Multiple self awareness group: Format and application to a personal growth experience

BACKGROUND The consequences of burnout for tertiary students across the health professions are well documented and include higher rates of mental health challenges, suicide, alcoholism, and relationship problems. As a key stakeholder in University-offered wellbeing services and support, it is desirable for students to hold a central role in development of such resources, particularly given effectiveness relies on student uptake. Hence there is a compelling need to develop a student-driven approach to promote wellbeing in the tertiary setting at individual, curricula, and systems levels. OBJECTIVE Based on this need, an online student-focused platform was developed using a bottom-up approach to support participant-driven enhancement of wellbeing and resilience to counteract burnout. This study reports on the development of the initial online “Student Bundle”, providing a foundation to inform the design of more locally based approaches to improve wellness and prevent burnout. METHODS Students and academic and professional staff from Griffith University Health groups were invited to participate in a series of focus groups. Sessions sought to collect information on desired structure, resources and overall content of the Student Bundle, with a thematic analysis undertaken to identify emerging themes. RESULTS Focus groups were conducted separately with staff (n=17) and students (n=7). Six main themes in relation to the development of the bundle emerged: Communication/Engagement; Accessibility/Flexibility; Professional practice; Community; Awareness; and Opportunity for personal growth. Stakeholders emphasized a bundle should be engaging and proactive to address wellbeing issues, incorporate aspects linked to professional identity and foster community, connectedness and self-awareness, providing an opportunity for growth. CONCLUSIONS Our research has revealed significant needs in relation to how an online student-focused wellbeing bundle could be delivered and what it could provide. Findings from this study will be used to guide further development and implementation of a multimodal, interactive student wellbeing bundle.

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Future masters of psychology training for professional activity in the conditions of non-formal education

Ukrainian Journal of Educational Studies and Information Technology ◽

10.32919/uesit.2020.03.05 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 49-61

Author(s):

Viacheslav Osadchyi ◽

Hanna Varina

Keyword(s):

Personal Growth ◽

Formal Education ◽

Online Course ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Scientific Article ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Self Actualization ◽

Professional Self ◽

Self Knowledge ◽

The Impact

The article is devoted to the problem of integration and development of continuing education in Ukraine, reveals the content and priorities of implementation of non-formal education in institutional, as an important component of a professional practice-oriented system of training future masters of psychology. It is established that the introduction of components of non-formal education creates conditions for the development of professional self-awareness of future psychologists: actualization of professional self-knowledge, expansion of positive attitude to oneself as a future psychologist, self-actualization of professional self-improvement. The scientific article analyzes the experience of implementing a scientific and practical online course "Modern practice-oriented technologies in psychology" on the Moodle platform in the process of training masters of psychology. The paper describes a pilot study of the impact of an online course on the process of actualization of professional self-improvement, personal growth and self-realization.

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The Pedagogy of Vulnerability and Marketing Education: Cultivating Self-expansion in a Time of Separation

Journal of Marketing Education ◽

10.1177/02734753211041743 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 027347532110417

Author(s):

Holly A. Syrdal ◽

Brian A. Vander Schee ◽

Rebecca A. VanMeter ◽

Parker J. Woodroof

Keyword(s):

Personal Growth ◽

Personal Relationships ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Student Effort ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Marketing Education ◽

Survey Results ◽

Expansion Theory ◽

Gain Access

Applying the pedagogy of vulnerability and self-expansion theory, the exercise known as the Know Me Activity (KMA) enhances self-expansion by encouraging connections between students and the instructor. The pedagogy of vulnerability is premised on risking self-disclosure as an act of courage. Self-expansion theory is grounded in personal relationships whereby individuals are motivated for personal growth and identify with others to gain access to their resources. In the context of marketing education, self-expansion stems from enhancing student self-awareness for personal growth as well as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the instructor to encourage access to expertise. The KMA was conducted at three universities and assessed to determine its usefulness as a self-expansion exercise. Survey results indicate that students found the activity contained self-expansion characteristics, and they recommend it for future use. The results of the pretest and posttest analyses also demonstrated an increase in student self-awareness, perceived instructor vulnerability, and perceived instructor relatedness. Self-expansion activities enhance relationships by design and participating in them can lead to increased student effort and persistence. Marketing educators can, therefore, have confidence in utilizing the KMA as a means for mitigating social isolation and encouraging perseverance.

