Original Research

Post-basic nursing students’ reflections on their experiences of dialogic mediation

Nadine F. Petersen, Vanessa Merckel
Health SA Gesondheid | Vol 18, No 1 | a715 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v18i1.715 | © 2013 Nadine F. Petersen, Vanessa Merckel | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 November 2012 | Published: 27 September 2013

About the author(s)

Nadine F. Petersen, Department of Education and Curriculum Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Vanessa Merckel, Department of Education and Curriculum Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

This article presents post-basic nursing students’ reflections on the way they experienced the pedagogy of dialogic mediation. The study addressed current debates about appropriate teaching methodologies for students in such a degree course and the role of the nurse educator in this regard. The authors used a qualitative research approach and posed the following research question: What are students’ reflections of their experiences of dialogic mediation and the influence of this on their ideas of teaching and learning? The study involved a cohort of students (n = 248) who were enrolled in a semester-long course in a post-basic nursing degree at a South African university. They were asked to respond to three open-ended questions regarding their experiences of a course that required engagement with a new teaching and learning strategy which expected active involvement. Data were collected from students’ written reflections and were analysed by searching for recurring themes and patterns. The findings revealed that students experienced extreme levels of frustration at the beginning of the course as their existing ideas about teaching and learning were challenged. They also found the new teaching techniques associated with this pedagogy to be demanding. However, once they understood the underlying principles and ideas, they began to understand the implications for their own learning and teaching practices.

Hierdie artikel handel oor nabasiese-verpleegstudente se nadenke oor die wyse waarop hulle die pedagogie van dialogiese bemiddeling ervaar het. Hierdie studie het aandag gegee aan huidige debatte oor geskikte onderrigmetodologieë vir studente in so ‘n graadkursus en die rol van die verpleegkundige-opvoeder in hierdie opset. Die outeurs het ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gebruik en het die volgende navorsingsvraag gestel: Wat is studente se nadenke oor hul ervarings van dialogiese bemiddeling en die invloed daarvan op hul idees van onderrig en leer? Die studie het ’n spesiefike kohort studente (n = 248) wat ingeskryf is by ’n semesterkursus in ’n nabasiese verpleeggraadprogram aan ’n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit ingesluit. Hulle is gevra om op drie oop vrae te reageer oor hul ervarings van ’n kursus wat betrokkenheid by ’n nuwe onderrig- en leerstrategie vereis en waar aktiewe deelname verwag word. Data is uit studente se skriftelike nadenke ingesamel en is ontleed deur vir herhalende temas en patrone te soek. Die bevindings het getoon dat studente uiterste vlakke van frustrasie aan die begin van die kursus ervaar het, aangesien hul bestaande onderrig en leer uitgedaag is. Hulle het ook die nuwe onderrigtegniek wat met hierdie pedagogie gepaardgaan veeleisend gevind. Nadat hulle egter die onderliggende beginsels en idees verstaan het, het hulle begin om die implikasies van hul eie leer- en onderrigpraktyke te verstaan.


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