Self Directed Learning Among Selected Malaysian Women With Breast Cancer

By Ahmad Zamri Mansor

Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among Malaysian women. Learning and understanding the disease is important for the women in order to deal with the crisis situation. Self-directed learning is a learning mode that can facilitate a woman with breast cancer in learning and understanding more about the disease. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of self-directed learning among selected Malaysia women with breast cancer. The study is guided by the following research questions:

1. Why did they learn?
2. How did they learn?
3. What challenges did they face in their learning?

This qualitative study used in-depth interview technique with ten Malaysian women with breast cancer. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling and snowballing techniques. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The validity of data analysis was assured through triangulation, member check, and peer review, and researcher’s bias and assumptions were declared in the study.

The findings can be presented in terms of motivation, strategies, and challenges. In terms of motivation, the participants were motivated by the need to confirm information, the need to understand how to deal with their disease, and the need to help the learning of other patients and survivors. Two aspects that emerge under strategies are learning phases and activities. The learning phases involved were coping with the results, seeking information about treatments, preparing for personal life changes, and learning outcomes. The participants used learning
activities such as reading Internet articles, books, other printed materials, consulting doctors and asking other survivors. Doctors are generally regarded as the credible learning source. Participants faced two main challenges in their self directed learning, i.e. the emotional effects of exposure to information and the reliability of information.

This study presents new understanding of self-directed learning in crisis situations in Malaysian context. This study concluded that self-directed learning of Malaysian women with breast cancer is contextualized by the dimensions of source credibility, cognition, and spirituality.

Source: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/5701/
Suggested citation:
Mansor, Ahmad Zamri (2009) Self-Directed Learning among Selected Malaysian Women with Breast Cancer. PhD thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Researching “diseases affecting female teachers”?

Friday October 16, 2009
Man tries to con teacher into having sex


A temporary teacher with a secondary school in Seremban was almost fooled into having sex with her colleague after he pretended to be an undercover special health officer researching “diseases affecting female teachers.”

The teacher - known only as Hani - claimed that the married man in his 30s had even asked for his undercover identity to be kept from his wife, who is teaching in the same school, and from the school principal.

In a report in Kosmo!, Hani, 24, said the teacher had told her that his research comprised three phases, the first of which would require her to answer questions on the size of her breasts and waist.

She would then be required to get intimate with the teacher in the second phase and finally, have sex with him under the third phase, which was also a “weight test”.

Hani alleged that she had signed an agreement as well as a confidentiality form to participate in the study after the teacher approached her in March.

The “study” then moved onto the next phase, in which Hani said she was told to go to an empty classroom.

“In the classroom, he hugged me from behind before performing other sexual acts on me,” she said, adding that she pushed the man away after suspecting something was amiss.

“The next phase was even worse when he asked me to have sex with him,” she said, claiming that during this time, the teacher was stark naked and getting ready to film the sex romp.

“Frightened, I then fled from the classroom,” said Hani.

Since that day, Hani alleged the teacher has been harrassing her through phone messages, asking her for money as “penalty” for not completing the study and claiming that she could be “sued” by the Education Ministry.

The man even claimed that the Public Services Department could take action against her and her other family members serving in the Government.

“I lodged a police report on Aug 18 after I could no longer take his harassment. I have also filed a complaint with both the Health and Education Ministries and the department,” said Hani.

She said she also believed that the teacher had “conned” other victims in the school but that they were reluctant to come forward.

The teacher was subsequently remanded for seven days before being released and is said to be still teaching in the same school.

State education director Datuk Abdullah Muhamad confirmed the case was still under investigation and the matter would be brought up to the ministry.

Jempol Chief Police Officer Supt Mohd Sabri Muhamad@Awang also confirmed the incident.

Source

Bogdan and Biklen

Qualitative vs Quantitative

Resources for Qualitative Research Method

Ary, D., Jacobs, L.C., and Razavieh, A. (1996). Introduction to research in education (5th ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Babbie, E. (2004). The practice of social science (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Bogdan, R.C., and Biklen, S.K. (1992). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Bouchard, P. (1994). Self-directed professionals and autodidactic choice: A framework for analysis. ERIC.

Campbell, L.M. (1994). Some items I look for in a thesis prospectus. Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http: //www.nova.edu/~ron/Campbell.html

Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Darlington, Y., and Scott, D. (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Stories from the field. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Ducharme, M.K., Licklider, B.L., Matthes, W., and Vannatta, R.A. (n.d.). The FINE Foundation's conceptual and analysis criteria:A process for identifying quality educational research. Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http://www.scis.nova.edu/~nasutif/FINEArticle.pdf

Eisner, E.W., & Peshkin, A. (1990). Qualitative inquiry in education. N.Y.: Teachers College, Columbia University.

