. (2014). Use of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in qualitative research. Nurse Researcher, 21(6), 34-38.
Next, review the evidence you are collecting for your proposed study. Which theories have others cited? Are you seeing a common theme? Next construct a conceptual map p. You can use Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint and include this as an attachment. Be sure you have defined the concepts and included relational statements. I am really interested in you identifying theories used in work about your topic .
Provide constructive, supportive feedback to your classmates’ posts
Research
Roundtable Lynne M. Connelly
Use of Theoretical Frameworks
in Research
R eaders of research reports probably have noticed some studies explicitly name a theory that guided the research and some do not. It is not always clear
in reports what role the theory or theoretical framework
played (or did not play) in the research. In this issue,
Parker (2014) outlined a study about decision making by
medical-surgical nurses when they activate rapid response
teams. In the report, in the section called “Nurse Decision
Making,” the author concisely discussed theories of deci
sion making and the models of decision making that oth
ers have used to examine the topic with nurses. In addi
tion, Parker used an instrument to measure decision mak
ing based on these various decision-making models. This
report is a useful example of how theory guides research
and also makes sense of the subsequent findings.
What Is a theory?
First, various terms are used to refer to the theoretic
basis of a study, including theory, theoretical framework,
conceptual framework, and models. Theory is a set of inter
related concepts (or variables) and definitions that are
formed into propositions or hypotheses to specify the
relationship among the constructs (Creswell, 2013). A for
mal theory is well-developed and is useful to predict
behavior or outcomes. A theoretical framework or con
ceptual framework is less formal and typically less devel
oped than a formal theory. Such a framework often is use
ful when exploratory work is being done to expand the
theoretical ideas. A conceptual model usually is focused
more narrowly and structured more loosely than theories,
and does not link concepts (Polit & Beck, 2014). For
example, the Lauri and Salantera (2002) instrument is
based on a model that describes how nurses make deci
sions but does not predict how effective each type is in
making decisions. For the purposes of this column, I use
the general word theory to encompass all these terms.
In simple terms, a theory is a representation of a por
tion of reality that helps us make sense of complex phe
nomena. It is not the reality itself; it is a tool for better
understanding. Theories are not right or wrong but some
theories offer a better fit for particular situations. Each
theory can provide a different lens for looking at a prob
lem, allowing it to be examined from different perspec
tives for full understanding of all its facets (Reeves, Albert,
Kuper, & Hodges, 2008).
Lynne M. Connelly, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor and Director of
Nursing, Benedictine College, Atchison, KS. She is Research Editor for
MEDSURG Nursing.
MEDSURG nursing . May-june 2014 Vol. 23/No. 3
Theory in a study can be stated clearly or it can be
implied (Bond et al., 2011). For example, in physiological
studies, the framework usually is drawn from current
understanding of physiology and pathophysiology. It
often is presented as the state of science in a particular
area. In more abstract areas of research, specific theory
can be useful to frame the problem, develop an interven
tion, and guide the research study.
A theory about a phenomenon, such as nurse decision
making, parsimoniously explains how nurses make deci
sions in the practice setting. Each theory will have a num
ber of interrelated concepts. Concepts are abstract repre
sentations of specific parts of the theory (Polit & Beck,
2014). In the Parker (2014) study, the decision-making
models described how different people have different
ways of making decisions. Some people are intuitive deci
sion makers, some are analytical decision makers, and
others use both types of decision making. While it can
seem even more complex, this concise depiction helps us
understand the process of making a decision and measure
how each nurse in a study normally makes decisions.
Guiding Research
A theory should not be added to a study because the
researcher was told in school that a theory is needed for a
research study. A clear connection should exist among
the theory, the problem or phenomenon being studied,
and the research method. For example, Parker (2014)
used an instmment developed by Lauri and Salantera
(2002) based on the various models of decision making.
Using a valid instmment based on theory allows the
researcher to make comparisons between the results of
different studies that otherwise could not be made if the
researcher used a separate instmment. In addition, when
conducting the study, the researcher also is testing the
theory to determine if it works in the study population.
