scholarly journals First-Year Accounting Student Teachers’ Constructivist Learning Experiences, The Lecturer’s Role and Implications for Curriculum Implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-119
Author(s):  
Medson Mapuya
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Curriculum Implementation ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Constructivist Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Accounting Student

The purpose of this study was to explore the constructivist learning experiences of first-year accounting student teachers and the implications these learning experiences have for curriculum implementation. The study employed a phenomenological research design and followed a qualitative research approach in which data were collected using focus group interviews. Content analysis and qualitative coding were used to analyse the qualitative data generated by the focus group interviews. Premised on the findings, the study recommends that as key stakeholders involved in curriculum implementation, lecturers should engage empathically with students on issues regarding pedagogy and subject didactics. Of central importance to the recommendations made in this study is that key questions regarding teaching and learning activities should be informed by the dynamic learning needs of students. It therefore follows that lecturers ought to adopt a more student-participative, collaborative and consultative approach towards curriculum implementation and obtain regular feedback from students about their learning experiences.

Being “adopted” into a teaching community

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn Bentley ◽  
Madison Workman ◽  
Alex Overby
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Field Placement ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In order to prepare new members of the education profession, it is imperative that teachers enter their classrooms with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to serve their students from day one. One method for preparing such teacher candidates or student teachers is through school-based field placements during their preparation program. The purpose of this paper is to describe one example of a yearlong field placement and the mentoring relationships that emerged among participants. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used the following data sources: focus group interviews among the teacher candidates, focus group interviews among the mentor teachers, field placement reflections and teaching analyses composed by the teacher candidates, and interviews conducted among teacher candidates and mentor teachers. Findings Analysis of the data revealed that the yearlong field placement promoted positive mentoring relationships between teacher candidates and their classroom teachers. Specifically the following themes emerged: the “adoption” of teacher candidates into the high school classrooms, risk-taking within the classrooms, the mentor teachers’ use of constructive feedback, and collaborative “mentoring-down-the-hall.” Originality/value In recent years, various scholars have investigated the impact of field placement experiences on teacher candidates; however, these studies have lacked a detailed analysis of how such experiences impacted mentoring relationships among candidates and their mentor teachers in a collaborative setting. This paper provides an in-depth study of the perceived experiences of mentor teachers and their candidates.

scholarly journals Nursing staff’s experience of appearance issues in various nursing situations

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Bringsén ◽  
Johanna Sjöbeck ◽  
Pia Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Professional Nursing ◽  
Group Interviews

Abstract Background Health care professionals frequently interact with unknown patients in a process involving appearance-based judgements and priority-setting, all of which has an effect on health care equality. The healthcare provider–patient interaction is also highly relevant for the awareness and support of patients’ appearance concerns, with an associated possibility for improving patients’ satisfaction with their appearance and health. The aim was therefore to explore nursing staff’s experience of patients’ appearance issues in various nursing situations, with the purpose to facilitate awareness raising and knowledge development. Method A qualitative research approach with focus group interviews was chosen due to the exploratory aim of the study. Five semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 24 nursing staff in total (19 women and five men). The participants’ ages varied (20 to 45 years) as did their professional nursing experience. The interviews lasted approximately one hour, were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed through thematic analysis. Results The thematic analysis resulted in the two themes Patient perspective and Professional nursing role, with associated subthemes. The findings showed the importance and impact of appearance issues in nursing situations and how these are linked to the health of the patients. Some groups of patients were identified as more vulnerable than others, which was associated with health care inequalities and health disparities. Value-based strategies along with knowledge, and skills for holistic person-centred care were identified as important resources for the development of appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. Conclusion Strategies for improvement can be realised through the educational system for nursing staff, but mainly by using collective reflective learning forums in different workplaces. An empowerment approach is considered a useful framework for the implementation of holistic person-centred care, functioning as a resource for appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. However, more research is needed on the complex and challenging phenomenon of appearance issues in nursing situations. Knowledge development related to successful person-centred strategies for appearance-related awareness and support is important, especially strategies with a salutogenic perspective.

scholarly journals The Role of Digital Technologies in Learning: Expectations of First Year University Students / Le rôle des technologies numériques dans l’apprentissage : les attentes des étudiants de première année universitaire

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Gabriel ◽  
Barbara Campbell ◽  
Sean Wiebe ◽  
Ronald J MacDonald ◽  
Alexander McAuley
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
First Year ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Student Body ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Premier Cycle ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
First Year University

