Mixed Methods Research and Culture-Specific Interventions

Bonnie K. Nastasi, PhD (Kent State University, 1986, School Psychology & Early Childhood Education), is Professor of Psychology and Co-director of the Trauma Specialization in School Psychology at Tulane University. She uses mixed-methods research designs to develop and evaluate culturally appropriate assessment and intervention approaches for promoting mental health and reducing health risks, within the United States and internationally. She directed a multi-country study of psychological well-being of children and adolescents with research partners in 12 countries from 2008 to 2013. With colleagues, she developed the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model (PCSIM) to guide the design and evaluation of sustainable culturally and contextually relevant programming through partnerships with stakeholders. She is active in the promotion of child rights and social justice within the profession of school psychology. She is president of the International School Psychology Association. John H. Hitchcock, Ph.D. (University at Albany, State University of New York, 2003, Educational Psychology) is an associate professor of Instructional Systems Technology within Indiana University's School of Education, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. He is also the Director of the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy. Dr. Hitchcock's research focus is on the use of mixed methods and other types of designs to evaluate interventions and policies that focus on helping students with specialized learning needs. He has served as a principal investigator, methodological lead and content expert for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education, to complete a systematic review of interventions designed for children with emotional-behavioral disorders. He also served on a panel that drafted standards for assessing the causal-validity of Single-Case Design studies for the WWC. Dr. Hitchcock has served as a co-principal investigator of two large scale randomized controlled trials to assess the impact of reading and math curricula. He has contributed to efforts to develop programs that promote psychological well-being in Sri Lanka since 1998, and he is currently an Associate Editor for School Psychology Review.

Editors' Introduction Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1--Introduction: The Role of Culture and Context in Developing Intervention and Prevention Programs Introduction Why Should We Attend To Culture And Context? Implementation Science and Translational Research Limitations of Standard Research Approaches and Potential Contributions of MMR Overview of the Book's Content and Structure Conclusion Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 2--Conceptual Models for Mixed Methods and Culture-Specific Intervention Development Introduction Conceptual Models for Intervention Development MMR Models for Program Development Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 3--Use of MMR to Understand Context and Guide Program Design Introduction Ethnography and Associated MMR Practices for Cultural Study and Program Design An Illustration Conclusion Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 4--Use of MMR to Guide Implementation and Adaptation Introduction Conceptual and Procedural Foundations Monitoring Program Implementation Program Adaptation Determining Overall Program Success Capacity for Sustainability and Institutionalization An Illustration Conclusion Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 5--Use of MMR to Address Validity Concerns in Program Evaluation Introduction Conceptual and Procedural Considerations Sampling, External Validity, and Transferability Consideration Pulling it All Together: An Example Conclusion Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 6--MMR Model Application: A Full Example Introduction Contextual and Cultural Considerations Program Design Program Implementation and Adaptation Program Evaluation Promoting Translation and Capacity Building Conclusions Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 7--Implementation and Evaluation Challenges Introduction: Common Challenges in Program Implementation and Evaluation Establishing and Maintaining Partnerships Gaining and Maintaining Stakeholder Commitment Forming Sustainable Decision-Making Teams Addressing Staff Development Needs Resource Acquisition and Allocation Creating Versus Adapting Existing EBIs Thinking Through MMR Design Quality Cross-Cultural Social Science Research Has Received Inadequate Attention Conclusion Key Terms Reflective Questions and Exercises References Chapter 8--Future Directions Introduction Implications for Model Development Application of MMR to Intervention Development and Evaluation Implications for Extending Mixed Methodology Advancing the Science of Intervention Development and Evaluation: Implications for Implementation Science Final Thoughts Reflective Questions and Exercises References Index

"It is very clear that the authors have an extensive experience applying mixed research methodologies to a variety of interventions in multiple contexts. [...T]he main strength in what I have read is that they are very successful in connecting these real-life experiences with the theories that they present in the text; this combination brings new life to the text and help readers to easily identify with the content." -- Sebastian Galindo, University of Florida "This text is different than other books in the field because [...] it covers material that is not commonly found in other program evaluation (PE) and performance measurement (PM) texts-especially to this level of detail. It may be more common for other PE and PM books to discuss culture-specific interventions or cultural competency in a part of one chapter, but not have it be the primary focus of the text." -- Marc K. Fudge, California State University San Bernardino "I see a lot of value in the consilient approach to methodology the authors are encouraging. I think they have done a nice job selecting and defining important practical approaches." -- Jeral R. Kirwan, Ashford University