In Parker’s (2014) study, a factor analysis showed items
measuring analytic decision making correlated with each
other and intuitive decision-making items correlated
with each other; however, each of these did not correlate
significantly with the other type. In other words, intuitive
items were connected with other intuitive items, but not
with analytic items. The same is tme for analytic items.
This supports the validity of the instmment and also sup
ports the theory that guided development of this instru
ment. When we review the results, then, we can have
some confidence they are measuring aspects of the theo
ry appropriately. In addition, investigators should make
connections between their results and the theory clear in
187
Research R oundtable
their discussion of the findings. They should relate their
results to other research in which the theory was used.
Parker compared his results to results by Lauri and
Salantera (2002).
In another example, Yoder (2005) described how the
Roy Adaption Model was used in several studies: a study
of quality of life in patients with cancer, a study of exer
cise intervention in patients with cancer, and another
study of clinical outcomes in patients with burns. Yoder
presented figures outlining each aspect of the theory and
how each aspect was measured. Each of the studies pro
vided results helpful to patients, but they also provided
support for the Roy Adaptation Model. The figures in this
article are useful examples of how to make clear connec
tions between concepts within a theory or model and the
measurement instruments. This can be particularly useful
in research proposals.
Theory also is used to guide the development of effec
tive interventions for patient care. In this case, theorists
may use both theory and empirical results to suggest one
variable (the intervention) can have a positive effect on
another variable (e.g., a person’s behavior or physical
outcome). If a theory indicates, for example, that teach
ing a patient about his or her disease will improve self
management, then we could conduct an intervention
study to test that proposition. Theory also may provide
us with other variables that can moderate this effect
(Polit & Beck, 2014).
O t h e r Issu es
When research results are not what were expected, two
reasons are possible: either the research design or measure
ment of variables was flawed, or the theory guiding the
research did not fit the situation or population. In the case
of an inappropriate theory, the researcher may be able to
suggest modifications to the theory. The modifications
then would need to be tested. Useful theory is refined by
this iterative process (Johnson & Webber, 2010).
In qualitative research, theory can have several purpos
es. General theories, such as interactionism and critical
theory, can be used to guide qualitative research (Reeves
et al., 2008). These are theories that conceptualize how
we should study phenomena (Polit & Beck, 2014;
Sandelowski, 1993). On the other hand, qualitative inves
tigators often want to generate rather than test theory
based on what they find with their particular informants.
Prior to and during data collection, researchers often
avoid substantive theory about the specific phenomena
to prevent being influenced by prior theorizing about the
topic. Thus, the theory generated in qualitative research
is grounded in data that come from directly observing
and talking to the participants (Creswell, 2013).
This short column can not cover all the nuances of
theory and research. Readers can refer to the references
cited or to a good research textbook to obtain more infor
mation. Because theory is important to conducting and
understanding research findings, readers should under
stand what theory is and how a researcher can use it effec
tively to guide a study. i :i
REFERENCES
Bond, A., Eshah, N., Bani-Khaled, M., Hamad, A., Habashneh, S.,
Kataua, H….. Maabreh, R. (2011). Who uses nursing theory? A
univariate descriptive analysis of five years research articles.
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 25(2), 404-409.
Creswell, J.W. (2013). The use of theory. In J.W. Creswell (Ed.) Research
design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches
(4th ed.) (pp. 51-76). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Johnson, B.M., & Webber, P.B. (2010). An introduction to theory and rea
soning in nursing. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
Lauri, S., & Salantera, S. (2002). Developing an instrument to measure
and describe clinical decision-making in different nursing fields.
Journal of Professional Nursing, 18(30), 93-100.
Parker, C.G. (2014). Decision making models used by medical-surgical
nurses to activate rapid response teams. MEDSURG Nursing,
23(3), 159-164.
Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research:
Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Wolter
Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Reeves, S Albert, M., Kuper, A., & Hodges, B.D. (2008). Why use theo
ries in qualitative research? BMJ, 337, 631-634.