A growing literature suggests that there is a disjuncture between the instructional practices of the education system and the student body it is expected to serve, particularly with respect to the roles of digital technologies. Based on surveys and focus group interviews of first-year students at a primarily undergraduate Canadian university and focus group interviews of professors at the same institution, this study explores the gaps and intersections between students’ uses and expectations for digital technologies while learning inside the classroom and socializing outside the classroom, and the instructional uses, expectations and concerns of their professors. It concludes with recommendations for uses of digital technologies that go beyond information transmission, the need for extended pedagogical discussions to harness the learning potentials of digital technologies, and for pedagogies that embrace the social construction of knowledge as well as individual acquisition. Des études de plus en plus nombreuses suggèrent qu’il existe un écart entre les pratiques d’enseignement dans le système de l’éducation et la population étudiante desservie, notamment en ce qui concerne le rôle des technologies numériques. La présente étude, fondée sur les résultats de sondages et d’entrevues de groupe auprès des étudiants de première année inscrits à une université canadienne principalement axée sur les études de premier cycle, ainsi que sur des entrevues de groupe auprès de professeurs du même établissement, explore les écarts et les concordances entre, d’une part, l’utilisation et les attentes des étudiants relativement aux technologies numériques dans l’apprentissage en classe et dans les relations sociales en dehors des classes, et, d’autre part, l’utilisation de ces technologies dans les pratiques d’enseignement, les préoccupation et les attentes des professeurs. L’étude se conclut par des recommandations concernant une utilisation des technologies numériques dépassant la transmission de l’information, et la nécessité de discussions pédagogiques poussées permettant d’exploiter le potentiel des technologies numériques dans le cadre de l’apprentissage ainsi que de méthodes pédagogiques adaptées à la construction sociale des connaissances et au mode individuel d’acquisition des connaissances.

scholarly journals English Language Student-Teachers Developing Agency Through Community-Based Pedagogy Projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Hernández Varona ◽  
Daniel Felipe Gutiérrez Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Public University ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Journal Entries

This paper presents a narrative inquiry study on agency development in student-teachers of an English language teacher program at a public university in the south of Colombia. Our goal was to understand how student-teachers develop agency when narratively inquiring their community by planning and conducting community-based pedagogy projects on issues they found pertinent to investigate. The data were gathered through semi-structured focus group interviews, individual journal entries, and video-recorded talks about their inquiries. As a conclusion, we acknowledge that certain social and narrative practices such as interacting within their inquiry groups, interacting with their communities, voicing their communities’ necessities, and acting upon the inquired necessities facilitated developing agency and contributed to rethinking their roles as transformative members of their communities.

scholarly journals The Effect of Research Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in Science Classrooms on Student Teachers' Attitudes towards Educational Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-326
Author(s):  
Nail Ilhan
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Experimental Group

Research in the field of education plays a pivotal role in developing evidence-based practices in teaching and improving the quality of education. However, research conducted in recent years has highlighted the unwillingness of teachers to benefit from scientific studies. This study set out to assess whether Research Evidence-Based Practices in Science Teaching (EBPST) influences the teaching practices of student teachers and their attitudes towards education research. Mixed methods research design was used in this study. The study was conducted through Quasi-experimental methods and focus group interviews. The data were collected with the "Teachers Attitude Scale towards Educational Research (TASTER)" and focus group interviews. Participants of the study included 106 third-year undergraduate student teachers. The experimental group applied EBPST during their teaching, while the control group applied existing traditional teaching at primary schools. The Quantitative findings showed that student teachers in the experimental group had significantly increased positive attitudes towards educational research when compared with student teachers in the control group. In addition, qualitative findings revealed that several factors negatively and positively influence the understanding and use of educational research for student teachers on the applicability of EBPST. Considering the results of this study, student teachers' EBPST effect on improving their attitudes, understanding, and the use of educational research in teaching.

Focus Group Interviews: A qualitative research approach for nursing

Pflege ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Kean
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Group Interviews

Focus Group Interviews als qualitativer Forschungsansatz in der Pflegeforschung sind derzeit im englischsprachigen Raum sehr populär. In diesem Artikel wird dieser Forschungsansatz vorgestellt und mit einem Beispiel aus der Pflegeforschung verdeutlicht. Es werden dabei Fragen des allgemeinen und speziellen Studiendesigns angesprochen.

