Research Report Proposal - Essay Example

Research Project Proposal of INTRODUCTION Introduction of the Problem Quality of life for higher education femalefaculty working in University Teacher Education programs is impacted by stress on a daily basis. Faculty salary equity, promotion, and tenure are also factors that contribute to the overall quality of life, since more female faculty serves in adjunct positions. These factors have a tendency to increase levels of stress in female faculty working in the University Teacher Education program.

Statement of the Problem This study will explore the research about the effects of therapeutic massage on stress and quality of life of female faculty working in the teacher education program at a (Name) University. It will enquire into if there will be some impact on the efficiency and life style of the female faculty staff if they are provided with the massage facility in order to reduce the level of stress in imparting their too heavy pedagogical duties. Research QuestionsThe following research questions will be used to guide the study. 1. In what ways does stress impact the quality of life of female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at this (Name) University 2.

In what ways are identified stressors of female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at this (Name) University different 3. In what ways does participation in the holistic health alternative practice of therapeutic massage treatments improve the quality of life of female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at this (Name) University Significance of the Study The (Name) University female faculty across schools and departments will benefit from knowing if perceived stress is reduced and quality of life improved as a result of participating in a perceived Quality of Life and Stress survey and three massage therapy treatments designed to relax and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit.

The information will be used to increase awareness of the stress female faculty encounter in the Teacher Education program. The findings may result in the development of holistic health programs that improve higher education environments. The information will be shared and published with the Massage Therapy Foundation of the American Massage Therapy Association.METHODOLOGYPopulation The population for this study will consist of thirty female faculties working in the Teacher Education program at a (Name) University.

The group of thirty female faculties will participant in a pretest and posttest Perceived Stress Scale of 10 items. Fifteen female faculty participants, randomly selected from the group of thirty, will receive three therapeutic massages over a six-week period. The massages will be designed to reduce stress, and to relax and revitalize the body, mind, and spirit. The fifteen female faulty participants receiving therapeutic massage will become the experimental group, whereas, the remaining fifteen participants of the original group of thirty will become the control group.

The InstrumentsTo acquire the necessary data regarding stress, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthurs' Perceived Stress Scale of 10 items will be administered to thirty female faculties working in the Teacher Education program at a (Name) University. The Perceived Stress Scale is available at http://www.maces.ucsf.edu/research/Psychosocial/notebook/PPS10.html. Permission for use of this scale is not necessary when used for academic research or educational purposes. Upon completion of the survey instruments and approval by reviewers, copies will be mailed to each participant.

The target date for completion of the survey scale is June 15, 2006. The target date for approval by reviewers is April 8, 2006. The target date for mailing the survey pretest is May 1, 2006. Data Collection Approval to conduct the study of quality of life of higher education female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at a (Name) University to determine what if any difference the effects of therapeutic massage designed to relax and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit has on stress reduction and management, and overall quality of life will be sought from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Capella University and at Minot State University.

Approval from both institutions will allow the primary investigator to conduct the study in fairness and good faith. Return of the surveys will imply consent on the part of respondents to participate in the study.The Secretary of Teacher Education will provide the names and addresses of all thirty women professors and instructors who will complete the Perceived Stress Scale survey between April 1 and April 15, 2006. A cover letter explaining the survey scale and purpose of the study will be attached to the survey instrument (Appendix A).

The survey will be mailed from the Office of the Secretary of Teacher Education on the (Name) University campus. The survey will be returned in a pre-addressed, postage paid envelope to (Name), independent investigator, data collector and analyzer. (Name's) office is located in the Math and Computer Science Building on the campus the (Name) University. The independent investigator will code response envelopes to identify respondents for follow-up purposes. Instruments and envelopes will be separated upon receipt by the independent investigator to preserve anonymity of the responses.

Codes will not be provided to the primary investigator of the study. Survey responses will be anonymous. The same process will be repeated for the Perceived Stress Scale posttest survey between June 1 and June 13, 2006. Survey responses will be anonymous and posttest survey data will be used to complete the study. All survey data will be retained for six months following the completion of the study and then destroyed using the shredding process. CONCLUSION Value of life as it links to this research means the extent up to which an individual measure to get pleasure from the main probabilities of her existence.

The value of life is not a single dimensional, poignant on being and adoring beings, were make sure that the perception of value of life covers various aspects: political and traditional principles plus more concrete procedures such as existing and instructive standards and independence from ailment. Fletcher limited their investigation to the proportions of value of life that has the latent to be altered by curative circumstances. (Moyer, et. al, 2004) Examination of the research on worth of life illustrates the thoughts selected by the word contentment or its different synonyms in dissimilar speech are the oldest contestants as worldwide indicator of an overall good value of life.

Study shows that when public speak about contentment, they are naturally referring to a comparatively eternal, reasonable, fine emotion and approach concerning to life. It comes out that hypothesis of life contentment possibly be construed as a hypothesis of ecstasy, and in common these presumptions would be speculation of individual organism. (Knoop, 1994)REFERENCESCastleman, Michael, Jun/Jul2004, Holistic Health Care Explore the options and choose what's right for you, Mother Earth News, 00271535, Issue 204.

The writer explains the importance of conventional treatments by telling that many complementary health care practitioners are willing to admit that for emergency medicine, conventional treatments usually are the best option. The conventional doctors are embracing diet changes, exercise and stress management as valuable complements to medical care and are more willing to accept other holistic therapies as valid treatments.Moyer, Christopher A., Rounds, James, Hannum, James W., January 1, 2004, A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research,Psychological Bulletin, 00332909, Vol.

130, Issue 1.In this paper the writer tells that In addition to having similar effects, massage therapy parallels psychotherapy in structure. Both forms of therapy routinely rely on repeated, private interpersonal contact between two persons. Sagy, Shifra, Jul2002, Moderating Factors Explaining Stress Reactions: Comparing Chronic-Without-Acute-Stress and Chronic-With-Acute-Stress Situations,Journal of Psychology, 00223980, Vol. 136, Issue 4.This source hypothesized that intrinsic but not extrinsic work values would be inversely related to stress.

It also tells the work values that provide the most relief from stress. In this study elementary school teachers and administrators from nine school boards in southern Ontario completed a survey that included Pines, Aronson, and Kafry's (1981) stress scale and Elizur's (1984) work values scale.