Sandelowski, M. (1993). Theory unmasked: The uses and guises of the
ory in qualitative research. Research in Nursing and Health, 16,
213-218.
Yoder, L.H. (2005). Using the Roy Adaptation Model: A program of
research in a military research service. Nursing Science Quarterly,
18(A), 321-323.
M
E
D
S
u
R
G
Persistent Differences Found in
Preventive Services Use w ith in the
U.S. Population
Large differences in adult use of preventive serv
ices persisted from 1996 through 2008 across popu
lation groups defined by poverty, race/ethnicity,
insurance coverage, and geography. Researchers
examined trends in five preventive services: general
checkups, blood pressure screening, blood choles
terol screening, Pap smears, and mammograms.
Among the population of nonelderly adults
(ages 19-64 years), the proportion of the population
having a general checkup increased 1.1% from
1996/1998 to 2007/2008; the proportion of those
with blood cholesterol screening within the prior 5
years increased by 8.2%. In contrast, the percentage
of the population having blood pressure screening
or mammograms (among women) increased mod
estly between the first pair of time points, but
remained essentially constant thereafter. Finally,
the percentage of women having Pap smears
increased modestly (by 2.1%) from 1996/1998 to
2002/2003, but decreased by about a percentage
point subsequently to the end of the study period.
More details are in Abdus & Selden (2013).
Preventive services for adults: How have differences
across subgroups changed over the past decade?
Medical Care, 51(11), 999-1007. EB3I
188 MayJune 2014 Vol. 23/No. 3 MEDSURG UXJHSIMG,
Copyright of MEDSURG Nursing is the property of Jannetti Publications, Inc. and its content
may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright
holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for
individual use. Running head: HEART FAILURE AND READMISSION RATES 1
HEART FAILURE AND READMISSION RATES 2
Heat Failure and Readmission Rates
Student’s Name kenya leyva
Institution
As a future family nurse practitioner, some adaptations have to be made to effect change in healthcare. Moreover, an advanced practice nurse with a doctorate or master’s complies with the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing research to promote public health through discovery and propagation of knowledge effectively. The area of concern in this study researched and proven in this study is the existence of Heart Failure. About 5.7 million Americans suffer from heart failure, which is directly linked to considerable health care costs and deaths. Research shows that congestive heart failure is one the highest and, in most cases, the leading cause of hospital readmission. Unintended hospital admissions add extra costs to patients, and Hearth failure (HF) is a significant cause. Further research shows that HF patients who are readmitted have a fragmentation of care, such as failure to adhere to a medication when they are discharged from the hospital. Besides, socioeconomic aspects, such as ethnic background, race, and marital status, impact differently on heart failure and rehospitalization. Although medical practitioners may be the cause of readmissions due to incompetence, HF patients are prone to readmissions due to disconnection to medications; thus, proper measures should be implemented.
Congestive heart failure is a condition where there is insufficient blood filling capability pumped by ventricles, which results in leads to low discharge volume unable to sustain body metabolisms. The library search strategies included visiting the South University online library. The program selected was the school of nursing. In the catalog, the keywords (heart failure and readmission) were used to generate searches. The journals with the recent studies were used for research.
Heart failure is the top reason for readmissions among Medicare recipients. According to Damiani et al. (2015), cardiovascular diseases are not only leading in hospital readmissions but also in disability. The research involved was carried out through hand searching and electronic database. The study population included the most common causes of the issue: HF and AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction). Out of the eleven articles used in the review, the researchers found that socioeconomic factors have an impact on HF patients’ readmission. 63.6% of short-term outcomes indicated that marital status, race, and ethnicity influenced the data (Gupta et al., 2018). Also, the study was carried out for older adults aged 65 years.
The patients incur the cost of managing heart failure in hospitals, and readmissions have caused substantial expenses nationally. For instance, admitted patients in the United States constitute about 6.5 million hospital days, which amounts to a healthcare expenditure of $37.2 billion (Okunji et al., 2017). Thus, prolonged length of stay in hospitals is directly proportional to health care costs.
