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Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

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4. The time limitation of this study meant that only 24 students could be referred<br />

to the project. Time also limited the music therapy input to 20 sessions for<br />

each student instead of open-ended therapy which is normally offered. The<br />

study by Karkou, Fullarton and Scarth (2010), which investigated how dance<br />

movement psychotherapy could improve the emotional and social well-being<br />

of young people aged 11-13 (2.5.1), showed some positive results but was<br />

also too small and time-limited for any firm conclusions to be drawn.<br />

9.3.2 Discussion of time and timings<br />

Time can affect a study in numerous ways. According to Tashakkori and Teddlie<br />

(1998) one particular threat to the validity of research findings is history. A lot<br />

changed for these young people over the course of almost two years and the fact that<br />

events occur during a study of this length can lead to differences in the data. For<br />

example, known factors that affected some students during the project included<br />

bereavement and change of home and family situations. Students might have become<br />

more distressed without music therapy intervention but this can only be conjecture.<br />

The fact that students were growing up during the process could also change their<br />

responses and outlook as they matured. ‘Difference between the pre- and post-tests<br />

might be the result of physical or psychological maturation of the participants rather<br />

than differences in the independent variable’ (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998, p.87).<br />

These differences are likely to be even more extreme due to the changes that occur in<br />

adolescence.<br />

The timescale of the project also meant that the referrals were made over twelve<br />

months before students in group B were able to start so it was to be expected that<br />

their needs could change in this time. The head of year who asked me to move a<br />

student from B to A (5.3.3) was responding to one such change. There was a great<br />

deal of concern that that particular student would not be attending school by the time<br />

group B began sessions, as he was already starting to refuse school on a regular basis.<br />

Following meetings with both the form tutor and head of year to discuss the student’s<br />

needs he was moved to group A, which resulted in an uneven distribution of students<br />

in the groups (5.3.3). I chose to move him despite the potential for weakening the<br />

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