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Faculty Stories of Facilitating Caring Groups

International Journal for Human Caring ◽

10.20467/1091-5710.8.1.30 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 30-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Margaret Kosowski, ◽

Carol B. Wilson, ◽

Kathryn Grams,

Keyword(s):

Personal Growth ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Pedagogical Practices ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Art And Science ◽

Research Findings ◽

Group Experience

Previous research findings from the student’s experience support caring groups as an experiential strategy for teaching and learning caring in a BSN program focusing on a caring philosophy. This study explores the caring group experience from the perspective of nine faculty members who served as faculty facilitators for caring groups. Data regarding faculty stories was essential to complete the understanding of the experience of student and teacher. Findings from this study include the belief that faculty viewed the caring group experience as essential in providing opportunities for students to learn and practice the art and science of caring. Through participation in caring groups as facilitators, faculty experienced increased self-awareness, personal growth, and opportunities to reexamine pedagogical practices. Faculty also identified inherent burdens in facilitating a caring group.

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Perceptions of learners in a Reiki/Energy Medicine course toward facilitating a complimentary and alternative approach to medicine

American Journal of Recreation Therapy ◽

10.5055/ajrt.2010.0021 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 25-32

Author(s):

Nancy E. Richeson, PhD, CTRS ◽

Sophie Hill, BS

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Sense Of Community ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Practical Skills ◽

Energy Medicine ◽

Integrative Health ◽

Alternative Approach ◽

Perceptions Of Students ◽

Reducing Stress

This article explored the perceptions of students who completed a Reiki/Energy Medicine course offered during the fall semester of 2009. One focus group was offered and scheduled during finals week after grades had been turned into the registrar’s office. Seven participants, five females and two males, volunteered from the 20 students who were enrolled in the course. Analysis of the data revealed an overarching theme of selfresponsibility in applying Reiki as a mindful practice in three specific topical areas: (a) gaining practical skills in applying Reiki with intention; (b) enhancing personal growth in reducing stress and expanding self-awareness; and (c) acquiring a sense of community through Reiki shares or certificate. Furthermore, the participants made recommendations on how to improve future classes. Overall, focus group participants found that the course was beneficial and would recommend it to other students interested in holistic and integrative health.

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An Investigation of Canadian Undergraduate Music Education Students’ Personal and Professional Experiences During a Three-Month Residency in China

Journal of Teaching and Learning ◽

10.22329/jtl.v14i2.6319 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Jonathan G. Bayley ◽

Vanessa A. Mio

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Pedagogical Practices ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Learning Program ◽

Education Students ◽

Professional Experiences ◽

Wide Range ◽

Bachelor Of Education ◽

Teachers And Students

The present study investigated undergraduate Canadian music education students’ personal and professional experiences during a three-month residency in China. Participants (N=3), in this case study, were part of a SSHRC funded Canada-China Reciprocal Learning Program and were in the process of completing a Bachelor of Education degree. The participants observed classroom teaching, attended workshops/presentations at Southwest University in Chongqing, China, and gave presentations to Chinese teachers and students. They were asked a wide range of open-ended questions relating to their preconceptions of life in China, coping strategies (e.g., language, local customs, environmental context, etc.), curricular and pedagogical similarities/differences, relationships with their Chinese counterparts, and potential impact on their future educational and professional plans. The findings indicated intellectual, social, and personal growth over this three-month period. Students spoke of overcoming fear and acquiring increased personal/professional self-awareness. However, there was no solid assurance that the participants’ experiences would have a lasting positive effect on their future pedagogical practices.

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Dual Credit and Advanced Placement Students in Developmental Education: What Happened?

10.36896/3.2fa1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Keyword(s):

Developmental Education ◽

Advanced Placement ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Dual Credit ◽

Student Perception ◽

Time Frame ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Course Experience ◽

Developmental Student

Despite their better-than-average preparation, former dual credit and advanced placement students have placed into developmental education upon entering higher education. In this phenomenological study, six students were randomly selected to be interviewed from a group of 562 who placed into developmental education at one Texas university during a 6-year time frame, Fall 2009 through Summer 2015. Six themes, Utility of Developmental Class, Test Taking, Self- Awareness, Obstacles, Emotions, and Academics, and 20 sub-themes emerged from the interview data. The thoughts expressed by the students in this study suggest that developmental placement was a disorienting experience for many of them. Perhaps this was due to their newly acknowledged underpreparedness that necessitated they develop habits and skills more conducive to the college environment. Regardless of the source, in the end the students acknowledged various forms of personal growth as a result of the developmental course experience. Keywords: developmental education, dual credit, advanced placement, developmental student perception

