EFL teachers’ online teaching in rural schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stories from Indonesia

The implementation of online English instruction in remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, which mandates school closures, remains unknown, especially given these areas’ reputation for inadequate educational facilities. Additionally, the preparations, implementation, and challenges experienced by English as a Foreign Language (henceforth, EFL) teachers in rural areas remain unclear. This study therefore aimed at exploring the experiences of EFL teachers in rural areas on (1) their readiness for conducting online teaching, (2) their implementation of online teaching, and (3) the challenges during the implementation of online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in Indonesia with eight English teachers in rural schools. This study was a qualitative study that employed a phenomenological study approach and used semi-structured interviews to collect the data. The findings indicate that EFL teachers, during this pandemic time, were able to conduct fully online English teaching because they possessed sufficient knowledge of English instruction using technology. Additionally, these teachers might leverage various technologies and adapt those tools to transform their usual face-to-face English instruction into online instruction. Nonetheless, these teachers in rural schools frequently encountered challenges with internet connectivity, student-owned technology devices, student enthusiasm, and student netiquette when enrolling in online English teaching. Additionally, this article discusses some practical considerations for implementing online English teaching during a pandemic.

Posttraumatic Growth Experiences of Adolescents With Parental Loss: A Phenomenological Study

This study examines the post-traumatic growth of adolescents who have lost their parents about their experiences. Eight adolescents whose parents had died participated in the study conducted in the phenomenological design. The data were collected with three-step semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the phenomenological analysis technique performed in five stages. The findings were grouped into three main themes as “reactions to loss,” “readjustment,” and “post-traumatic growth,” and nine subthemes under each, and these sub-themes were categorized into forty-five codes.

A Qualitative Inquiry of a Three-Month Virtual Practicum Program on Youth with Visual Impairments and Their Coaches

Research has shown that the practicum experience for professional preparation students in physical education teacher education programs related to teaching youth with disabilities can improve self-efficacy. It is not currently known if a virtual program can be effective for the professional preparation students or the participants. The objective of this study was to determine the experiences of the participants of a three-month virtual practicum program. In this phenomenological study, thirty youth with visual impairments and 1:1 professional preparation students (coaches) took part in a three-month virtual physical activity program. A total of 11 coaches took part in 2 focus groups, and 10 of the participants were interviewed about their experiences in this unique practicum. Findings in this three-month program revealed four themes: (1) friendship, (2) self-determination, (3) goal setting, and (4) barriers. The results of the qualitative inquiry indicate that a virtual practicum program can have a positive effect on both the participants and the professional preparation students. Virtual programs should also be aware of barriers to implementing an effective program to benefit all parties.

Aesthetics in nursing practice as experienced by nurses in Indonesia: A phenomenological study

Background: While aesthetics in nursing practice brings out the beauty in nursing, studies regarding how aesthetics are implemented in practice are lacking. Objective: To describe the meanings of aesthetics in nursing practice experienced by nurses in Indonesia. Methods: This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach based on Gadamerian philosophy. Thirteen nurses were asked to reflect on their experiences of providing aesthetics in their practice through drawing, followed by individual face-to-face interviews. Data were collected in a public hospital in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The interview transcripts and the pictures were analysed following van Manen’s approach. Results: Five thematic categories were revealed: 1) Engaging in caring for persons; 2) Full of compassion; 3) Sympathetic place of care; 4) A joyful time of care; and 5) Distracting the inconvenience in care. Conclusion: Aesthetics in nursing practice is understood and experienced by Indonesian nurses in various ways, not only limited to the visual beauty, cleanness or tidiness of nursing intervention, but are expressed in other ways within caring, including providing care with compassion, applying the art of communication, relieving the pain, and applying innovation in care. These findings can be used to inform nurses in practising aesthetic nursing for enhancing the quality of care. Funding: Faculty of Nursing Research Grant, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.

Professional Values in Guiding Professional Behavior of Nurses: A Phenomenological Study

Introduction: Nurses must have knowledge and awareness concerning professional values as standards to provide safe and high-quality care. Objective: The study aimed to explore the professional’s value in directing nurses’ behavior. Method: A qualitative study design with a phenomenology approach was applied in this study. We involved ten nurses with ten years of working experience and acting as role models in nurse managers. The data analysis used the Colaizzi method. We found the professional nursing values among nurses, including human dignity, integrity, professional practice, altruism, and compassion. Dimensions that underlying the professional values are knowledge, skill, and attitude. Results: The following four themes reflected how to apply nurses value: 1) Competence in facing challenges; 2 Nurses provided services based on knowledge and skills, a sense of help and compassion for love as a form of worship and commitment to the profession; 3) feeling satisfied in undergoing the nurse profession; 4) expectations of professional development. Professional nurses have a positive attitude and a hope for professional development. Conclusion: The hospital could improve nursing education and research by providing evidence-based practices for self-development. Recommendation: Nurse managers also can provide services based on science, skills, and attitudes as a form of worship and commitment to the profession, becoming a role model for the nurse-led

Challenges of hospital ethics committees: a phenomenological study

Medical ethics committees play an important role in examining and resolving ethical problems in hospitals by developing ethical guidelines and making ethical decisions. This study aimed at investigating the challenges that these committees typically face. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted in 2020. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling and participation of 19 ethics committees’ members in Tehran hospitals. Then, data were analyzed by the content analysis method using MAXQDA-10 software. Challenges of hospital ethics committees were classified into three main themes including external factors, intra-organizational factors, and ethics committee structure, in addition to six sub-themes including inadequate supervision, lack of instructions, organizational culture, human resources, nature of the committee, and ineffectiveness of committees’ decisions. Since many challenges are faced by ethics committees, plans should be developed and implemented to fulfill the following purposes: (i) strengthen the position of these committees in hospitals, (ii) continuous supervision over the formation and holding of the committees, (iii) their operation process, (iv) their decision-making process, and (v) process of sharing committees’ decisions with all hospital stakeholders and staff.