Many causes for an extended length of stay in health facilities rage from the quality of care and the patient’s response to treatment. A nurse or a doctor may incompetently treat a patient or administer the wrong medication, which may cause the health deterioration of a patient. In a study conducted by Ruppar et al. (2016), it was reviewed that patients developed adverse outcomes due to a lack of adherence to HF medications. They took the reported data and calculated readmission and mortality rates. Their research showed that medication adherence interventions have positive impacts on patients. For instance, they reduced mortality risks for patients with Heart Failure. The researchers also discovered that it decreased the chances of readmission.
Solving the rehospitalization issues involving acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia is the responsibility of bodies such as HRRP. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program was established under the 2010’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This body reported hospitals with high-risk readmission rates and penalized those with uncontrolled readmissions (Gupta et al., 2018). Since 2012, HF readmissions is the leading cause of penalties by the HRRP.
Financial penalties targeted hospitals to improve their care quality and minimize readmissions. Nevertheless, 30-day readmission has the potential to delay medical care for patients who were discharged in less than a month. As a result, it can yield adverse impacts on patient outcomes. This approach of solving the research problem can only indicate the effects of improving healthcare, but it does not guarantee the low numbers as a general improvement in care quality; it may occur due to the deliberate failure of hospitals to accept back HF patients. Such victims may be redirected to other facilities to receive
To conclude, Heart Failure patients are likely to be readmitted in a hospital after being discharged. For adults, race/ethnicity, and other socioeconomic factors contributed to the rate of the second hospitalization. Other studies show that heart failure is associated with high disabilities and deaths. Care transition programs and hospital-based quality initiatives can be used to enhance coordination in this population. Besides, most patients are readmitted due to improper medication after leaving a health facility. Thus, interventions can be made to ensure HF patients observe medical guidelines. Research shows that these interventions reduce readmission and mortality rates. As a family nurse practitioner, it is vital to ensure that patients adhere to self-care programs. These approaches can help the patients prevent deaths and unnecessary costs of rehospitalization.
Reference
Ruppar, T. M., Cooper, P. S., Mehr, D. R., Delgado, J. M., & DunbarJacob, J. M. (2016). Medication adherence interventions improve heart failure mortality and readmission rates: systematic review and metaanalysis of controlled trialsJournal of the American Heart Association,5(6), e002606.
Damiani, G., Salvatori, E., Silvestrini, G., Ivanova, I., Bojovic, L., Iodice, L., & Ricciardi, W. (2015). Influence of socioeconomic factors on hospital readmissions for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction in patients 65 years and older: evidence from a systematic review.Clinical interventions in aging,10, 237.
Okunji, P., JS, N., NM, E., SG, K., TV, F., & TO, O. (2017). Descriptive Characteristics of Patients Hospitalized with Congestive Heart Failure: A Brief Summary.International Journal Of Nursing & Clinical Practices,4(1). DOI: 10.15344/2394-4978/2017/249
Gupta, A., Allen, L. A., Bhatt, D. L., Cox, M., DeVore, A. D., Heidenreich, P. A., … & Fonarow, G. C. (2018). Association of the hospital readmissions reduction program implementation with readmission and mortality outcomes in heart failure.JAMA cardiology,3(1), 44-53. Beyond Marginality, pages 167187
Copyright 2019 by Information Age Publishing
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 167
CHAPTER 10
A PROPOSITION FOR A
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO
ADAPTATION AND A UNIFIED
SENSE OF SELF
A Conceptual Framework
in Educational Settings
Detra D. Johnson
University of Louisville
Questions are often raised about how African American women educators
are able to remain in the career despite challenges they face including sex-
ism, racism, inequality, and indifference. In fact, it was from personal experi-
ence in the PK12 setting that I realized there were systemic, institutionalized
problems that impacted teacher perspectives of teaching and retention of
classroom teachers, particularly African American women teachers. I sought
to conceptualize a study that was reflective of the unique experiences of Af-
rican American women educators while being mindful that the need to in-
crease the number of diverse teachers and administrators is critical because
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EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 9/10/2020 10:59 PM via SOUTH UNIV –
SAVANNAH CAMPUS
AN: 1733306 ; Elizabeth T. Murakami.; Beyond Marginality: Understanding the Intersection of Race,
Ethnicity, Gender and Difference in Educational Leadership Research
Account: soc1
168 D. D. JOHNSON
American classrooms are increasingly becoming filled with students of color.