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Narrative Gerontology in Practice: Students’ Experiences With Conducting Autoethnography

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415020926842 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 421-434

Author(s):

Othelia E. Lee ◽

Laneshia Conner ◽

Boyd Davis

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Older Adult ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Online Discussion ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Online Discussion Forum ◽

Emerging Themes ◽

The Life Course

This study examines the benefits of introducing autoethnographic writing as part of an ageism intervention to familiarize students with the life course. In this mixed-methods study, 186 graduate and undergraduate students conducted interviews with a grandparent or older adult and subsequently assumed the identity of the grandparent to write introductions of themselves as if they were that grandparent, using “I” statements in an online discussion forum. Most assumed grandparents were women (78.0%), and White (63.8%) with an average age of 77.3 ( SD = 12.3). Emerging themes were categorized into three levels: structural, familial, and individual. The number of times a certain theme was mentioned was counted and major themes were analyzed. Findings indicated how autoethnographic reflections can promote student examination of self-awareness, cultural heritages, and personal growth. This technique is encouraging as an educational ageism intervention and warrants further adaptation and testing.

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The student as a subject of transformative activity in the period of professional training

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202017515013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 175 ◽

pp. 15013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tatyana Scherbakova ◽

Dinamutdin Misirov ◽

Marina Akopyan ◽

Larisa Ogannisyan

Keyword(s):

Personal Growth ◽

Professional Training ◽

Individual Student ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Transforming Activity ◽

Personal Qualities ◽

The Individual ◽

And Function ◽

Meaning And Function

The work includes a detailed analysis of the specifics of the current activity and description of its role in the development of professional success of future specialists in the context of modern sociorealism. Based on the results of the analysis of modern requirements to the student as a subject of autopsychological activity, the psychological factors of its productivity are identified. The paper presents a review of significant personal qualities of students, considered as internal determinants of successful transforming activity of a modern specialist: features of the value-semantic sphere, psychological, emotional and volitional characteristics of subjectivity. Factors that facilitate and block constructive activity aimed at promising transformations are shown. Considered extraction and interactively transformative in nature, their meaning and function in the development of the individual student. Various vectors of transformative activity in childhood are considered. The role of self-attitude, self-awareness, reflection of students’ experience and knowledge in ensuring the productivity of their professional and personal growth is revealed. Based on the analysis of the results of an empirical study, we describe the content features of modern students’ ideas about the essence and determinants of the positive transformative activity of its role in achieving future professionalsuccess.

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Goal management training for adults with ADHD – clients’ experiences with a group-based intervention

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03114-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emilie S. Nordby ◽

Sigrid Gilje ◽

Daniel A. Jensen ◽

Lin Sørensen ◽

Signe H. Stige

Keyword(s):

Personal Growth ◽

Group Intervention ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Management Training ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Personal Cost ◽

Goal Management ◽

Group Format ◽

Starting Point ◽

Goal Management Training

Abstract Background There is growing evidence for the efficacy of group-based interventions for adults with ADHD. However, there is still a lack of research investigating how clients experience participating in such interventions. The aim of the current study was to explore how adults with ADHD experience participating in a group-based intervention (Goal Management Training) for ADHD. Method We conducted individual, semi-structured, interviews with ten adults with ADHD who had participated in Goal Management Training administered as a group intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis within a hermeneutic phenomenological framework. Results Our analysis identified three main themes. The participants’ starting point captured the participants’ motivation and expectations prior to treatment. The ambiguity of the group – the various meanings of the group consisted of three sub-themes (The group created a sense of belonging - “I am not alone”; The personal cost of participating in the group - “At times it was a hot mess”; and The group supported the learning experience - “We worked with it together”). The group promoted positive change – How the group affected the participants’ everyday lives consisted of two sub-themes (Managing ADHD in daily life - “It’s much easier to handle everyday life”, and Personal growth - “Gaining new perspectives”). Conclusion The group format was experienced as a valuable aspect of treatment. The structure provided by Goal Management Training allowed participants to expand their perspectives and experience improved management of ADHD, as well as personal growth. The opportunity to exchange experiences with others in similar situations was seen as particularly beneficial and brought feelings of recognition and belonging. However, some also experienced the group as a burden at times, for instance by stealing one’s focus. This study expands existing knowledge by exploring clients’ experiences of participating in group-based interventions for ADHD and shows how the group format provided participants with more than they had hoped for. While expecting a more instrumental outcome of treatment, such as tools to manage ADHD, participants also gained a welcomed, but unexpected outcome of personal growth.

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