Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

After-school programs--Iowa--Waterloo--Case studies; After-school programs--Iowa--Cedar Falls--Case studies; After-school programs; Iowa--Cedar Falls; Iowa--Waterloo; Academic theses; Case studies;

Abstract

Collaboration is promoted as a solution to providing more efficient and effective human services. The process of collaboration is not well understood, however, and the literature on the subject does not tell practitioners how to go about collaboration. One model of collaboration is presented that conceptualizes the process of collaboration. The model of collaboration proposes five supports for collaboration: interdependence, newly created professional activities, flexibility, collective ownership of goals, and reflection on process. This study sought to further refine and develop the definitions of these supports by studying data from the ECHOES after-school collaboration in the Cedar Valley. The results of the study serve to further define these supports, as well as tell us where and how these supports take place. This study found that interdependence is present in disciplinary interdependence, mutual support and success, sharing resources, and supervisory interdependence. Flexibility was found in location of staff, source of funding, negotiation of curriculum, facility, shared expenses, and program hours. Collective ownership of goals were found in sharing resources, sharing facilities, negotiation of new goals, and transcendent goals. Newly created professional activities were found to be a result of, not a support for, interdisciplinary collaboration. The theory of interdisciplinary collaboration has been refined and developed through the findings of this study. The findings of this study, in conjunction with the supports for interdisciplinary collaboration previously identified, inform practitioners about what practices support successful collaboration, where these supports should be located, and what these supports entail.

Year of Submission

2005

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services

First Advisor

Rodney Dieser

Second Advisor

Michele Yehieli

Third Advisor

Mark Grey

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

2005

Object Description

1 PDF file (111 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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