However, most of the educators in these classrooms do not look like the stu-
dents they teach and may not understand the communities they serve. After
conducting research with African American women teachers to gain a deeper
understanding about the dynamics of their perspectives, results from their
particular experiences reinforced a social perspective that paralleled my own
in my role as an African American woman educator ( Johnson, 2015). Build-
ing from those, this chapter proposes a holistic approach that reports how
African American women teachers adapted through a unified sense of resil-
iency and self-determination to remain in the career despite challenges and
adversities in educational settings. The findings from this study can also help
inform leadership preparation by illustrating how diverse school leaders and
educators were able to promote racial and social justice as well as human
rights opportunities for all students.
CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH
TOADAPTATION AND A UNIFIED SENSE OF SELF
The conceptual model of a holistic approach to adaptation and a unified
sense of self was developed as part of data analysis of hypothesized themes that
were interpreted from interviews with research participants ( Johnson, 2015).
From this data analysis, Figure 10.1 represents this model from three African
American women teachers perspectives that were collected, analyzed, and
triangulated which led to this proposed model for educational leaders.
This study utilized themes that were derived from two theoretical
frameworks. The theoretical framework of resilience was comprised of ten
themes: deeply committed, enjoys change, bias for optimism, flexible locus
of control, ability to control events, moral and spiritual support, positive
relationships, education, efficacy, and leadership and role model. Schelvis,
Zwetsloot, Bos, and Wiezer (2014) identified three dimensions of resilience
as the following: the ability to change and adapt as necessary, the ability
to recover quickly, and the ability to remain confident and vigorous after
changes. This perspective also supports individuals need to develop ways
to respond, monitor, anticipate, and learn when working as school leaders
and educators. The resiliency framework connects and is interrelated to
self-determination dimensions which are equally important for developing
and sustaining school leaders.
There were four themes of self-determination that helped to develop the
foundation for this emerging model. The themes or dimensions of self-de-
termination were autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment,
and self-regulation. Authors Deci and Ryan (2002) reported that a coher-
ent sense of self, that is a sense of wholeness and vitality, is an integration
of both knowledge and experience. With the viewpoints of this integration
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EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 9/10/2020 10:59 PM via SOUTH UNIV –
SAVANNAH CAMPUS
AN: 1733306 ; Elizabeth T. Murakami.; Beyond Marginality: Understanding the Intersection of Race,
Ethnicity, Gender and Difference in Educational Leadership Research
Account: soc1
A Holistic Approach to Adaptation and a Unified Sense of Self 169
characterized by humanistic, psychoanalytic, and developmental theories,
organismic metatheory can be used (Deci & Ryan, 2002). Moreover, the
authors conclude that self-determination exists in a dialectic view that in-
teracts between an active, integrating human nature and social contexts
that could either inhibit or develop an individual (organism) active nature
(Deci & Ryan, 2002). This organismic-dialectical perspective can either fa-
cilitate or disrupt the promotion of healthy psychological and social devel-
opment when one needs to adapt to challenges and adversities in life.
Grounded theory was used to present a conceptually dense (Denzin
& Lincoln, 2000, p. 278) emergent theory of a holistic approach to adapta-
tion and a unified sense of self. According to Whetten (1989), a complete
theory must contain the following four essentials that include whatde-
fines which constructs should be logically considered as part of the expla-
nation of the phenomenon; howpieces together how the constructs
are related; whyunderstands what the underlying psychological, eco-
nomic, or social dynamics are to justify the selection of constructs and the
Figure 10.1 Conceptual model of the holistic approach to adaptation and the
unified sense of self for education leaders.
