| Using the Perceptions and Use of Play Interventions survey instrument, this study investigated the perceptions and uses of play interventions of 269 public elementary school counselors in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Emphasizing distinctions between theory-driven play therapy and use of play techniques, data was analyzed with multiple mixed-method data analysis strategies, including parallel mixed analysis, concurrent analysis, and sequential analysis.;This study explored the following variables: prevalence of play intervention use, availability of specific play media, potential individual and systemic limitations to play intervention implementation, perceived effectiveness of and challenges to utilizing play interventions, counselor demographics, and campus characteristics.;Parallel mixed analysis is the independent analysis of quantitative data with quantitative analysis and the independent analysis of qualitative data with qualitative analysis. A chi-square goodness-of-fit test determined that observed use of play interventions was significantly greater than expected. Descriptive statistics detailed the other variables.;Content analysis of the qualitative data (open-ended questions) with constant-comparative analysis yielded categories and themes about challenges to and effectiveness of play interventions. Regarding challenges, the overarching theme was that counseling services were not a priority in the school system, as represented by a lack of and a need for support by administrators, teachers, and parents. Six subsumed themes surfaced: time pressures, space issues, lack of funds, lack of training, lack of materials, and overall misconceptions/lack of knowledge about play interventions. Regarding effectiveness of play interventions, three subsumed themes emerged: an overall positive perception of play intervention effectiveness, a view of play interventions as developmentally appropriate, and a perception that play interventions created a non-threatening, supportive, facilitative therapeutic environment.;Concurrent analysis of quantitative and qualitative data examined quantitative data with qualitative analysis, which qualitized the data, i.e., transformed the quantitative data to qualitative data. Narrative profile formation yielded narrative descriptions of participants and of the public elementary schools where they worked, differentiated by Users and Non-users of play interventions. Quantitative data elaboration yielded theoretically-relevant variables which developed into theories about the use of play interventions.;Sequential qualitative-quantitative analysis further analyzed previous results of qualitative data and qualitized data using quantitative methods—multiple chi square tests-for-independence. |