Information Literacy Education: Perceptions, Proficiencies and Experiences of First-Entering Students at TUT

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Manamedi Molepo ◽  
Solomon Bopape
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Entering Students ◽  
Group Interviews

For students to master information literacy skills, they must attend Information Literacy Education (ILE) offered by academic libraries. This study adopted both quantitative and qualitative research approaches using a questionnaire and focus group interviews, respectively, to investigate the perceptions of the concept “information literacy”, “students’ skills to use library resources”, and “students’ familiarity with different library resources” of first-year students at the library of the Polokwane campus of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), South Africa, all before and after attendance of the ILE session, as well as to analyse their experiences of the ILE programme which they had attended. The study found that most of the first-entering students had a different perception of the concept “information literacy” in relation to its usage in the academic Library and Information Science (LIS) environment. The questionnaire findings further showed that the students had no skills in using library resources and were not familiar with library resources before they attended the ILE programme. However, the findings from the focus group interviews showed that, after they had attended the ILE session, they became familiar with some of the library resources, and their abilities to use those resources positively improved from novice to advanced and proficient users of information. It is therefore recommended that ILE for students be continuous so that students do not forget or lose focus of what they have learned in the formal ILE programmes. To encourage students’ participation, the attendance of ILE should be compulsory for all first-year entering students across all faculties at the TUT.

scholarly journals Critical care nurses’ perceptions of stress and stress-related situations in the workplace

Curationis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Moola
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Working Environments ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Nurses Perceptions

Critical care nurses (CCNs) experience stressful situations in their daily working environments. A qualitative research approach (exploratory, descriptive and contextual) was used to explore and describe the stressful situations experienced by critical care nurses in the Tshwane metropolitan are of South Africa. Focus group interviews were conducted with critical care nurses.

scholarly journals Student-teachers' Experiences During Practicum in Pre-service Teacher Education in Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ei Phyu Chaw ◽  
Erika Kopp
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Pre Service Teacher Education ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

Teacher education program differs internationally in accordance with the admission, assessment, teaching practice period, induction program, professional learning, initial teacher learning, continuous professional development, and performance appraisal systems for recognizing accredited teaching. Experts in teacher education recommends that the practicum is the focus and an integral part of initial teacher education program. In most countries, teacher education programs face difficulties in finding the proper role and form of practice. Referring to National Education Strategic Plan (2016-21) of Myanmar, practicum in teacher preparation program is dull and it has limited guidance and supervision. Moreover, very few publications are available in Myanmar that label the perceptions of teacher candidate on their practicum experience. This study explores student-teachers' experience during practicum in their pre-service teacher education program. The doctoral research will focus on the role of practicum in pre-service teacher education in Myanmar. This document describes the results of the pilot study conducted in 2019, July. The researcher employed convergent mixed-method design to collect data for the pilot study. Data collection methods include semi-structured focus group interviews and questionnaires. The final year student-teachers (N=23) who were enrolled in 2014 academic year at the Yangon University of Education are the subject of the study. The questionnaire consists of 27 closed items. Fourteen final-year student-teachers discussed their practicum experiences in two focus group interviews. Student-teachers' responses to the questionnaire are mostly positive. In the focus group interview, they mentioned their critical point of views such as their university program could prepare them to some extent for their practicum. There were some differences in responses to the questionnaire and focus group interviews. From the results of the quantitative and qualitative part, the researcher could learn some potential problem areas that can affect the whole doctoral research.

scholarly journals Twitter in a Bachelor of Education Course: Student Experiences

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane P. Preston ◽  
Brittany A. E. Jakubiec ◽  
Julie Jones ◽  
Rachel Earl
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Bachelor Of Education ◽  
Collaboration And Communication ◽  
Group Interviews

The purpose of this article is to describe student experiences when incorporating Twitter into a Bachelor of Education (BEd) course. Data for this participatory action research were gathered from eight first-year BEd students who provided written answers to 16 open-ended questions and participated in two focus group interviews. Findings indicated that, after participants completed a Twitter assignment, their views of Twitter and its applicability in educational realms changed. Analyzed through the emerging concept of new pedagogy, the Twitter experience enhanced collaboration and communication between student and the instructor. An implication is that if BEd students are to effectively incorporate technology into future kindergarten to grade 12 classrooms, they need to experience digital literacy during undergraduate courses.

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