Flick, U. (1998). An introduction to qualitative research. London: Sage.

Heath, A.W. (1997). The proposal in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 3(1), Number 1, March, 1997. Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-1/heath.html

Lee, T. W.; Mitchell, T. R.; and Sablynski, C. J. (1999) .Qualitative Research in Organizational and Vocational Psychology, 1979-1999. Journal of Vocational Behavior 55,(2), 161-187.

Lincoln, Y.S., and Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. London: Sage.

Mason, J. (1996). Qualitative researching. London: Sage.

Merriam, S.B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education: Revised and expanded from case study research in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Miles, M. B., and Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Morse, J.M., and Richards, L. (2002). Readme first for a user’s guide to qualitative methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Punch, K. F. (1998). Introduction to social research: Developing effective research proposals. London: Sage.

Punch, K. F. (2000). Developing effective research proposals. Sage Publications: London.

Punch, K.F. (1988). Introduction to social research. London: Sage Publication.

Rager, K. B.(2004). A thematic analysis of the self-directed learning experiences of 13 breast cancer patients [Electronic version]. Int. J.of Lifelong Education, 23(1), January-February 2004, 95-109.

Rice-Lively, M.L. (1995). Research proposal evaluative form qualitative methodology. Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http: //.gslis.utexas.edu/~marylynn/qreval.html

Singlehood

The rising phenomenon among women in North and South East Asia. The thinking frame has shifted, it was the question of "when to marry" but now is "whether to marry or not" (Jones, 2004?). The West has experienced it earlier, it was the golden age of marriage in the 50s and 60s but now NE and SEA are taking similar path. The "rush into marriage" phenomenon does only happen to males once they reach their ages, but not so for females (p. 14).

Who is considered a 'single'? According to Byrne (2000), 'singles' encompasses both "the never marrieds" and "the ever marrieds". Do these include the 'yet-to-get-marrieds' as well?

This phenomenon is explained by two theories: Becker's "opportunity cost" and Easterlin's theory of income deprivation. The women view that they are going to lose career advancement opportunity if they get married early. For the former, marriage is delayed because of financial stability, normal among less favoured socio-economic group (p. 15).

Jones observes five key trends of marriage in SEA: (1) delayed and non-marriage; (2) cohabitation; (3) persistence of universal marriage in China; (4) persistence of very early marriage in indonesia; and (5) the rising divorce rate. The 'term 'universal marriage' strikes me as I have not come across this before. Jones offers two reasons why failed to marry at all: (1) lost faith in marriage, giving priority to career and independence; and (2)women still want marriage but wait for suitable partner (p. 15, 16). Quah (cited in Jones) believes that it is due to difficulties in finding partner rather than rejection of marriage institution. Partriachal attitude makes men nervous to marry women of higher Soc and ed status, women not to marry down (p. 20).

Knox and Schacht (2004) highlight three main issues experienced by singles: (1) loneliness; (2) less money; and (3) identity. There have been signs of negotiated form of identity-formation among Malay Muslim women. For those who reject marriage institution, the 'ideological foundation' is very much imbued by the Free Love movement which stipulate marriage is akin to "social bondage of women".

It is interesting to note that Article 16 of Universal Declaration of Human Right stipulates women's right to marriage. However it is a non-issue as the emerging concern has been more on women's choice whether to marry or not to marry regardless of intents and reasons.

Books for further reference:

(Un)tying the Knot By Gavin W. Jones, Kamalini Ramdas, National University of Singapore Asia Research Institu. Published by NUS Press

Knox D and Schaht, C, 2004. Choices in RS. Published by Thomson Wadsworth

Prof Stimpfl's Presentation Highlight

Qualitative Research Worshop, held on August 13th, presented by the Visiting Professor, Prof Joseph Stimpfl, at FSSK, UKM. My reflections:
1. The 'dichotomy' of quantitative-qualitative paradigms underpinned by assumptions subscribed by post-modernism and neo-positivism school of thoughts. Post-modernism's multiple reality vs neo-positivism's 'the truth is out there', to borrow from X-Files popular tagline.
2. The bias in research, inevitable or control it? Funded research, is bias totally eliminated, findings are to serve sponsor's interest.
3. Neo-positivist is a populist approach, whether you like it or not. Feminists and Critical theorists are using it, even though their beliefs are embedded in quali paradigm.
4. Measurement is not number or statistical tools! Is a standardized way of communication reality. I like this one.
5. Abstract concepts such as 'beauty' cannot be measured, though we have a good instrument. We can only measure the proxies of beauty, as preset by our operational definition.