Masters Degrees (Curriculum Studies)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Curriculum Studies) by browse.metadata.advisor "Bitzer, Eli"

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    Aligning the clinical assessment practices with the assessment practices
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011-12) Maart, Ronel; Bitzer, Eli; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Removable Prosthetic Dentistry (PRO400) is a fourth year module of the undergraduate dentistry programme which consists of a large clinical component. After reviewing relevant literature and conducting module evaluations, clinical tests were introduced and implemented in 2008 as an additional clinical assessment method. The intention of introducing the clinical tests was an attempt to ensure that students were assessed fairly, that their theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply it clinically were properly assessed, and to provide feedback on their clinical performance. The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to compare the relationship between the students‟ performance in the clinical tests and daily clinical grades with their theoretical performance in the PRO400 module. The second part of the study explored the academic staff s‟ perceptions of the clinical test as clinical assessment tool in the PRO400 module. The case study design enabled the researcher to explore the question at hand in considerable depth. The mixed methods approach was useful to capture the best of both the qualitative and quantitative approaches. For the quantitative data-collection, record reviews of the results of fourth-year dental students‟ who completed the PRO400 module at the end of 2007 were used, and included 110 students. For the qualitative component three full-time lecturers within the Prosthetic department were interviewed. The clinical test marks and clinical session marks of all the students (n=109) in PRO400 were compared to their theory mark of that year. The tests marks were entered into a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and the data analysis was done with the assistance of a statistician. The analytical abstraction method was used to assist with the qualitative data analysis; first the basic level of analysis was done in the narrative form, followed by second higher level of data analysis. The basic and higher levels of analysis were discussed under the following themes: clinical tests, student performances, alignment of theory and clinical assessment and personal influence on supervisors‟ assessment practices and attitude. Role-taking and the supervisors‟ perceptions and concerns regarding the students were explored as emergent themes. The quantitative findings were displayed using tables and graphs. Forty five students. clinical marks were 10% higher than their theory mark, while only 8 students. theory marks were 10% higher than their clinical test mark. There appeared to be hardly any relationship between the students. clinical daily grade assessment marks and their theory marks. The average theory mark was 47%, the average clinical test marks were 55% and the average daily clinical grade was 63%. Integration of the data obtained from the different data collection methods was done at the level of data interpretation. The clinical test as an assessment tool is well accepted by the supervisors and they agreed that it is more reliable and accurate than the clinical daily grade assessment method. The quantitative findings relate well to other reported studies that concluded that the daily grade was poorly correlated with the competency exams (a similar phenomenon in the clinical test of the PRO400 module). From the findings of this study it appeared that there is a better correlation of the clinical test mark and the theory mark, than clinical daily mark and the theory mark. This finding related well with the lecturers. views that the clinical tests were more reliable as a clinical assessment tool than the daily clinical mark.
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    Experiences of feedback on medical students’ clinical skills performance in a clinical skills centre
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Van der Merwe, Charmaine; Bitzer, Eli; Archer, Elize; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Feedback is critical to learning, especially learning of clinical skills, even in simulation. Students are often not satisfied with the feedback they receive on their learning, while lecturers generally report they do provide feedback to students. This imbalance between feedback received and feedback provided may be evident at this Clinical Skills Centre (CSC), where medical students from Stellenbosch University learn clinical skills in the safety of a simulation area. The aim of this study was therefore to determine how fourth-year medical students experience the feedback they receive and how lecturers experience the feedback they provide about the learning of clinical skills in the CSC. As the researcher, I was specifically interested in this study to help guide my own practice as a lecturer in this CSC. This study followed an interpretative approach and used non-numerical data to understand the feedback experiences of the students and their lecturers. A case study design was used which involved the fourth-year medical students and the lecturers involved in learning sessions at the CSC of Stellenbosch University as a particular setting for learning and teaching. The student group, as well as the lecturers were purposefully selected for the case because of their specific experiences in the learning and teaching of clinical skills in the CSC. Non-numerical data were generated through three methods, namely the observation of ten learning sessions, individual interviews with four lecturers and five focus group interviews with 35 fourth-year medical students. From the data analysis it became apparent that medical students generally associate feedback with the information they receive after summative assessments and do not experience guidance during learning sessions in the CSC as feedback. The findings further indicated that students possibly do not receive sufficient feedback in terms of the traditional notion of feedback. This is mainly because of limited follow-up opportunities whereby a change in students’ behaviour can be evaluated and information can be provided on multiple observations of students’ performance of clinical skills. There is however evidence that opportunities may be enhanced in the learning of clinical skills, especially in a CSC where an alternative self-regulated feedback model can be incorporated.
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    Factors influencing throughput of learners in the Youth Focus Project 2017 to 2020
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Van der Westhuizen, Lana; Bitzer, Eli; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Youth employment is an important factor for social cohesion because unemployed youth tend to undermine societal trust in institutions, while under-employment can inflict serious scars on youth that could last for years. The unemployment level for low-skilled people in South Africa is consistently high as the National Senior Certificate has become the norm as a minimum entry requirement for most workplaces. Further to a Grade 12 certificate, job applicants also need cognitive and technical skills to successfully enter employment. Currently, unemployment is generally higher for youth, even though they are the most highly educated generation in history. For instance, youth who are not in employment or training numbered 40 million in Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2015, while 28 million were inactive job seekers, which has led to the social and labour market integration of young people becoming a policy priority for OECD governments. As of 2019, 19 million South African adults (57% of the adult population) did not hold a Grade 12 school qualification. While there is a strong need for ‘second chance’ interventions for young people who did not complete Grade 12, these youth are often overlooked when such programmes are implemented. In 2013 however, the Western Cape Education Department introduced the Youth Focus Project (YFP) specifically for the cohort of learners who did not complete Grade 12. The present study aimed at finding out what influenced the throughput of second chance learners on learnership programmes such as the YFP. Through a phenomenological approach grounded in an interpretivist research paradigm study participants’ lived experiences were explored. Narrative data indicated that academic failure at school played an important role in entering the YFP learnership. Participants generally responded well to the (Boland) college environment, the workplace-based component included in the YFP and the academic content matter. Furthermore, they also indicated that stipends allowed them to become more financially independent. While bullying, challenging personal relationships and academic challenges influenced their learning at school negatively, aspects which were confirmed to provide positive YFP learner re-enforcement were a nurturing environment and respect, interesting and occupationally directed subject matter, clear career goals and learner grit. The overall findings of the present study support Tinto’s (1993) student integration framework and led to the conclusion that institutional support encouraged learners to persist while smaller class groups and one-on-one attention enhanced learner performance. In addition, a career focused curriculum provided them with the impetus to achieve, while participants reiterated that it was academic success and the prospect of entering a career that inspired them to complete.