Browsing by Author "Nunes, Ana Rita"
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- Mapping pilgrims’ experience of walking the Saint James way through the lens of self-regulationPublication . Vieira, Clara; Cunha, Jennifer; Nunes, Ana Rita; Ribeiro, Luísa Mota; Rosário, PedroThe Way of St. James is a very well-known and ancient pilgrimage, with various routes leading pilgrims to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where the remains of Saint James are buried. Over the last few years, the experience of the pilgrimage and the growing number of pilgrims walking the Saint James Way have been attracting researchers’ attention. However, studies attempting to understand the pilgrims’ experience using a self-regulation lens are limited. Self-regulation may be defined as efforts made to manage individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in the pursuit of long-term goals. Therefore, rooted in the self-regulation framework, this research aims to further understand the Saint James Way with a focus on the pilgrims’ experience, while stressing the three components of the model: planning, execution, and evaluation. The interviews of 32 Portuguese pilgrims aged between 16 and 52 were analysed using thematic analysis through Zimmerman’s model. Pilgrims made important considerations on the three phases of the self-regulation framework. Importantly, participants’ discourses stressed relevant elements of the process of doing a pilgrimage, placing a particular emphasis on the interest and value of the pilgrimage, strategic planning, strategy usage, metacognitive monitoring, self-assessment and, finally, self-satisfaction. Interestingly, some participants revealed superficial planning and a lack of self-monitoring strategies on the journey. The study provides new avenues for research and practical implications likely to enhance the quality of the pilgrimage by helping pilgrims and pilgrim organisers.
- Tools to persevere towards a challenging goal: lessons learned about grit along the way of St. JamesPublication . Nunes, Ana Rita; Moreira, Tânia; Pereira, Armanda; Zanatta, Cleia; Mota Ribeiro, Luísa; Rosário, PedroUnderstanding the factors contributing to increased perseverance and passion toward long-term goals is an ongoing research challenge. The present study explores the inner drive of individuals to achieve meaningful goals over time, despite setbacks and challenges. The scenario chosen to uncover grit processes was the Way of St. James, a long pilgrimage demanding participants’ perseverance and passion for achieving their goals, despite hardship. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty-one individuals completing the Way of St. James. Thematic analysis indicated three key themes contributing to improve the participants’ perseverance along the walk: behavioural tools (e.g., setting behavioural and time management goals), emotional tools (i.e., enjoyment and learning, belongingness), and cognitive tools (i.e., taking perspective, use of metacognitive knowledge). These findings are consistent with prior research and lifelong learning policies while suggesting that challenges and adversities are unavoidable; however, the more autonomous and open people are to continue learning over their lifespan, the more prepared they will be to cope with changes in the environment and to pursue their meaningful goals.