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EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 9/10/2020 10:59 PM via SOUTH UNIV –
SAVANNAH CAMPUS
AN: 1733306 ; Elizabeth T. Murakami.; Beyond Marginality: Understanding the Intersection of Race,
Ethnicity, Gender and Difference in Educational Leadership Research
Account: soc1
170 D. D. JOHNSON
proposed causal relationship; and whenexamines the appropriateness
of the propositions definitions and explanations for application. The dis-
tinct role of each theoretical framework was analyzed specifying the logical,
deduced implications for research as a theoretical argument.
This theoretical model can be defined as a set of interrelated constructs,
definitions, and propositions that presents a systematic view of a phenom-
ena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explain-
ing and predicting phenomenon (Kerlinger, 1986, p. 9). In comparison,
Argyris and Schon (1974) have defined theory as a set of interconnect-
ed propositions that have the same referentthe subject of the theory
(pp. 45). Furthermore, LeCompte and Preissle (1993) reported, theoriz-
ing is simply the cognitive process into their minds helped to understand
and perceive reality as the participants did (p.239). In this study, the expe-
riences and the perceptions of the African American women teachers were
described and explained at a concrete level.
Ultimately, through cross-case analysis, an understanding of the events was
developed so that their experiences be related from the past to the present.
Eventually, clustering and categorizing the events or concepts of my partici-
pants voices through their stories created higher-order units that are known
as constructs. Then, it was with these constructs their experiences of resiliency
incorporated with their perceptions of the concept of self-determination that
best describes the relationship between resiliency and self-determination. As
the researcher, propositions of this phenomenon provided an explanation of
relationship between resiliency and self-determination. Some of the themes
of resiliency (autonomy, religion, and flexible locus of control) were related
to dimensions of self-determination (autonomy, self-realization, self-regula-
tion, and psychological empowerment). For example, numerous researchers
have stated that there is a distinct association between an internal locus of
control (i.e., autonomy) and resilience (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2012). At
this point, the multiple propositions of relatedness between the themes of
resiliency and self-determination provided the building blocks of an abstract
theory for an emerging theoretical model for a holistic approach to adapta-
tion and a unified sense of self. In order to better contextualize the model,
I will review the context of the study and the models developmental back-
ground, the models theoretical underpinnings, then conclude this chapter
by discussing how the conceptual model of a holistic approach to adaptation
and a unified sense of self might be used to inform educational leadership
practice and policy research.
Context of the Study
In early August 1964, many African American teachers in a rural
segregated school district in Texas prepared to enter into unknown
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EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 9/10/2020 10:59 PM via SOUTH UNIV –
SAVANNAH CAMPUS
AN: 1733306 ; Elizabeth T. Murakami.; Beyond Marginality: Understanding the Intersection of Race,
Ethnicity, Gender and Difference in Educational Leadership Research
Account: soc1
A Holistic Approach to Adaptation and a Unified Sense of Self 171
territoriesdesegregated schools. This historical event triggered emotions
and professional decisions based on uncertainty and optimism for the few
African American teachers who were allowed to continue to work in the
community in which they had come to know and love. However, optimism
and experience was not enough to sustain most African American teachers
to remain in the career. Adversities and challenges during the transition of
school integration became a new normal for teachers, in particular, African
American women teachers. It was through their abilities to persist in the ca-
reer that their perspectives became critical in the development of shaping
their identities as school leaders.
For this research, a narrative and oral history inquiry technique pro-
vided evidence of the lived experiences of three African American women
teachers who, in their own voices, shared their stories and their percep-
tions of resilience and self-determination in multicultural learning envi-
ronments before, during, and after desegregation. Three African Ameri-
can women teachers from a rural Texas school district participated in the
study. A 37-question interview protocol modified from two original studies
was used to answer the following three research questions: (a) What were
the teaching experiences of African American women teachers in a rural
Southern school district before, during, and after desegregation?; (b) What
characteristics of resilience emerged as themes that influenced retention
and longevity of African American women teachers in a rural Southern
school district before, during, and after desegregati
