Making the Most of Program Evaluation Data: Understanding Human Services Professionals’ Well-Being Through Qualitative Secondary Analysis

<p>Qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) allows researchers to explore new research questions and ensure that participants’ voices are heard to the greatest extent possible, without the burdens of additional data collection. However, this approach is rarely used outside of the health sciences, and little guidance exists in the literature about how to conduct QSA. This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative program evaluation data related to the well-being of human services professionals from two fields: child welfare and early care and education (ECE). It explores these professionals’ well-being, as well as the methodological issues of how well-being has been addressed in workforce studies and the successes and challenges of conducting QSA. Analytical techniques included coding based on phenomenology and qualitative content analysis. Findings inform best practices in conducting QSA, suggest ways in which ECE and child welfare evaluators could more robustly study well-being, and contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the well-being of professionals who work with young children and families.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Deaton Wacker, Elizabeth Ann

Contributors dc:contributor

• Nicholas J. Cutforth
• Amy M. Roberts
• Robyn Thomas Pitts

• Child welfare
• Early care and education
• Phenomenology
• Program evaluation
• Qualitative research methods
• Community-Based Research
• Early Childhood Education
• Education
• Social Work

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2029

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-3024